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Brown Butter Lemon Salmon is a freshly seared salmon sautéed in olive oil, infused with a brown butter glaze with fresh parsley, thyme and rosemary herbs with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This is the perfect balance of a light and tasty family meal!
Salmon is quick and easy to make and is insanely delicious! If you love all the flavor of salmon try this Walnut Crusted Maple Salmon, Honey Garlic Dijon Broiled Salmon (15 Minutes!) or Baked Sesame Teriyaki Salmon.
Brown Butter Lemon Salmon
Salmon is by far one of my most favorite meals!
It is simple to make, tastes out of this world and is light and flavorful.
This brown butter lemon salmon is just that!
Light and flavorful in every bite, it comes together quickly and easily plus the flavoring is seriously the BEST!!
You can’t go wrong with this salmon.
The tender, juicy pieces of salmon falls apart and melts in your mouth with every bite.
Once you start eating there is no controlling you to hold back. It is SO good!
What you need to make Brown Butter Lemon Salmon:
These salmon fillets are perfect for already being portioned out for each person and easy to sauté.
A little bit of olive oil to coat the pan and some fresh herbs to enhance the salmon even more.
This brown butter lemon salmon turns out to be light and flaky with tender pieces of salmon meat.
It is one unforgettable taste that you will be craving every time you hear the word salmon.
- Salmon: Fillets are best and cook perfectly in portions.
- Olive Oil: It is best to cook in an oil to help from sticking to the pan.
- Salt and Pepper: to taste!
- Butter: Adds that rich brown butter flavoring.
- Lemon: Juice from a half of a lemon.
- Thyme, Parsley Rosemary: Chopped and has the perfect blend of herbs and flavor to add to this salmon.
How to make Brown Butter Lemon Salmon:
This just takes minutes to make and turns out AMAZING!
You will be surprised how quick, easy and painless this brown butter lemon salmon recipe is to make.
It is a tried and true favorite and will be easy to make on a busy weeknight.
- Sauté the salmon: In a large skillet add the olive oil and turn to medium high heat. Add the salmon skin side down and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip to the other side and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until the top has a golden brown crust and the salmon flakes easily. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- How to make the brown butter: Add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter starts to foam and turn brown. Add the lemon juice and fresh herbs. Return the salmon to the pan and serve.
How do you know when Salmon is done cooking?
Salmon is one of the easiest meats to cook.
It does not take long to make and turns out tender and flakey every time.
When sautéing on the stove top you will start to notice there is not much juice around the salmon. This means that the salmon is cooking.
Finish cooking the salmon to the desired doneness.
For best results, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature to ensure the cooking temperature that you prefer.
Try not to overcook your salmon. This will make it become tough and dry.
When flakes separate easily but the salmon is translucent, its rare but edible. My favorite part!
Keep in mind a thicker piece of salmon will take longer to bake compared to a thinner piece of salmon.
The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit to be enjoyed.
A 2 to 3 pound salmon filet will cook at:
- 425 degrees Fahrenheit 7 to 10 minutes
- 400 degrees Fahrenheit 12 to 15 minutes
- 375 degrees Fahrenheit 16 to 20 minutes
- 350 degrees Fahrenheit 21 to 24 minutes
What to serve with Salmon:
Green on a plate always brightens up salmon.
A mixture of vegetables on a plate with salmon is the best way to go.
Some of my favorite sides are vegetables, side salad, rice or even a side of bread to complete this brown butter lemon salmon.
Any of these side dishes will pairs well and adds so much more to this meal making it complete.
Enjoying it as is, works just as great!
- Asparagus: Perfectly Grilled Parmesan Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Rice: Cheesy Zucchini Rice
- Green Beans: Garlic Parmesan Green Beans with Bacon
- Brussel Sprouts: Maple Roasted Brussels sprouts and Butternut Squash or Roasted Maple Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
- Side Salad: Summer Corn Salad
- Carrots: Glazed Carrots
- Corn: Grilled Mexican Street Corn
Tips for making Brown Butter Lemon Salmon:
- How to know your salmon is cooked: The meat is cooked with the fat liquifies and runs out. Cook the salmon further only to get the degree of doneness that you desire. When flakes separate easily but the meat is translucent, its rare but edible.
- Bake, broil or sauté This is a toss up. I do love baking my salmon and love having that tender juiciness. Broiling a salmon brings out its natural oiliness. Also, it creates a great glaze on the crust. Sautéing is a quicker may and can add the juices right away.
- Aluminum foil: this is a MUST to keep in all the juices if you are baking or broiling your brown butter lemon salmon. This will soak in the salmon as it is baking. Plus an easier clean up for you!
- Different types of fish: I recommend using fresh salmon but this brown butter lemon glaze will work well on other types of fish such as swordfish, halibut, cod and trout.
How to store Salmon:
- Making ahead: really the only thing you need for this recipe is the sauce and the salmon. You can make the sauce ahead of time and when ready warm up to drizzle over top of your salmon before baking it.
- Refrigerating: when you have baked your salmon, let cool completely and add to an airtight container. Let rest in your refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
- Can you freeze salmon? let your salmon cool completely before storing it in the freezer. Add it to a ziplock bag and remove all the air out of it. Then, place in the freezer for 1 month. When ready to reheat, you can thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator or cook at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is warmed up.
- Warming up: I prefer the oven to reheat my items but for meal planning the microwave is quicker and less hassle. Simply microwave for 1 to 2 minutes at a time not over heating it.
More Delicious Salmon Recipes to Try:
- Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon (The Best Salmon Ever!)
- Awesome Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
- Insanely Good Creamy Tuscan Garlic Salmon
- Cilantro Lime Butter Salmon
- Sheet Pan Garlic Lime Salmon Fajitas
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Brown Butter Lemon Salmon
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large skillet add the olive oil and turn to medium high heat. Add the salmon skin side down and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flip to the other side and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until the top has a golden brown crust and the salmon flakes easily. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter starts to foam and turn brown. Add the lemon juice and fresh herbs. Return the salmon to the pan and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sounds wonderful – will definitely be having it soon.