Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon — Juicy salmon at home in 30 minutes that’s EASY and tastes BETTER than from a restaurant! The butter is infused with lemon and garlic and adds so much FLAVOR!
This version incorporates garlic, because why not. My family loves garlic and since salmon is a robust fish, it can stand up to the garlic without being overwhelmed.
And I love a dinner that’s easy, ready in 30 minutes, tastes better than the salmon you get in a restaurant (which I find to be dry and bland usually), and cleanup is as easy as throwing away the foil.
INGREDIENTS
- about 1.5 to 1.75 pounds skin-on salmon fillet
- 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
- 5 cloves garlic, finely pressed or minced; or to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place salmon on a sheet of foil (with the longer side parallel with the longer side of the sheet pan) with the skin-side down. Raise the edges of the foil up about 2 inches (or enough so that when you pour the buttery mixture over the top it will be contained in the foil).
- Nestle lemon slices underneath the salmon, spaced evenly around the fillet; set aside.
- To a microwave-safe glass measuring cup or bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the lemon juice, honey, and garlic. Pour or spoon about three-quarters of the mixture over the salmon; reserve remainder.
- Evenly season salmon with salt and pepper.
- Seal up the foil. Likely you will need to add another sheet of foil on top in order to seal it. Crimp or pinch the top and bottom pieces of foil together; get it as air-tight as possible but it doesn’t have to be perfect. If you have time, set aside to marinate for about 10 to 15 minutes (enhanced flavor).
- Place foil pack on a baking sheet and bake for about 17 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven and remove the top piece of foil or open up the packet so salmon is exposed but keep the edges raised to contain the buttery mixture.
- Set oven to Hi broil.
- Spoon the reserved buttery mixture over the salmon, if desired. Use your judgment and if there’s already lots of juice you don’t need to add it because you don’t want it to start leaking. If you have extra buttery mixture, it’s great served over the finished dish.
- Broil salmon for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until salmon is as golden as desired.*
- Optionally garnish salmon with parsley and serve immediately. Salmon is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days
NOTES
*Tip: You don’t have to broil on the top rack, you can use the second rack, and while it will take longer, there’s less chance of it burning. Keep a close eye on it because all broilers are different and you don’t want the salmon to burn. Exact broiling time will depend on the size and thickness of the salmon, climate and oven variances, and personal preference.