Garlic Butter Salmon with Golden Pan-Fried Crust and Fresh Lemon
By Liam Carter
Coating the salmon in seasoned flour creates a golden crust that holds onto the garlic butter sauce instead of letting it slide away. This pan-fried salmon is finished with a buttery, garlicky sauce, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.
Boneless, skinless fillets are dredged in flour seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper before frying in olive oil. Butter added during the second side of cooking is used to baste the fish and lightly brown in the pan. Fresh garlic, vegetable stock, remaining butter, and parsley turn those browned pan flavors into a spoonable sauce.
Look for a golden crust before flipping, then remove the salmon when it is only just cooked through; it should flake easily and show a light-pink center. The most common mistake is leaving it in the pan until fully done before making the sauce, because it continues cooking while resting and when returned to the pan. Keep the garlic moving and lower the heat before it burns.
Simmer the sauce gently until it thickens, then return the salmon over low heat and baste it to warm through. Serve each fillet with extra sauce and a lemon wedge, keeping the lemon out of the pan so its juice does not break up the sauce. Parmesan smashed potatoes and asparagus are suggested accompaniments.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Seasoned flour forms a golden crust as the fillets fry, giving the butter sauce a surface to cling to instead of pooling underneath.
- Basting with butter after flipping lightly browns the fat, which adds a nutty note while helping the salmon cook gently on its second side.
- Vegetable stock is whisked with butter rather than relying on butter alone, creating a thicker spoonable sauce with added depth from the pan.
- Gentle simmering lets the stock reduce without pushing the sauce too hard, which helps the butter stay bound instead of splitting.
- Removing the salmon when it is nearly done accounts for carryover cooking, so the fillets can finish in sauce without becoming overcooked.
- Lemon is squeezed over each serving rather than stirred into the pan, balancing the rich butter while keeping the finished sauce together.
Ingredients
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- •0.5 tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
- •0.25 cup plain or all-purpose flour (40 g)
- •4 boneless skinless salmon fillets (take out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before needed; approximately 4-5 oz / 120-150 g each)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •6 tbsp unsalted butter (90 g, divided into tablespoon-sized chunks)
- •2 cloves garlic (finely diced)
- •0.5 cup vegetable stock (120 ml)
- •1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely diced)
- •1 lemon (divided into 4 wedges, to serve)
Instructions
- 1
In a large shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- 2
Coat each salmon fillet in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and set aside.
- 3
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- 4
Add the salmon fillets and fry for around 3 minutes, or until a golden crust forms on the bottom.
- 5
Carefully flip the fillets and fry for another 2 minutes, or until golden on the other side.
- 6
Add 1 tablespoon of butter and baste the fillets for 1 minute, or until they are just about cooked through.
- 7
Remove the salmon from the pan and lower the heat to medium.
- 8
Add the garlic and fry until it just begins to take on color, taking care not to burn it.
- 9
Pour in the vegetable stock and scrape any flavor from the pan.
- 10
Add the remaining butter and whisk until it binds with the stock and turns cloudy.
- 11
Add the parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.
- 12
Simmer for a few minutes, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- 13
Turn the heat to low, return the salmon to the pan, and baste it in the sauce to warm through.
- 14
Serve with more sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
343
Protein
25.51g
Fat
24.33g
Carbs
4.79g
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