LemonGarlic Butter Baked Salmon Foolproof Flaky Fish in Under 30 Minutes

Lemongarlic Butter Baked Salmon Foolproof Flaky

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Preparation time:10 Mins

Cooking time:15 Mins

Servings:4 Servings

Ingredients:

• Salmon Fillets (approx. 6 oz / 170g each)
• ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
• cloves Fresh Garlic, minced very finely
• tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
• tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• teaspoon Lemon Zest
• ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano (Optional)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
• Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season evenly on all sides with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, and optional oregano. Whisk well until combined.
• Spoon or brush approximately two-thirds of the garlic butter mixture evenly over the top surface of each salmon fillet. Reserve the remaining butter mixture.
• Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork (internal temperature reaches 145°F/63°C).
• Once cooked, remove the salmon from the oven. Drizzle the remaining reserved garlic butter mixture over the hot fillets immediately before serving. Garnish with extra fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	1178 kcal
Protein	12.9 g
Fat	30.3 g
Carbs	56.7 g
Fiber	28.6 g
Sodium	368 mg

Recipe Info

Category	Main Course
Cuisine	American

Get Ready for Seriously Good Fish

Remember that time you tried to make a fancy fish dish and ended up scrubbing burnt bits off the baking tray for an hour? Yeah, me too. We’re not doing that today, mate. Picture this: rich, fragrant garlic butter melting over pink, flaky salmon. That beautiful aroma filling your kitchen—it's proper comfort food, but super quick. This Garlic Butter Baked Salmon is the weeknight hero we all need.

Stop Searching, Start Cooking

I know what you're thinking when you type "easy salmon" into the search bar. You want to know: Is it going to be dry? Will it stink my kitchen out? And honestly, how much chopping is actually involved? Fear not. This Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe tackles all those worries head-on. Unlike those confusing blogs that bury the steps in long life stories, we keep it simple and direct.

Why This Way Beats The Rest

Most folks just dump the butter on and bake, which is fine, but a bit boring, right? The secret to truly next-level results in an Easy Oven Baked Salmon is layering the flavour. We use fresh zest and juice, and crucially, we reserve some of that glorious liquid gold. That final drizzle after it comes out of the oven? That’s the flavour bomb that separates an okay fish from the Best Way To Cook Salmon In Oven . Trust me, this simple trick makes all the difference to your Oven Baked Salmon Fillet .

The Quick Prep Lowdown

Right, let’s get organised. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) . Get a baking tray lined with paper—don't skip that; it’s essential for a speedy tidy-up. We are aiming for melt-in-your-mouth texture here. While the oven heats up, we’ll whip up the magic sauce. You'll need four generous cloves of garlic, melted butter, and a nice squeeze of fresh lemon. See? Barely five minutes gone, and you’re already ahead of the game for this cracking Easy Oven-baked Seafood Dish .

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Right then, let’s talk brass tacks for this absolute cracker of a meal. If you want the Best Way To Cook Salmon In Oven without any fuss, you’ve landed on the right spot. This is my foolproof guide to making an unbelievably tasty Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe . Forget those fiddly pan-frying jobs; we're going for moist, flaky perfection using the reliable heat of the oven. It’s the sort of cooking where you feel like a proper chef but you’ve barely lifted a finger.

Core Shopping List

First things first, what do we need? Don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you; it’s dead simple. For the salmon itself, aim for about 6 ounces (170g) per person. Wild salmon looks lovely, but honestly, whatever’s on offer usually does the job for an Easy Oven Baked Salmon Fillet . Crucially, for the butter, use proper unsalted butter . Salted butter throws the seasoning right off balance, trust me. You need 6 tablespoons (85g) melted down for the glaze.

Flavour Architecture

This is where the magic happens, the very backbone of our flavour. We’re building a bright, punchy coating here. The garlic is the star—use four generous cloves, minced properly fine. The lemon juice and zest? Non-negotiable. That acidity stops the richness of the butter from feeling too heavy. If you haven't got fresh parsley, you can usually swap it out for a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs, though the fresh stuff really lifts the whole dish when it comes out of the oven. My personal tip? If you have it, a tiny dash of soy sauce (just a quarter teaspoon!) mixed into the butter amps up the savoury notes—it’s my secret umami boost for nearly any Easy Oven-baked Seafood Dish .

Equipment & Mise en Place

You don’t need a cupboard full of gear for this Garlic Butter Baked Salmon with Asparagus or Garlic Butter Baked Salmon with Broccoli . A regular baking tray lined with baking paper or foil is your best mate—it means zero scrubbing later. Get your oven cranked up to 400° F ( 200° C) . Now, the pro tip for speed: do all your chopping first. Mince the garlic, zest the lemon, and chop the parsley while the oven heats up. That way, when it’s time to mix the butter and get your Oven Baked Salmon Fillet seasoned, it’s literally a 30-second job. Have the butter melted and waiting in a small bowl. This setup means you can have this gorgeous Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil on the table before the kids even finish arguing about what to watch on telly. Easy peasy!

Before You Cook

Right then, let’s get cracking before that oven even starts warming up. We’re aiming for the Best Way To Cook Salmon In Oven , not dried-out fish flakes, eh? My biggest disaster early on? I forgot to properly prep the fish. It ended up tasting a bit watery. Lesson learned: always pat your fillets bone dry!

Most folks online bang on about hitting 14 minutes exactly. Honestly, it depends on how thick your lovely piece of fish is. If yours looks a bit skinny, aim for 11 or 12 minutes tops. We want juicy, not chewy. If you’re going for our full Garlic Butter Baked Salmon with Asparagus , get that veg laid out on the tray too; they cook at the same rate, usually.

Guided Cooking Sequence

This is where we nail the execution for our Easy Oven Baked Salmon . Trust your senses, not just the timer.

1. Oven Kick-Off: Get that oven cranked up to 400° F ( 200° C) . While it heats, mix up your garlic butter. Make sure that garlic is minced super fine—we don’t want big chunks burning on top.
2. Pat and Season: Seriously, dry those salmon fillets with kitchen roll. Then, a decent pinch of salt and pepper on all sides. Get them onto your lined baking sheet.
3. The Butter Bath: Spoon about two-thirds of that golden, herby butter mix over the top of the fish. Get it right into the corners.
4. Bake Time: Into the oven they go. Set your timer for 12 minutes . When that timer sings, gently prod the thickest bit with a fork. If it flakes open easily, you’re golden. If it’s still quite opaque in the centre, give it another 2 or 3 minutes . That moment the aroma of roasted garlic and salmon fills your kitchen? That’s your signal that the Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe is working a treat.

If you fancy using an air fryer instead of the oven for your Oven Baked Salmon Fillet , use the same temperature but drop the time down to about 9– 10 minutes . Keep an eye on it, they cook fast in those things!

Save-It Section

This Garlic Butter Baked Salmon is brilliant fresh, but leftovers are sneaky good. Store any unused fish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. When you reheat it the next day—perhaps flaking it into a salad—it keeps that lovely flavour profile. Honestly, the flavour seems to settle overnight, which is a nice bonus.

What if you mess up? Don't panic, we’ve all been there!

• Too Salty? Squeeze a tiny bit of fresh lemon juice over the top before serving; the acidity helps balance the saltiness right out.
• Sauce Separated? If your butter split a bit when melting, just whisk in half a teaspoon of warm water or a tiny splash of white wine vinegar off the heat. It should pull back together nicely.
• Fish Looked a Bit Dry? Don't worry! Whip up a quick, fresh batch of that lemon-garlic butter sauce (just skip the heating part) and drizzle generously over the cooked fish just before serving. This instant moisture trick saves the day every time. Enjoy making this super Easy Oven-baked Seafood Dish !

Right then, let's talk about taking this gorgeous fish from nice to absolutely brilliant. Once you nail the basic Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe , it’s time to jazz it up a bit. You don’t need to be a Michelin-starred chef; just a few clever tricks make all the difference.

Taste & Texture Upgrades

When I first started making this, I often just plopped it on a tray. Now? I always finish it strong. A little fresh garnish is key. After it comes out of the oven, give it a generous sprinkle of finely chopped chives or parsley—that pop of green just screams "fresh." If you’re feeling fancy, a thin slice of fresh lemon placed right on top just before serving looks dead professional.

Now, I’ve seen other recipes that just mix the butter and smear it on. Honestly, that’s fine, but it’s not the best way to cook salmon in oven . My secret? I reserve about a tablespoon of that gorgeous garlic butter mix and drizzle it over after it’s cooked. That raw hit of garlic and lemon zest wakes the whole dish up. It keeps the fish moist without being soggy. Think of it as a final, flavourful mic-drop moment. This extra step is what elevates it from an Easy Oven Baked Salmon to something truly memorable.

Nutrition & Dietary Paths

Let’s get down to brass tacks. For a standard 6oz fillet, you’re looking at around 375 calories. It’s protein-packed—about 32g—and the fats are mainly the good stuff from the salmon.

If you’re watching your calories, you can easily swap half the butter for light olive oil, though you will lose a tiny bit of that rich mouthfeel.

If gluten or dairy is a worry, this Easy Oven Baked Salmon handles substitutions like a dream. Skip the butter entirely and use good quality olive oil mixed with the garlic, lemon, and herbs. That keeps it completely dairy-free, and it’s still miles better than anything you’d get down the local takeaway! It easily adapts to become a fantastic Oven Baked Salmon Fillet option for almost anyone.

Serving & Pairing Ideas

This isn't a dish that needs a dozen sides competing with it. Honestly, the most traditional pairing is the one that works: Garlic Butter Baked Salmon with Asparagus . Roast the asparagus right alongside the fish, perhaps drizzled with a little less of that rich butter. If you’ve got some baby potatoes roasting, even better.

If you have leftovers (lucky you!), wrap them up tight. They’ll keep well in the fridge for about two days. Reheating is simple, but be quick: a quick zap in the microwave for about 45 seconds is all it needs, or wrap it in foil and pop it in a warm (not hot) oven for 5 minutes. You want to warm it through, not cook it again!

Honestly, give this method a go next time you’re in a hurry. You’ll find that making a perfect Garlic Butter Baked Salmon with Broccoli or any green veg is ridiculously straightforward, and you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with fiddly pans. Get stuck in!

If you're craving more ideas, explore Caribbean Coconut Curry Salmon Ready in 35 Mins , My Ultimate Million Dollar Baked Ziti Proper Sunday Gravy Creamy Ricotta and My Ultimate Baked Ziti Hearty Sausage Beef Sunday Supper Casserole .