Today I want to share with you one of my favorite keto recipes – garlic butter salmon. This dish is incredibly simple to make, tastes absolutely delicious, and fits perfectly into a keto lifestyle.
If you have been looking for a new dinner idea that is both healthy and satisfying, this is the one for you. The combination of tender salmon with rich garlic butter sauce is something special, and I think you will really enjoy it.
Salmon is one of those ingredients that works so well on a keto diet. It is packed with protein and healthy fats, which is exactly what you need when you are following this way of eating.
And when you add garlic butter on top? It becomes something truly wonderful. The butter adds richness while the garlic gives it that savory flavor that makes you want to eat more.
This is the kind of meal that feels like you are treating yourself, but it is actually good for you at the same time.
👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ready in Under 30 Minutes: This garlic butter salmon is one of those meals that comes together really fast. From the moment you start preparing to the moment you sit down to eat, you are looking at less than half an hour.
Restaurant Quality at Home: This garlic butter salmon looks and tastes like something you would order at a nice restaurant, but you can make it right in your own kitchen.
The golden brown salmon topped with that glossy garlic butter sauce is honestly beautiful to look at, and the taste matches the presentation.
Perfect for Busy Weeknights: We all have those evenings where we get home tired and the last thing we want to do is spend a long time cooking. This recipe is perfect for exactly those moments.
✨ Recipe Ingredients
- 2 Salmon Fillets
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- 4 tablespoons Butter (divided) – I recommend this butter (amazon link)
- 3/4 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Optional: 1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley
👨🍳 How To Make
Follow this easy recipe:
Step 1
For best results, I recommend taking the salmon out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before starting. Pat them dry with paper towels. Season each piece with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Allow it to heat for 3-4 minutes.
Step 3
Cook the salmon with the skin side down for 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and flip the pieces over. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Then transfer to a plate.
Step 4
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the remaining butter allowing it to melt. Then, add the garlic and lemon juice, and continue stirring until the garlic is just cooked.
Step 5
Take the skillet off the heat. Add the salmon back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the salmon pieces. Enjoy!
💡Tips
1. Let the Salmon Sit Out Before Cooking
Taking your salmon out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you start cooking makes a big difference in how it turns out.
When salmon is cold from the fridge, the outside can overcook before the inside is done because the heat has to work harder to get through to the center. By letting it come closer to room temperature first, the fish cooks more evenly all the way through.
You end up with salmon that is perfectly done in the middle instead of dry on the outside and undercooked inside. Just place the fillets on a plate on your counter while you gather your other ingredients and prep everything else.
This simple step takes no extra effort but really improves the final result. Do not leave it out for longer than 20 to 30 minutes though, because you want to keep the fish safe to eat.
2. Always Pat the Salmon Dry
Before you season your salmon, take a paper towel and press it gently against the surface of the fish to remove any moisture. This might seem like a small and unnecessary step, but it actually matters a lot.
When there is water on the surface of the salmon, it creates steam when it hits the hot pan instead of allowing the fish to sear properly. That steam prevents you from getting that nice golden brown crust on the outside that makes pan-seared salmon so good.
Dry salmon will sizzle when it hits the butter and develop beautiful color and texture. Wet salmon will kind of steam and end up looking pale and not as appetizing.
3. Reduce the Heat When Making the Sauce
After you finish cooking the salmon and transfer it to a plate, you need to turn the heat down to medium-low before making the garlic butter sauce.
This is really important because garlic burns very easily, and burnt garlic tastes bitter and unpleasant.
It can ruin the whole sauce if you are not careful. By lowering the heat, you give the garlic time to cook gently and become fragrant and slightly golden without going too far.
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FAQ
What type of salmon is best for this recipe?
This recipe works well with pretty much any type of salmon you can find at the store. Atlantic salmon is one of the most common varieties and has a mild flavor with a nice fatty texture that works perfectly with the garlic butter sauce.
Sockeye salmon has a deeper red color and a slightly stronger, more robust flavor that some people really enjoy. King salmon, also called Chinook, is the richest and fattiest of all the types, which makes it incredibly delicious but also more expensive.
Keto Garlic Butter Salmon
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 Salmon Fillets
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons Butter divided – I recommend this butter (amazon link)
- 3/4 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Optional: 1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley
Instructions
- For best results, I recommend taking the salmon out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before starting. Pat them dry with paper towels. Season each piece with salt and pepper.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Allow it to heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Cook the salmon with the skin side down for 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and flip the pieces over. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Then transfer to a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the remaining butter allowing it to melt. Then, add the garlic and lemon juice, and continue stirring until the garlic is just cooked.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Add the salmon back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the salmon pieces. Enjoy!
Made this for dinner last night and my husband could not stop talking about it!