• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
101 Cooking For Two
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
    • 📋About
    • ❓FAQs/Help
    • 🛒Shop
    • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    🏠Home » Recipes » Fish Recipes

    Baked Lemon Butter Salmon

    Feb 2, 2020 | Last Updated Jul 8, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.06 from 113 votes

    A tasty, healthy recipe for baked salmon infused with lemon, garlic, and butter. This 20-minute weeknight recipe is so juicy and tasty you can serve company anytime.

    closeup image of salmon flaking on a light gray plate

    Table of Contents
    • 🐟The Salmon
    • ♨️Baking
    • ✔️Tips
    • 📖Other Fish Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    For some reason, people don't think of salmon to cook at home. But it is so simple with just a few ingredients and these easy step by step photo instructions.

    Salmon is tied with tuna for the most widely consumed fish in the United States. And having an easy go-to salmon recipe is a must for the well-rounded home cook.

    There are millions of recipes out there. I didn't want a plank, to smoke nor anything with aluminum foil, yuck.

    I'm a simple guy with simple tastes. I want to taste the salmon and not spend all day getting things ready. A little lemon, a bit of garlic, and a little butter, and I'm good with lots of things, especially fish.

    My Rating

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    It is excellent, and I need to eat this frequently.

    🐟The Salmon

    Wild-caught salmon has a deeper, richer flavor but is significantly more expensive but has a deeper color and a bit more nutrition. The farm-raised version is a good choice and is what most people buy.

    You can get a skin on or off. Most believe skin on is a better choice for moisture, and if you have skin on, then seasoning the skin side is useless, and you should cook with the skin side down.

    Most will buy full filets, but this recipe works for smaller pieces since we are cooking to a final internal temperature and not (never) by time alone.

    Frozen salmon is commonly available and very convenient to have for a quick dinner. I suggest cooking it still frozen. See the next section.

    ♨️Baking

    The suggested oven temperature is 400° convection. Or if you don't have convection, then 425° conventional.

    You can vary the cooking temperature and still get great results since we are cooking to a final internal temperature, but lower temperatures will tend to dry a bit more.

    The safe internal temperature of the salmon is 145°F. That is the suggested endpoint of cooking. The fish should be opaque and flake easily.

    The time will vary by your salmon, especially the thickness, the pan, and the oven. So pay attention and watch for the final internal temperature of 145°.

    Cooking Frozen Salmon

    You can just thaw the frozen salmon and cook per this recipe. But it is relatively simple to cook while still frozen, and it is perhaps the best way to avoid drying it too much. The instructions are the same with one major addition.

    Tightly seal the entire tray with foil before going into the oven. This will trap any steam. Cook for about 15 minutes at the suggested temperature and then remove the covering foil.

    It will probably take another 8-10 minutes of cooking to reach the required 145° internal temperature. Remember that thickness is a huge variable with cooking times.

    ✔️Tips

    Skip the rack if you don't have one. Just a well-oiled pan.

    You can use fresh garlic, but this cooks fast so the fresh garlic could be a bit "raw." So you probably should cook it a bit ahead of time. I went with just some good powder.

    You can cut the salmon into serving size pieces before cooking. Cooking time will decrease some. And if you do this, put the thicker pieces on the outside end of the rack and thinner pieces in the center. That will help even out the cooking.

    Storage and reheating: Fish is always better fresh cooked. But some times there are leftovers. Good in the refrigerator for only a day. It will dry out rapidly if you reheat so better cold on salad.

    📖Other Fish Recipes

    Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

    Grilled Lemon Butter Tilapia

    Oven Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Easy Dinner Recipes, Fish Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low Fat Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Salmon with seasonings

    Start with about a 1 pound salmon fillet. Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.

    sparying tray with rack with PAM

    Prep a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Give it a good spray of PAM. If you don't have a rack, just use the foil and spray that.

    orange bowl with butter and seasoning

    In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

    brushing salmon with butter

    Microwave the butter mixture until melted (about 20 seconds). Then brush both sides.

    salmon on rack ready for oven

    Place on the baking rack.

    cooked salmon on tray with rack

    Bake until flaky with an internal temp of 145°. About 14-15 minutes in my oven but yours may vary some.

    Salmon with salad on light gray plate
    graphic Subscribe to 101 Cooking for Two

    📖Recipe

    closeup image of salmon flaking on a light gray plate

    Baked Lemon Butter Salmon

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    A tasty, healthy recipe for baked salmon infused with lemon, garlic, and butter. This a 20-minute weeknight recipe is so juicy and tasty you can serve company anytime.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.06 from 113 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 pound salmon fillet
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Start with about a 1 pound salmon fillet. Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
    • Prep a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Give it a good spray of PAM. If you don’t have a rack, just use the foil and spray that.
    • In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
    • Microwave the butter mixture until melted (about 20 seconds). Then brush both sides of the salmon. Place on the baking rack.
    • Bake until flaky with an internal temp of 145°. About 14-15 minutes in my oven with this piece of salmon. Yours may vary some.
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. If you have skin on your salmon, don't put the butter on the skin and place the skin side down to bake.
    2. Skip the rack if you don't have one. Just a well-oiled pan.
    3. The safe internal temperature of the salmon is 145°F.
    4. You can use fresh garlic but this cooks fast so the fresh garlic could be a bit "raw." You should cook fresh garlic a bit ahead of time.
    5. You can cut the salmon into serving size pieces before cooking. Cooking time will decrease some. And put the thicker pieces on the outside end of the rack and thinner pieces in the center. That will help even out the cooking.
    6. Fish is always better fresh cooked. But some times there are leftovers. Good in the refrigerator for only a day. It will dry out rapidly if you reheat so better cold on salad.
    7. TIME WARNING. Like many recipes, you should cook to a final internal temperature and not by time. Times are given for planning purposes only. You have variables of the pan and oven, but mostly the size and thickness of the salmon.

    Cooking Frozen Salmon

    You can cook salmon while still frozen but need to modify this recipe a bit.
    Tightly seal the entire tray with foil before going into the oven. This will trap any steam. Cook for about 15 minutes at the suggested temperature and then remove the covering foil.
    It will probably take another 8-10 minutes of cooking to reach the required 145° internal temperature. Remember that thickness is a huge variable with cooking times.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 187 kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates : 1 g | Protein : 23 g (46%) | Fat : 10 g (15%) | Saturated Fat : 5 g (25%) | Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.2 g | Monounsaturated Fat : 2 g | Cholesterol : 103 mg (34%) | Sodium : 293 mg (12%) | Potassium : 3 mg | Fiber : 0.04 g | Sugar : 0.01 g | Vitamin A : 200 IU (4%) | Vitamin C : 0.1 mg | Calcium : 40 mg (4%) | Iron : 0.4 mg (2%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Fish
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published February 25, 2013. The text has been re-edited and expanded, the photos updated, and a table of contents added.

    Molly dog with her tongue out
    « Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Gravy
    Low-Fat Blueberry Scones »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cassandra

      July 22, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      5 stars
      Really easy recipe that turns out tasty every time.

      Reply
    2. Romana Pfleger

      April 09, 2021 at 2:30 am

      OMG! Where on earth is this place? Do they sell 'by the weight' throughout the year?

      Reply
      • Tav

        November 05, 2021 at 10:18 pm

        3 stars
        This recipie is pretty good i added old bay,rosemary,time and ms.dash garlic and herb, add 2 more tablespoons of butter into the pan and substituted the salt im for Larry season salt and it came out amazing😊😊❤️

      • Marge

        December 04, 2021 at 4:48 pm

        Turned out very nice.

    3. Deborah

      March 18, 2021 at 8:17 pm

      4 stars
      Delicious flavor with butter, lemon, garlic powder, s/p and I added fresh thyme sprigs from my garden! We used frozen salmon in small servings (about 120 to 130 grams.) Thick but not too long. Servings did not cook through to final temperatures for the 15 minutes covered / 10 minutes uncovered. I put filets in saute pan on stove top for 10 more minutes medium and that was almost too long. They went from 110F out of the oven to 150 - 155 F in the saute pan very quickly. Still delicious. I think the thickness of frozen filets is key to finish temp of frozen filets. 4 1/2 stars only because I am more likely to have frozen filets on hand and will have to adjust timing. Not terrible now that I know.

      Reply
    4. Sandy D

      December 19, 2020 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      I appreciate that you gave estimated cook time, oven temp and internal temp, everything I needed as I was looking for a high temp oven roasted salmon recipe.

      Reply
    5. Bindi Molly

      November 07, 2020 at 10:29 pm

      5 stars
      So easy, So Good. Thank you.

      Reply
    6. Fred Rodgers

      October 05, 2020 at 11:39 am

      4 stars
      How about dredging the salmon in a light flour batter before cooking? It helps make a crispy outside.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        October 05, 2020 at 11:54 am

        Hi Fred,
        Welcome to the blog.

        I have some doubts that it would work well. The salmon takes at most 15 minutes or will be over cooked. A flour coating will probable still be mostly white and sticky at that point.

        Dan

    7. Terri Cook

      January 17, 2020 at 4:48 pm

      Should you let the salmon come to room temperature before cooking?
      I'm trying this recipe tonight.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        January 17, 2020 at 6:49 pm

        Hi Terri,
        Not needed. If you do, it will shorten the cooking time by a few minutes. Remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature of 145 which is the minimum safe temp per the FDA.
        Dan

    « Older Comments

    Leave a Comment (Policy Link in Footer) Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    DrDan image Hi, I’m DrDan and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. About DrDan

    Popular Recipes

    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
    • Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breast
    • Oven Baked Chicken Legs - The Art of Drummies
    • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
    • How to Cook Bacon in the Oven - Step by Step
    • Oven Pulled Pork - Low & Slow Pork Butt
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak

    kitchen reference sheet graphic wide blue
    graphic of sites that I work with or have had recipes featured or referenced.
    SITES THAT I WORK WITH OR HAVE HAD RECIPES FEATURED OR REFERENCED.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About DrDan
    • Sign up for Emails
    • Contact Me
    • The Shop
    • Links, Ads, and Guest Posts
    • Helpful Reader Links

    Top Content

    • Saved Recipes Collections
    • 101's Best Recipes
    • Recipe Index

    Policies

    • Comment Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Copyright Policy

    Educational

    • Food FAQ
    • Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Guide To Cooking for Two

    dogs by the pond

    COPYRIGHT © 2010-2022 101 COOKING FOR TWO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BASED ON FOODIE PRO THEME