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.
Looking for more ways to cook salmon? Try these simple salmon patties.
The Best Baked Salmon Recipe Ever!
Garlic butter baked salmon is, hands down, one of the easiest and tastiest seafood dinners you can make. It requires just a handful of ingredients and comes together in a snap. And spoiler alert, those ingredients are a collection of everything you love, so you know this will be a winner.
Veggies are a must, along with the fish and the killer garlic butter sauce! Broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas, and asparagus work best because they cook in the same time as the fish. If you’d like to add root vegetables like potatoes or carrots, those should be roasted for 10 minutes before you add the fish and other ingredients to the pan.
All in all, if you want a quick and simple recipe that delivers a healthy, crowd-pleasing meal in about half an hour, this one’s for you!
If you love salmon, don’t miss my other recipes like sockeye salmon with asparagus, air fryer mustard salmon, and salmon patties.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Butter Salmon
Here are a few reasons that dish is one of my all-time favorite baked salmon recipes.
- 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 garlic butter salmon recipe takes just 30 minutes. Easy enough for a busy weeknight but elegant enough for a special occasion!
Is Salmon Good for Your Health?
High-quality seafood is excellent for your health, and salmon has got to be one of the most popular options. This tasty, buttery fish is a good source of healthy protein, vitamin B12, Omega-3s, and more helpful nutrients.
So yes, adding salmon or other seafood to your weekly menu is a good idea for most people.
(Of course, if you’re pregnant or have other conditions that make seafood a concern, check with your doctor before adjusting your diet!)
What You’ll Need
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients for this quick, sheet pan dinner. There are only a few, and all of them are delicious. Here we go:
- Salmon Fillets: It’s helpful to have all of the salmon fillets roughly the same size and weight (about six ounces each is perfect).
- Broccoli: Fresh broccoli is my veggie of choice here, but you can use whatever you like.
- Garlic: Mince up a little fresh garlic to rub over the salmon.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, since I’m already salting the dish.
- Brown Sugar: Just a spoonful, for a little bit of warmth and sweetness.
- Dried Herbs: Oregano, thyme, and rosemary add lots of fragrant goodness.
- Salt and Pepper
- Lemon: A little fresh lemon squeezed over the dish gives it a lift.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re missing an ingredient (or two or three!), don’t worry! This recipe is versatile and adaptable. No butter? Use olive oil. Can’t stand broccoli? Skip it, and use your favorite veggies! Can’t find brown sugar in your pantry? Grab some honey! No need to fret – make it your own.
Just know that this baked salmon recipe is a restaurant-worthy dish that you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen!
Note that if you decide to add root vegetables, like potatoes, you’ll want to roast them for 10 minutes before adding the salmon. Other crisp green veggies like green beans, snap peas, and asparagus will have the same bake time as the salmon.
How to Bake Salmon
There are two steps to making this garlic butter baked salmon 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. Here’s the skinny:
- Make the Garlic Butter. This part is very fast. Just melt the butter (in the microwave or on the stove), and then whisk in the brown sugar, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Preheat the Oven and Arrange the Ingredients. Next, preheat the oven to 400°F, and while it heats, get out a big sheet pan. Lightly grease the pan, and arrange the salmon and vegetables across it. Rub minced garlic over the salmon fillets, and pour the butter mixture over everything. Squeeze lemon juice over as well, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake! Slide that sheet pan into the oven, and let it roast for about fifteen minutes, or until the fillets flake easily with a fork.
How Long Do You Bake Salmon?
Salmon is usually done baking in about 15 minutes. You can tell it is cooked through when it flakes easily with a fork. Be sure to preheat your oven so that the salmon goes into an oven that is at the right temperature for baking.
And of course, the most reliable and easy way to tell when meat is done is just to use a meat thermometer! The safe internal temperature for salmon is 145°F.
Serving Suggestions
One thing I love about this garlic butter baked salmon recipe is that the vegetables bake right with the salmon. That means one less side dish to prepare!
Quinoa, rice, or potatoes would all make a great side to turn it into a complete meal. I am partial to smashed potatoes myself. Mashed cauliflower would also make a healthy mashed potato alternative.
How to Store Baked Salmon
- Fridge. Properly stored, cooked salmon will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Place completely cooled salmon in an airtight container; close and store in the fridge.
- Freezer. You can also freeze cooked salmon. Place completely cooled salmon in covered airtight containers or heavy duty freezer bags. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Reheat. You can gently reheat the salmon in the oven or in the microwave. Take care to not overheat it, as that can cause the salmon to dry out.
ENJOY!
Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
- 4 to 6 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 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
- Properly stored, cooked salmon will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Place completely cooled salmon in an airtight container; close and store in the fridge.
- You can also freeze cooked salmon. Place completely cooled salmon in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
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.
Best salmon ever !! Thank you for sharing !
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!
Thank YOU! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
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.
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your wife enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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!
This was delicious and so was the broccoli! Even my husband, who doesn’t like salmon, really liked it.
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I halved the recipe for two salmon fillets. They were absolutely delicious. Red Lobster would not have been better!
Very good, have used the sauce on chicken and have add carrots with broccoli when making the salmon 🙂
Fantastic flavor!!
This looks devine!
What type of salmon did you use- pink or sockeye? And was it skin on?
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!
That’s great! I’m very glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Absolutely delicious 🤤
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.
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.
Do you use fresh broccoli florets? Or frozen?
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!!!!
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. ☺️
Absolutely! That so definitely helpful! I will try it. Thank you so much!!!
Enjoy your weekend!! : )
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!
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Delicious and easy!!! Added some rice and it was perfect. Will be making again soon.
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?
The recipe calls for you to rub the salmon with the garlic 🙂
Do you bake the salmon with skin side down or do you recommend skinless salmon? I’d like to try this recipe this week.
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.
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!
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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
Can this be frozen after cooking?
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.
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!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
Love this recipe! If I freeze the baked salmon how do I reheat it so it doesn’t get too dry? Thanks!
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!
Ok to use salmon with skin on?
Yes, that will work.
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?
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!
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?
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.
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.
That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Delicious with EVOO as a sub for butter. So quick and simple, it will be made often for me, and also when company comes!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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 🙁
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Fabulous! Made with asparagus! So good!
Thank YOU! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Pardon my french but this recipe is fucking awesome. It tastes so good :))
Thank you so much! I’m very happy you loved it! 🙂
This is our favorite salmon recipe. Thank you!
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Wow! Husband and son loved it!! My husband said “yeah! We have another way of cooking salmon”.
Thank you so much for sharinc
I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I’m only 17 and my father asked for me to make lunch and OMG they absolutely LOVED it!! Definitely making again soon!
That’s great!! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
First time ever my husband ate and really really liked fish! No more need be said:)
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I appreciate reading the comments. Definitely making tonight
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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.
That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Used smashed potatoes instead of broccoli, and came out fantastic
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes, that will work. 😊
Just made this with broccoli. Skipped the brown sugar to make more KETO friendly.
It was delicious!!
Love this recipe!!
Thank YOU! 🙂
So easy and so yummy. Made for the first time tonight. Will definitely make it again.
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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!
I made this lay night for dinner and my kids absolutely loved it. They all had seconds! Thank you
That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was INCREDIBLE! Thank you. Will be making this again soon!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I loved this recipe, the flavour in the salmon was amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I made this for date night and it was a hit. Absolutely delicious!!!
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Awesome Receipe Katerina. Kids loved it
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Amazing and easy recipe.
Thank you, Landon! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
It was a really good recipe. Not hard to prepare. Delicious dinner.
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
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?
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!
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👌🏽
I was so impressed with this recipe!! It was delicious!!
I used the recipe tonight for dinner. Absolutely delicious. You can really taste the lemon flavor on the vegetables and the salmon was great!!!
Can I marinate the salmon in the garlic butter sauce overnight?
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.
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!
If I substitute the brown sugar for honey how much honey should I use? Trying to make this tonight.
Hi!
Anything under a cup of brown sugar can be replaced by honey, equally. So use about a tablespoon of honey, or to taste.
How much sugar? Just a pinch?
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…
This recipe was AMAZING!!!!! My husband and I both loved it. I will definitely be adding this to my regular meal options.
That’s great! I am very glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Do you put salmon skin side down?
Excellent recipe….was delicious!
Can I use frozen salmon for this recipe? If so, should I thaw it first?
Yes and yes. Pat dry with paper towels
I love your recipe an
d i will do it again and again.
Thank you SO much, Lai! 🙂
Thank you for this fabulous recipe. Made it for dinner and devoured every bit.
We loved it, I especially enjoyed the roasted brocolli. I didn’t have lemons so I used limes. 🤤
Made this for me and my gf this weekend. So simple yet so perfect!
Very happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank YOU!
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.
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
Delicious!! We did asparagus and broccoli. Everything cooked perfectly together.
Hi! I haven’t made this yet but I want to. Is 1 piece of salmon 447 calories or is that for 4 pieces?
Hi!
That’s per serving; so 1 salmon fillet, which is 6-ounces, plus 1 cup of vegetables, amounts to roughly around 445 calories.
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!
Oh I am a huge salmon fan! I would eat this recipe every day! Thanks for sharing!!
I can’t wait 2 try these recipes!! I’m so excited 😆
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! 🙂
I cannot wait to make these! DELICIOUS!
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.
Garlic butter gives this salmon a delicious flavor! 5 stars!!!
Garlic butter makes everything better! So much flavor on this salmon!
This was a hit for the whole family!