Creamy Garlic Butter Salmon (Printable)

Pan-seared salmon in a rich garlic butter cream sauce with fresh herbs, ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skinless or skin-on, pin bones removed
02 - ½ teaspoon salt
03 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce & Aromatics

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
08 - ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

# How-to Steps:

01 - Pat salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Generously season both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon fillets skin-side down and sear for 4 minutes until golden. Flip carefully and cook 2–3 minutes more until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet. Sauté garlic and shallot for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and translucent, taking care not to brown them.
04 - Pour in white wine or chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce coats the back of a spoon and thickens nicely. Add lemon juice, parsley, and dill. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
06 - Return salmon fillets to the skillet, spooning the creamy sauce generously over each piece. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes just to reheat the fish. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The creamy garlic sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something you'd order at a nice restaurant
  • You can get this on the table in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you want something special but don't have hours to cook
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when searing salmon or the temperature will drop and you'll end up steaming instead of searing
  • The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits off the heat, so don't reduce it too much in the pan
03 -
  • If your garlic starts browning too quickly, remove the pan from heat immediately and stir in a splash of cream to cool it down
  • A meat thermometer should read 145°F at the thickest part for perfectly cooked salmon that's still moist

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