Pan-Seared Salmon with Garlic Butter and Lemon
Crispy-skinned salmon fillets finished in a simple, bright garlic butter sauce.
Recipe Author
Riff Kitchen@riffkitchen
Pan-Seared Salmon with Garlic Butter and Lemon
Crispy-skinned salmon fillets finished in a simple, bright garlic butter sauce.
By Riff KitchenOn Riff.kitchen, recipes start from what is already in your fridge. Add what you have, and it plans around whatever goes off first.
- 5 prep · 10 cook
- 15 min
- servings
- 2
- effort
- Easy
Chef's note
This method ensures perfectly flaky fish with a golden crust in under fifteen minutes.
Method
7 steps · tap one to tick it off
Tips
Press the fillets down briefly. Salmon skin curls as it hits the hot pan. A gentle press with the spatula keeps it flat, so the whole surface crisps instead of just the edges.
Turn the heat low before the garlic. Minced garlic in hot butter burns in seconds and turns the sauce bitter, which is why step 5 lowers the heat first.
Keep the basting short. The salmon is already cooked when the butter goes in. The 30 seconds of spooning in step 6 flavors it; any longer and the fillets dry out.
Swaps
No fresh parsley? Chives or dill, chopped the same way.
No lemon juice? White wine vinegar, about half the amount, added off the heat.
No unsalted butter? Salted butter, and go lighter on the salt when seasoning the fish.
Storage
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container.
Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. The flesh comes back drier and the skin soft.
Reheat: Covered in a 140°C oven with a spoonful of the butter sauce, until steaming hot (75°C in the center).
Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.
Made it?
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Ask the chef
Swap something, change the servings, or ask why a step works
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Chef's note
This method ensures perfectly flaky fish with a golden crust in under fifteen minutes.
Instructions
Follow the steps to perfection.
Tips
Press the fillets down briefly. Salmon skin curls as it hits the hot pan. A gentle press with the spatula keeps it flat, so the whole surface crisps instead of just the edges.
Turn the heat low before the garlic. Minced garlic in hot butter burns in seconds and turns the sauce bitter, which is why step 5 lowers the heat first.
Keep the basting short. The salmon is already cooked when the butter goes in. The 30 seconds of spooning in step 6 flavors it; any longer and the fillets dry out.
Swaps
No fresh parsley? Chives or dill, chopped the same way.
No lemon juice? White wine vinegar, about half the amount, added off the heat.
No unsalted butter? Salted butter, and go lighter on the salt when seasoning the fish.
Storage
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container.
Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. The flesh comes back drier and the skin soft.
Reheat: Covered in a 140°C oven with a spoonful of the butter sauce, until steaming hot (75°C in the center).
Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.
Made it?
Tap a star to rate it.
Community Reviews 0
No reviews yet. Be the first to try this!
Riff Assistant
Ready to Remix