Make this Lemon Butter Pan Seared Salmon with 5 ingredients and in 20 minutes or less. Not only that, salmon is healthy and you can’t feel bad eating something this good. Enjoy!
If you love this pan friend salmon recipe, check out some of our other delicious and healthy salmon recipes: Dill Salmon and Eggs Scramble, Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon, and my favorite, Lemon Dill Salmon Burgers.
Note to self: don’t edit photos of the most delicious tasting salmon when you are EXTREMELY HUNGRY. This will result in hangriness.
It was so good to be back in the kitchen with Lin yesterday! We’ve got some AMAZING recipes in the works for casserole week, you guys. While I was away in Scandinavia, Lin started testing a handful of casserole recipes for the big week and HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL did she do a good job. We re-tested and shot two of them yesterday and I am so excited to share them with you.
Quick & Healthy Salmon Recipe
This poor salmon recipe has been sitting in the queue for about three months. It’s been pushed and shoved around the content calendar and it’s finally going live. Every time I make salmon, I ask myself why I don’t make it more often. For some reason, I always gravitate towards chicken even though you can pretty much flavor salmon any way you want!
This recipe is a classic. Lemon + butter + dill = everything I’ve ever wanted in a salmon recipe. I really enjoy pan friend salmon…even over grilled! It gives it more of a crispy outer layer, which I prefer.
How Pan Sear Salmon
Wondering how to cook salmon on the stove? Don’t be intimidated about cooking your salmon in a pan because it’s super simple. Here’s how to cook salmon in a pan in 3 simple steps:
- Add butter or oil to the bottom of your skillet (we used a cast iron pan and highly recommend using one) and turn to medium/high heat.
- Once the skillet is warm, place the salmon skin-side up and sear for 4ish minutes. If you have a thick piece of salmon, sear for an extra minute or two.
- Flip salmon and sear for 3-4 minutes or until it’s no longer pink in the middle.
Pro Tip: if your salmon is still pink after the 3-4 minutes, flip again and cover. Sear until fully cooked!
See, so easy! We served this deliciousness with some roasted veggies, but since this is such a versatile recipe you could serve it over greens or even use the leftovers in a salmon scramble…just like this one.
More Healthy Salmon Recipes
Lemon Butter Seared Salmon
Make this Lemon Butter Pan Seared Salmon with 5 ingredients and in 20 minutes or less. Not only that, salmon is healthy and you can’t feel bad eating something this good. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2/3 lb. salmon, skin on (we used 2 .33-lb. salmon filets)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, prep salmon by patting with a paper towel to remove moisture. Then, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoons minced garlic into a skillet and set over medium/high heat. Place salmon skin side up in the pan and sear for 4 minutes. Flip salmon and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until barely pink in the middle.
- Once flakey and cooked, squeeze 1/2 lemon on top of salmon and sprinkle with fresh dill.
- Store leftovers in airtight container.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/2 Calories: 292 Sugar: 0 Fat: 18 Carbohydrates: 3 Fiber: 0 Protein: 28Keywords: pan seared salmon
Because Team Fit Foodie is all about meal prep —> how perfect would this be to bring to work?
For the serving size, is it 1/2 lb of salmon?
1/3 lb! the 1/2 refers to half of the recipe!
This recipe is simple yet delicious. I skipped the capers and used a normal non-stick frying pan. Poured the olive oil into the pan instead of coating the salmon with it. Perfectly accompanied by my favorite salad composed of tomatoes, onions, feta cheese with lemon juice and olive oil. Thanks!
★★★★★
So glad you loved it!!
I love the recipe. Anyways, this one is off-topic, may I know where did you buy your golden fork? It’s beautiful.
★★★★★
West Elm!!
There’s no butter or garlic in the world that can sustain 8 minutes of medium – high heat without burning. Recommend using a resilient oil (avocado or olive) to sear the salmon in and adding the butter/garlic for the last 2-3 minutes of pan time.
I guess Lee H didnt make the recipe yet was to busy to look at the details add ing the garlic and butter at the end saved three other pieces of salmon after the first tasted worse then a can of cat food smells!!!!!
I’m SO guilty of editing food photos when I’m hungry. Plus looking at food photos, and food MENUS. NOT a good combination at all!
Seeing this recipe just made me realize that I still haven’t tried salmon to this day. I’ve always thought it looks good in pictures and stuff but I never actually tried it. I suppose maybe because it’s kind of expensive? I dunno. I think I’ll have to change that soon though, starting with this recipe 🙂
OMG THAT IS INSANE. Buy it the next time it’s on sale!
Salmon is my go-to! It’s so quick and you when you’re in a pinch you don’t have to think too much about it. It tastes great with pretty much any flavor.
H. Bowden
AGREED!
This salmon recipe is so simple yet so perfect, I LOVE it!
I would have to agree 100%!
How perfect is this dinner? Salmon is my favorite fish!
I adore salmon and this is a great recipe. Looks delicious.
I LOVE salmon and could honestly eat it every night! So happy that my Mom brought up salmon from Costco. I cut it up into pieces and freeze it. Love this recipe!
I love salmon and it is super healthy not only heart healthy, but has anti-inflammatory properties as well. I try to eat it 3-4 x a week, but keep looking for new twists I can use.
★★★★★
I need to eat it WAYYYYYYYY more. I feel like I’m always eating chicken.
Try out Sizzlefish.com and use promo code: HEALTHY10
Favorite meal EVER. Salmon is just so DANG GOOD and I could definitely eat it every single night if I had the chance. Can’t wait to make this!
★★★★★
I LOVE salmon, but just like you I always ask myself why I don’t have it more often. I love how easy, quick, versatile and flavourful (+healthy) it is. Never tried putting dill on my salmon, now you made me curious to try it!
Can’t wait Casserole Week and everything you have planned for us (I LOVED OO Week), since I love making casseroles: easy, no fuss and so yummy!