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Garlic Butter Salmon

This Garlic Butter Baked Salmon is tender, flaky, and brushed with a drool-worthy garlic butter sauce! Baked on a sheet pan with your favorite veggies, it’s quick, easy, and perfect for busy weeknights.

overhead shot of four baked salmon fillets on a sheet pan set on top of green vegetables.

Whipping up an easy salmon recipe for dinner doesn’t get any better or simpler than this garlic butter baked salmon. It’s the best way to enjoy fresh salmon, requiring just a few ingredients and minimal prep time. Imagine tender salmon filets slathered in a mouth-watering garlic butter sauce, making every bite a delicious affair. And don’t forget the veggies! Broccoli, green beans, and asparagus are great companions, cooking to perfection right alongside the fish.

Why I Love This Garlic Butter Salmon Recipe

  • Easy sheet pan dinner. Everything is cooked right on one baking sheet, which means less mess and clean up for me!
  • Tender, flaky salmon every time. If you’ve ever wondered how to cook salmon in the oven, this garlic butter salmon is the answer. You’ll have perfectly flaky salmon each and every time.
  • Ready in 30 minutes. From start to finish, this recipe takes just 30 minutes. Easy enough for a busy weeknight but elegant enough for a special occasion!
Seasoned salmon fillets baked on a sheet pan over a bed of green vegetables.

What You’ll Need

This easy recipe is the secret to a quick, nutritious, and universally loved meal, ready in about 30 minutes. Let’s take a closer look at the simple ingredients for this delicious and healthy meal.

  • Salmon Fillets: Ideal size is about 5 to 6 ounces each. Ensure they are roughly the same size and weight for even cooking.
  • Broccoli: Fresh broccoli is preferred, but feel free to substitute with your favorite green veggies.
  • Garlic: Use fresh minced garlic. Garlic powder could be used in a pinch, using 1/8 teaspoon for every clove.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is used to control the saltiness of the dish. Substitute with olive oil if butter is unavailable.
  • Brown Sugar: A spoonful adds warmth and sweetness. Honey can be used as a substitute.
  • Dried Herbs: Oregano, thyme, and rosemary are used for flavor. Feel free to use any dried herbs you have available.
  • Salt and Black Pepper: To taste.
  • Lemon: Fresh lemon juice to brighten the dish. If not available, a dash of vinegar might work as a substitute for acidity, though the flavor profile will change.
  • Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish. If not available, other fresh herbs like dill or chives could also complement the salmon well.

How to Bake Salmon

There are two steps to making this recipe, but both of them are super easy! First, you will make the garlic butter sauce, then you’ll add it to the salmon and bake everything together. Cooking salmon this way ensures a juicy and flavorful dinner that’s sure to be a hit with the entire family.

  1. Make the Garlic Butter. Place the butter in a small bowl, melt it in the microwave or on the stove in a small saucepan, and then whisk in the brown sugar, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
  2. Prep. Next, preheat the oven to 400°F, and while it heats, get out a big sheet pan. Lightly grease the pan, arrange the vegetables and salmon fillets skin side down. Rub minced garlic over the fish, and pour the butter mixture over everything. Squeeze lemon juice over as well, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Bake! Slide that sheet pan into the oven, and let it roast for about 15 minutes, or until the fillets flake easily with a fork.

How Long Do You Bake Salmon?

Salmon is usually done baking in about 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the oven’s temperature. You can tell if it is cooked through when it flakes easily with a fork. But the most reliable and easy way to tell when meat, fish, or poultry is done is just to use a meat thermometer! The safe internal temperature for salmon is 145°F.

overhead shot of three baked salmon fillets on a sheet pan set on top of green vegetables.

Recipe Tips And Variations

  • Roasting Root Vegetables: If using root vegetables like potatoes or carrots, give them a head start by roasting for 10 minutes before adding the salmon.
  • Veggie Variations: Feel free to swap out broccoli for other crisp green veggies like green beans, snap peas, or asparagus, depending on what you have on hand. They cook in the same amount of time as the salmon, making your meal prep seamless.
  • Customize Your Dish: You can swap olive oil for butter, honey for brown sugar, or any dried herbs you prefer can be used to make this dish uniquely yours.
  • Adjusting for Size and Thickness: Salmon fillets can vary in size and thickness, which might affect cooking time. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F.
  • Garlic Butter Sauce: For an extra flavor kick, make more of the garlic butter sauce so you can drizzle some over the fish right before serving.
  • Make It Spicy: For those who enjoy a bit of heat, sprinkle a little red pepper flakes over the salmon and veggies before serving.

Serving Suggestions

This is probably the best salmon recipe, and the one thing I really love about it is that everything, including the veggies, is cooked on one sheet pan. That means one less side dish to prepare! But you can also serve this meal with a side of quinoa stuffed tomatoes, Mediterranean rice, or a simple salad, like Jennifer Aniston’s bulgur salad, to round out the meal. I am partial to smashed potatoes myself. Mashed cauliflower would also pair well.

Seasoned salmon fillets baked on a sheet pan over a bed of green vegetables.

Proper Storage

Place completely cooled leftover garlic butter salmon in an airtight container; close and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can gently reheat the salmon in the oven or in the microwave.

Flavorful Salmon Recipes

overhead shot of four baked salmon fillets on a sheet pan set on top of green vegetables.

Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe

Katerina | Diethood
This Garlic Butter Baked Salmon is tender, flaky, and drizzled with a delicious garlic butter sauce! Baked on a sheet pan with your favorite veggies, it's quick, easy, and perfect for busy weeknights.
4.61 from 108 votes
Servings : 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Salmon And Vegetables
  • 4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
  • 4 to 6 cups broccoli florets
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Garlic Butter Sauce
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon, halved, divided
  • chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a sheet pan with cooking spray.
  • Arrange broccoli florets and salmon fillets on the sheet pan. Rub minced garlic over each fillet. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
  • Pour the butter mixture over the salmon and veggies.
  • Take half of a lemon and squeeze lemon juice over everything; then, season with salt and pepper.
  • Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the internal temperature is 145˚F degrees.
  • Remove from oven and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon slices.

Notes

Storage: Place completely cooled salmon in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 448 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 37 g | Fat: 28 g | Saturated Fat: 13 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 139 mg | Sodium: 109 mg | Potassium: 1184 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 1175 IU | Vitamin C: 96 mg | Calcium: 90 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked salmon, baked salmon recipe, how to bake salmon, how to cook salmon in the oven
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144 comments on “Garlic Butter Salmon”

  1. I loved this recipe and so did my husband, I forgot to add the lemon juice but the flavors were so on point! Definitely a keeper!

    1. It’s nice to hear that you and your husband loved the recipe, even without the lemon juice. It’s definitely a keeper! Thank you so much! 🙂

  2. This sauce for the salmon is very delicious. I’ve made this recipe twice already, but 1/2 stick of butter (8 tablespoons) is too much. At 400 degrees, the butter burns at the pan’s bottom as the salmon cooks. I find that 375 degrees and 6 tablespoons of butter is quite enough. Baking times, of course, should be adjusted.

    1. Glad you like the sauce! Thanks for sharing your tips about using less butter and a lower temperature to prevent burning. 🙂

  3. Absolutely lovely. My daughter made it and it was so easy and turned out great! Definitely worth the time and effort.

  4. So easy and quick and delicious!!! Thank you for sharing. I usually try to do a 2 week rotation but this may sneak in there a little more often!

  5. Any way I make this, it comes out great; and it’s so easy. My wife and I were growing tired of salmon, but now we have it at least twice a week: just mix up which veggies I add and it becomes a whole different meal–even put the leftover fish on top of salads for lunch the next day. With the price of food these days, we can still afford ocean-caught salmon, and even if it was previously frozen, it tastes amazing. Note: I always keep fresh-squeezed lemon in the fridge–lasts a few weeks and usually use it up before it goes bad.

  6. This recipe was aahhmazing!!! The perfect sweet, salty and garlicky. I added a dash of crushed red pepper before baking. I served it with lobster ravioli. It will be on my regular rotation! A must try for everyone!

  7. This was delicious and so was the broccoli! Even my husband, who doesn’t like salmon, really liked it.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

  8. I halved the recipe for two salmon fillets. They were absolutely delicious. Red Lobster would not have been better!

  9. Very good, have used the sauce on chicken and have add carrots with broccoli when making the salmon 🙂

  10. So easy to make! We are vacationing and I had limited spices- I was looking for a recipe that I could use and this truly filled the bill! It helped that it tasted delicious too! Thank you for sharing!

  11. This recipe is great! Flavorful, delicious and so easy. Loved how simple it was and with ingredients I already had which makes it a go-to dish. I will definitely be putting this into my meal rotation.

  12. Have just purchased an air fryer. Would this recipe be suitable to cook in this appliance and if so, for how long? Would appreciate your advice as the recipe looks and sounds delicious.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Sure! Set Air Fryer at 390˚F and cook the salmon for 7 to 8 minutes, or to desired doneness. Salmon is cooked through when internal temperature registers at 145˚F.

  13. Avatar photo
    missteach82@aol.com

    Hi there! I have made tis recipe a few times and it is SOOOO delicious!
    Thank you so much for sharing! I love all of your recipes! : )
    I am making this again tonight and was going to add russet potatoes to the pan since I have them. Do you think that would work? Thank you!!!!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      I also love this recipe! Happy to know that you like it, too!
      I would suggest to cut the potatoes into cubes, then pop the potatoes in the oven about 10 minutes before everything else.
      So, cook the potatoes, remove the sheet pan from the oven, add the salmon and veggies to the sheet pan, and continue to cook per the recipe. I hope this helps. ☺️

      1. Avatar photo
        missteach82@aol.com

        Absolutely! That so definitely helpful! I will try it. Thank you so much!!!
        Enjoy your weekend!! : )

    2. This recipe is very good, easy to make, my family loved it. I don’t care for salmon but I did enjoy how it turned out. Thank you!

  14. Looking forward to trying this! I went through the comments and I didn’t see this answer…maybe just my oversight, but is there no garlic in the Garlic Butter Sauce?

  15. Avatar photo
    lildebcupcake@gmail.com

    Do you bake the salmon with skin side down or do you recommend skinless salmon? I’d like to try this recipe this week.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      If you’re using skin-on salmon, yes, you want to set it skin-side down. Always bake salmon with the skin side down as this will help protect the fillet from the heat of the pan and it will help the salmon retain its juices. Skinless salmon works just as well, but I like to use it with skin on because the skin keeps the fillet intact.

      1. Avatar photo
        lildebcupcake@gmail.com

        Thank you! Just made this tonight and was amazed how fast and easy this was! I used halved brussel sprouts and cut asparagus in place of broccoli. I squeezed a little more lemon on just prior to serving. Excellent taste and the sauce wasn’t over powering either!

    2. I much prefer baking with the skin up. The skin gets crunchy and delicious, and the fat in the skin soaks into the rest of the fish and makes it more flaky and tender. The salt pepper butter and garlic needs to be rubbed on both sides

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Yes, you can freeze cooked salmon. The texture and flavor won’t be as good as before freezing, but frozen cooked salmon will last about 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Seal it tightly in freezer bags or airtight containers.

  16. The SALMON was delicious! I wasn’t the biggest fan of putting the same sauce on the broccoli, although it still tasted very good! I would also recommend taking your salmon out around 125 degrees rather than 145, it will hold so much more moisture and I promise it’ll be safe!

  17. Love this recipe! If I freeze the baked salmon how do I reheat it so it doesn’t get too dry? Thanks!

  18. So incredibly quick, and so delicious! I’m done prepping by the time the oven reaches temperature! I couldn’t find dried rosemary, so I used fresh, and it turned out great. Tip: the more lemon, the better!

  19. Such a good recipe! I make it about twice a month for family and friends and everyone loves it. We’ve recently had to become a little more health conscious and try to cut out things like butter. Do you think that after rubbing the garlic on if olive oil was brushed on and then seasonings sprinkled on top if it would still turn out good?

    1. Butter IS healthy Lauren! Ghee is even healthier. Our bodies need saturated fats from foods like nuts, avocados, butter, and fish. You can check out Dave Asprey’s blog to learn more. Moreover, olive oil doesn’t have a high smoke point and it should never be used for cooking (only for toppers likes salad dressing and dipping bread- if you eat bread)! Good luck!

  20. If I make it with asparagus do I need to cook the asparagus for ten minutes prior and then bake the additional 15 minutes in the over with salmon?

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      If the asparagus stalks aren’t too thick, then you shouldn’t have to roast them any longer than what is suggested for the other veggies. However, if you feel like they would need more time to cook, then you could definitely give them about an 8 to 10-minute head start.

      1. This was SO GOOD!! My whole family loved it, including both kids. We actually had it with brussel sprouts and it was absolutely delicious. I doubled the recipe since we had a large filet and two bags of brussel sprouts. I also used Italian Seasoning instead of the individual seasonings. Fantastic recipe! Will be my salmon go-to.

  21. Delicious with EVOO as a sub for butter. So quick and simple, it will be made often for me, and also when company comes!

  22. I’ve made this recipe on a regular basis over the past year and it has been delicious every time. I have varied the vegetables (try it with sweet potatoes!) and made it with just salmon. Dinner for 2 in the toaster oven = no cleanup required! Doc says I need to cut out sugar. So next time I’ll have to make that change 🙁

  23. Wow! Husband and son loved it!! My husband said “yeah! We have another way of cooking salmon”.

    Thank you so much for sharinc

  24. Avatar photo
    gloria.1220.garcia@gmail.com

    I’m only 17 and my father asked for me to make lunch and OMG they absolutely LOVED it!! Definitely making again soon!

  25. I made this recipe tonight, and my husband told me that it was the perfect meal. My oldest son says he’s going to eat some later, but he told me that it smell good.

    1. Made it tonight and it was delicious and easy! I made it with broccoli and asparagus and omg everything was so good! I’m so happy I picked this recipe between son many others.
      Thank you very much!

  26. I made this lay night for dinner and my kids absolutely loved it. They all had seconds! Thank you

  27. How do i warmed up my leftover garlic butter baked salmon which i just cooked 2 days ago. Around how many minutes so i can retain the yummy taste?

  28. I really loved your recipes, especially the crack chicken beast and garlic butter salmon, but that video you’re forcing at the top right screen is annoying enough to chase me away. You have the video just below the recipe. I screenshot recipes in order to try them, and this ruins half the recipe! Please remove it. Make a small video box that video is available below. Please!

    1. Just got done cooking this. It was great! I will definitely be doing it again. The only thing I changed was, I used asparagus instead of broccoli, and I used salted butter. But everything was perfect👌🏽

    1. I used the recipe tonight for dinner. Absolutely delicious. You can really taste the lemon flavor on the vegetables and the salmon was great!!!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi! Marinating for more than 30 minutes is not recommended because the fish will start to break down and get mushy due to the acid content of the lemon juice. If you leave out the lemon juice, you can marinate it for up to 5 hours, just keep it in the fridge.

  29. Avatar photo
    Abaeze from Lagos

    The other day, we had dinner at a restaurant with salmon dishes and it wasn’t tasty. But we really like salmon,
    I tried it and it was excellent.
    I re-read several times, because I could not believe that everything was so simple and was looking for a catch.

    Thank you for your work, bookmarked your site.

    Time to surprise your loved girls Dear guys!

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      Anything under a cup of brown sugar can be replaced by honey, equally. So use about a tablespoon of honey, or to taste.

    1. Katerina - Diethood
      Katerina Petrovska

      Hi!
      You’ll need a tablespoon of light brown sugar. At the top of the post click on “Jump To Recipe” and that will scroll you down to the recipe card; there you’ll find all the instructions, ingredients, amounts of ingredients, nutritional analysis, etc…

      1. This recipe was AMAZING!!!!! My husband and I both loved it. I will definitely be adding this to my regular meal options.

      1. Avatar photo
        Diann B Thomas

        How do you convert this to an Air Fryer? On strike, won’t use oven. Electric bill way to high for this retired person. Thanks for your help.

        1. Hi!
          For the salmon filets, I just place two at a time in my air fryer basket, set the air fryer to 400˚F, and let them cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. The exact cook time varies slightly depending on how thick your filets are, but the key is to aim for an internal temperature of 145˚F. Hope this helps you enjoy your meals without the worry! ❤️

  30. Found your recipe and decided to try it. I initially made a small batch (good for two) and since it came out so good, I had to cook another batch. My husband says it’s a keeper. For some reason, 15 minutes was too long. I also used a cast iron skillet to bake it in and used fresh herbs and it came out perfect.

    1. I agree 15 min was too long it made the salmon a little tough but it was still edible. Next time I think I’ll try to bake it at 10-12 min see if that works

    1. Avatar photo
      sarina Sidorchuk

      Hi! I haven’t made this yet but I want to. Is 1 piece of salmon 447 calories or is that for 4 pieces?

      1. Katerina - Diethood
        Katerina Petrovska

        Hi!
        That’s per serving; so 1 salmon fillet, which is 6-ounces, plus 1 cup of vegetables, amounts to roughly around 445 calories.

  31. You guys!! This is coming from a beginner chef and I became a pro in less than 40min!!! This recipe is easy and super tasty.

    Adjustments: added a pinch of garlic power, black pepper, salt before I added the garlic sauce

    Enjoy!

  32. I cook salmon around once a week, but always struggle with how to spice it up. Thank you for this! I now have a sauce to try out the next time I make it! 🙂

  33. Yum, I’m going to try this. We usually have salmon once a week! We usually grill, but now that summer is over, I’ll try this recipe.

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