Garlic Butter Salmon

Golden pan-fried salmon fillets drenched in an irresistible 4-ingredient garlic butter sauce, all made in under 30 minutes.

Here I’ll show you not only how to perfectly pan fry salmon, but I’ve also got some tips and tricks for the perfectly rich garlic butter sauce (that doesn’t end up greasy). It’s perfect for a weeknight, ‘fancy’ enough for company and easy enough for beginners! Follow me…

Ingredient Notes

The awesome thing about this recipe is that it only requires a handful of simple ingredients, all of which you can find at the supermarket, many of which you might already have on hand. The full quantities are down in the recipe card, but just to quickly go over what we’re using:

• Salmon – we’ll be using boneless, skinless fillets and pan-frying them in a little oil.
• Flour – this will be seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder and will be used to coat the salmon before frying.
• Butter – this is mainly for the sauce, but some will be used to baste the fillets as they fry. I highly recommend using unsalted butter to gain more control over the seasoning of the sauce.
• Garlic – make sure this is fresh, not the pre-diced jarred stuff. It’s stored in a brine, which will alter the flavour of the sauce slightly.
• Stock – this helps turn the butter into a thicker sauce, which you can spoon over the salmon. It also adds some for depth of flavour. It’s a secret ingredient that people sleep on when making garlic butter sauces!
• Parsley – I add this to the sauce for a pop of freshness. It also pairs delightfully with the garlic and butter.
• Lemon – whilst this isn’t in the sauce, it’s there to squeeze over as an essential garnish at the end.

Pan-Fried Salmon

The sauce really is the star of the show, but it’s all in vain if the salmon isn’t perfect. One of the key steps is dredging the salmon through seasoned flour. I like to do this in this specific recipe for two reasons:

• Crust – The flour will help build up a crispy golden crust as you fry the salmon.
• Sauce – The crust will absorb the sauce and help it cling to the salmon.

Pan-frying the salmon

The main goal when frying the salmon is to build up a golden crust on both sides. Don’t worry too much about getting it perfectly cooked through, because you’ll be adding it back into the pan with the sauce to heat it back through. Another thing to focus on when frying is basting the fillets in butter, just to wrap them in some gorgeous buttery goodness. This butter will also lightly brown, which adds a nice nutty flavour to the sauce.

Process shots: mix seasoning and flour (photo 1), dredge salmon (photo 2), fry in oil (photo 3), flip then baste in butter (photo 4).

Garlic Butter Sauce for Salmon

The sauce comes together very quickly and couldn’t be more simple to make. Here’s a few tips to guide you along the way:

• Garlic – you only need to fry this for 20 seconds or so, just to get a touch of colour. Be very careful it doesn’t burn, otherwise it’ll take bitter.
• Heat – don’t simmer too aggressively; it risks the sauce splitting.
• Consistency – the sauce starts off quite thin, but as the stock evaporates and reduces, the sauce will thicken. Just keep simmering and stirring. It also thickens a little more when you add the salmon back in due to the flour.

Process shots: fry garlic (photo 1), pour in stock (photo 2), whisk in butter (photo 3), add parsley (photo 4), simmer (photo 5), baste salmon in sauce (photo 6).

Garlic Butter Salmon FAQ

Serving Suggestions

When it comes to serving the salmon, you’ll want to add a lemon wedge to each plate. A squeeze of lemon juice will cut through the richness of the sauce and finish everything off nicely. This is an important finish so don’t skip it!

Here I’ve served with some Parmesan Smashed Potatoes and asparagus that I threw in towards the end of cooking. For some other side combos, consider these options:

• Light and speedy – crusty bread and a simple Side Salad.
• Pure comfort – Mashed Potato or Baked Potato and Green Beans.
• Great for company – Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Broccolini.

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this garlic butter salmon shall we?!

How to make Garlic Butter Salmon (Full Recipe & Video)

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For another garlic butter salmon recipe check out my Garlic Herb Baked Salmon!

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