10-Minute Garlic Butter Salmon Recipe (Restaurant Quality!)

This easy garlic butter salmon recipe showcases flaky, tender salmon in a buttery garlic and lemon sauce for an impressive meal that whips up in just 10 minutes. We pan-sear the salmon on the stovetop to give it a gorgeous golden color. And we only use one skillet so there’s minimal cleanup!

I’ve come to rely on salmon when I need a quick and easy dinner option. No matter which cooking method you choose to make this healthy fish, it’s always ready in a matter of minutes. And of course it’s as nutritious as it is delicious.

This recipe is done in just 10 minutes, and it cooks in one pan on the stovetop. There’s minimal cleanup and no special cooking equipment needed!

Best of all, this is an elegant, restaurant-quality meal: flaky, moist salmon with a rich garlic butter sauce. It’s perfect for date night, or double the recipe and make it for the family. Everyone loves it!

Why You’ll Want This Recipe on Repeat

• It’s restaurant quality, but ready in just 10 minutes. Deliciously tender, flaky salmon dressed in a buttery garlic sauce – what’s not to love?! This meal is perfect if you need a quick and easy, yet impressive weeknight dinner.
• There’s enough of that garlic butter to go around! Steam some broccoli, asparagus, or green beans and add them to the skillet with the salmon, spooning the butter on top.
• You don’t need fancy equipment for this recipe, and you don’t even need to turn on the oven. It’s a great summer meal when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen! This cooks quickly in a skillet on the stovetop.

Ingredients

How to Make Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon

1. Season the salmon fillets on both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, and then the salmon. (TIP: if your fillets have skin, add them skin-side-up at first.)
2. Let the salmon cook until golden, about 2 to 4 minutes on the first side, and then flip and cook until golden on the second side, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the salmon to a plate and tent with foil. (TIP: Make sure to tent with foil; this helps keep the salmon warm and also helps steam the salmon to make sure it’s cooked in the middle.)
3. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the butter to the skillet you cooked the salmon in.
4. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in the lemon juice.
6. Add the salmon back to the skillet and spoon the butter on top. Cook until the salmon is fully cooked (TIP: when it’s done, it will be opaque and should flake easily with a fork; see Notes in recipe card below), which should only take about 1 minute.

Sprinkle the fresh parsley on top and serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze onto the salmon.

What to Serve With Salmon

This dish is almost a full meal because it makes enough sauce to spoon over the side dishes as well. Here are a few ideas for what to serve with it:

• Steamed or roasted green vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, or green beans
• Mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower if you want to keep the carbs down)
• Quinoa, rice, cauliflower rice, or another pilaf-type grain dish (if you like the sweet + savory combination, try bulgur wheat pilaf with raisins)

Frequently Asked Questions

More Quick and Easy Weeknight-Friendly Dinners

• 10-Minute Moist and Flaky Air Fryer Salmon – great with steamed or roasted veggies
• Eggroll in a Bowl (aka Crack Slaw) – serve with rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice
• Marry Me Chicken – perfect with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on November 1, 2022 and updated on May 8, 2026.