Garlic Butter Salmon with Golden Crust and Fresh Lemon
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
A light flour coating browns into a golden crust that helps the garlic butter sauce cling to each salmon fillet instead of sliding off. This pan-fried garlic butter salmon finishes with a rich, cloudy sauce, fresh parsley, and a bright squeeze of lemon.
Seasoned flour, olive oil, unsalted butter, fresh garlic, vegetable stock, parsley, and lemon each have a job here. The flour creates a crisp exterior and later helps thicken the sauce. Browning the salmon in oil first builds color, while a brief butter baste adds a lightly nutty note before the fillets leave the pan. Fresh garlic is important because jarred garlic stored in brine can alter the sauce flavor.
Watch for a deep golden crust before flipping the fillets, then look for salmon that flakes easily and has changed from deep pink to light pink at the center. Do not aim for fully finished fish during the first fry, since it cooks again while resting and when returned to the sauce. Burned garlic is the main problem to avoid; fry it only until it begins taking on color.
Serve each fillet with extra sauce and a lemon wedge, squeezing the juice over the plated salmon rather than into the pan. Parmesan smashed potatoes and asparagus are shown alongside it, while crusty bread with a simple salad, or potatoes with green beans, also suit the sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe
- The seasoned flour forms a golden crust that gives the sauce something to cling to, so each fillet stays coated instead of slick.
- Starting over medium-high heat browns both sides before the fish finishes in sauce, helping the salmon keep a defined pan-fried exterior.
- A brief butter baste lightly browns the butter around the fillets, adding a nutty note without requiring a separate sauce pan.
- Whisking butter into vegetable stock creates a cloudy sauce that thickens as it reduces, rather than leaving plain melted butter on the plate.
- Keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer helps it stay together, while the floured salmon adds more body during the final basting.
- Lemon is squeezed over the plated fish rather than stirred into the pan, so its acidity balances the butter without breaking the sauce.
Ingredients
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- •0.5 tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
- •0.25 cup plain/all-purpose flour (40g)
- •4 boneless skinless salmon fillets (take out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before needed; approximately 4-5 oz / 120-150g each)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •6 tbsp unsalted butter (90g, divided into tablespoon chunks)
- •2 cloves garlic (finely diced)
- •0.5 cup vegetable stock (120ml)
- •1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely diced)
- •1 lemon (divided into 4 wedges, to serve)
Instructions
- 1
In a large shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- 2
Coat each salmon fillet in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and place to one side.
- 3
Add the olive oil to a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- 4
Once hot, add the salmon fillets and fry for around 3 minutes, or until a golden crust forms on the bottom.
- 5
Carefully flip the fillets and fry for another 2 minutes, or until golden on the other side.
- 6
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and baste the fillets for 1 minute, or until they are just about cooked through.
- 7
Remove the salmon from the pan and lower the heat to medium.
- 8
Add the garlic and fry until it just begins to take on color, taking care not to burn it.
- 9
Pour in the vegetable stock and scrape any flavor from the pan.
- 10
Add the remaining butter and whisk until it binds with the stock and turns cloudy.
- 11
Add the parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.
- 12
Simmer for a few minutes, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- 13
Turn the heat to low and add the salmon back to the pan.
- 14
Baste the salmon in the sauce to warm it through, then serve with more sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
343
Protein
25.51g
Fat
24.33g
Carbs
4.79g
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