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Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon

Creamy garlic butter salmon is seared in a 12-inch skillet, then gently simmered in a rich garlic cream sauce. The golden fillets finish at 145°F, with fresh parsley and lemon brightening each serving.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 570
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the salmon
  • 4 salmon fillets 6-ounce, skin-on, about 1 inch thick, patted dry
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
For the garlic butter sauce
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 0.75 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch skillet

Method
 

Sear the salmon
  1. Pat the salmon dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Sear the salmon for 2–3 minutes per side until golden.
  4. Transfer the salmon to a plate.
Make the sauce and finish
  1. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the skillet.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits.
  4. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in the heavy cream.
  6. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until lightly thickened.
  7. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
  8. Return the salmon to the skillet and simmer gently for 2–4 minutes, spooning sauce over the fillets, until the thickest part of each reaches 145°F.

Notes

For a silky sauce, scrape up all the browned bits from the skillet. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce may separate. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian-friendly sauce, though the dish itself contains salmon.