Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon (Print View)

Salmon baked in lemon garlic butter served with tender asparagus spears for a quick, elegant meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 oz each

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Sauce & Seasonings

04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
05 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - Lemon slices, for serving

# How to Make:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - Place salmon fillets on one side of the baking sheet and asparagus spears on the opposite side.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
04 - Evenly drizzle the lemon garlic butter sauce over salmon and asparagus, tossing the asparagus gently to coat.
05 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork and asparagus is tender-crisp.
06 - Sprinkle chopped parsley over the dish and serve with lemon slices.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The whole meal finishes in one pan, which means minimal cleanup and maximum sanity on a weeknight.
  • Salmon gets buttery and tender while the asparagus stays crisp, so you're getting different textures in every bite.
  • It's fancy enough to impress people eating at your table but forgiving enough that slight timing differences won't ruin it.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the baking sheet—if the salmon and asparagus are touching or piled up, they'll steam instead of bake, and you'll lose that golden, tender quality.
  • Lemon juice can actually partially cook salmon if it sits too long, so add the sauce right before baking rather than marinating ahead of time.
  • The residual heat keeps cooking everything for a minute or two after you pull it from the oven, so better to pull it out slightly underdone than overcooked and dry.
03 -
  • Pat your salmon dry with a paper towel before cooking; moisture is the enemy of browning and evenness.
  • Buy salmon from a fishmonger if possible rather than the prepackaged section—you can ask questions and get better quality guaranteed.

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