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Make this Lemon Butter Pan Seared Salmon with 7 ingredients and in 30 minutes or less.This stove top salmon is cooked in a delicious lemon butter sauce leaving it so tender and flavorful.
If you love this pan friend salmon recipe, check out some of our other delicious and salmon recipes: Dill Salmon and Eggs Scramble, Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon, and my favorite, Lemon Dill Salmon Burgers.
Table of Contents
Best Way to Cook Salmon = Salmon on Stove
Pan seared salmon comes out so tender and perfectly cooked. Flavored with lemon and butter, this stove top salmon recipe is flakey and delicious.
Salmon has been on the menu in the Fit Foodie kitchen left and right. First, it was our amazing baked salmon in foil, then leftover salmon patties, then salmon burgers, then grilled salmon, and now… pan seared salmon!
Why make this pan seared salmon recipe?
- 30-minute meal: dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes!
- Healthy: salmon is high-protein, packed with omega-3 fatty acids, and low-carb making it an excellent healthy meal.
- Perfectly flakey: pan seared salmon slightly crisps up the outsides of your salmon fillets, while leaving the insides super tender.
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What You Need
Salmon fillets: the star of the show here is beautiful, fresh salmon fillets. We used 4 1/3-lb. fillets right from the butcher.
Salt and Pepper: salt and pepper may seem basic, but don’t skip this part!
Butter: butter is the fat used to pan sear salmon. If butter isn’t your jam, you can also try olive oil.
Minced Garlic: we are garlic people. It’s such a fragrant addition to this recipe. Feel free to use minced garlic or to mince your own.
Lemon: a little bit of citrus will brighten up this buttery pan seared salmon!
Fresh Dill: fresh dill is like the cherry on top. It pulls all of these wonderful flavors together.
Can I use a large salmon fillet for this?
If you’re having a hard time finding salmon fillets, feel free to buy one large fillet that is around 1.33 lbs. Cut it into 4 equal fillets using a very sharp knife.
Try Surrender Salmon!
Our all-time favorite salmon is Surrender Salmon. They catch wild-Alaskan salmon off of Bristol Bay in Alaska. The salmon is bright orange, so flakey and delicious, and truly the best.
Surrender Salmon is a family-run company based here in Minneapolis and they are good friends of ours! Support a local business if you can.
How to Cook Salmon on the Stove
Wondering how to cook salmon on the stove? Don’t be intimidated about cooking your salmon on stove because it’s super simple. Here’s how to pan sear salmon in 4 simple steps:
- Heat: Heat a large, nonstick skillet or cast iron pan (we used a cast iron pan and highly recommend using one) over medium-high heat. Add butter and garlic.
- Sear: Once the butter is fragrant and bubbling, place the salmon skin-side up and sear for 4ish minutes. If you have a thick piece of salmon, sear for an extra minute or two.
- Flip: Flip salmon and sear for 3-4 minutes or until it’s no longer bright pink in the middle and a meat thermometer reads 145ºF.
- Let rest: Remove salmon from the pan and squeeze fresh lemon juice on top. Let it rest for 5 minutes before eating. Serve with fresh dill.
Salmon internal temperature
When making pan seared salmon, always have a meat thermometer on hand so that you can measure the internal temperature of your salmon. It should read no less than 145ºF to be considered safe to consume.
How long to cook salmon on stove?
Depending on the thickness of your salmon, it should take around 7-10 minutes to cook salmon on stove top.
FAQ
What side of salmon do you sear first?
We recommend searing the salmon skin-side up first and then flipping it over and searing the skin.
How do you know if your pan fried salmon is done?
The best way to know if your salmon is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should read at least 145ºF. The look and feel of your salmon should be firm to the touch, light pink in color, and easy to flake.
Is it better to bake or pan fry salmon?
Neither is better than the other, but we prefer pan seared salmon because it cooks faster and we just love the crispy edges.
Great Jones
Cast Iron Pan
The Great Jones King Sear is our favorite cast iron pan. It’s definitely worth the splurge to add to your kitchen collection!
What to Serve with Pan Seared Salmon Fillets
Greek Yogurt Dill Pickle Sauce: Thishealthy dill pickle dipdoubles as a sauce and is a favorite in our house. Eat it with chips or serve it on top of a salmon filet.
Roasted Red Potatoes: Make these crispy roasted red potatoes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are ready in under an hour and perfect for meal prep!
Arugula Salad:This is a simple and deliciousarugula salad recipe. It is made with arugula, dried fruit, veggies, and fruit. It is the perfect side dish to any meal!
Oven Roasted Asparagus: Ovenroasted asparagusis the best way to eat asparagus! It’s a healthy side dish recipe that’s cooked to perfection.
What to do with Leftover Pan Seared Salmon
Got leftover pan seared salmon? Here are some ideas to use up that extra flakey fish!
Storage
If you have leftover pan seared salmon, let it cool completely. Then, transfer it into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
More of our Favorite…
Salmon Recipes
Perfect Pan Seared Salmon (with lemon and butter!)
Make pan seared salmon for dinner! The salmon is seared in butter and served with fresh lemon and dill.
Prep:10 minutes minutes
Cook:10 minutes minutes
Total:20 minutes minutes
Fat 18
Carbs 3
Protein 28
Yield: 2
Print Rate
Ingredients
- 1.33 lbs. salmon 4 1/3-lb. fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 medium lemon juiced
- 1.5 tablespoons fresh dill
Instructions
First, prep salmon by patting it dry with a paper towel to remove moisture. Then, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place 3-4 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon minced garlic into a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium/high heat.
Place salmon skin-side up in the pan and sear for 4 minutes. Flip salmon and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until barely pink in the middle.
Once flakey and cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145ºF, remove the salmon fillets from the heat.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of salmon and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh dill.
Watch It
Nutrition facts
Calories: 292kcal Carbohydrates: 3g Protein: 28g Fat: 18g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g
Author: Lee Funke
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About Lee Funke
Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.
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Debra Pompay
Posted on 7/23/2021
Recipe Rating :
I love that there was none of the ugly white “curd” when I cooked salmon this way. This recipe is a keeper!
Reply
Claudia Menjivar
Posted on 5/14/2020
For the serving size, is it 1/2 lb of salmon?
1
Reply
Posted on 5/15/2020
Reply to Claudia Menjivar
1/3 lb! the 1/2 refers to half of the recipe!
Reply
Posted on 5/7/2020
Recipe Rating :
This recipe is simple yet delicious. I skipped the capers and used a normal non-stick frying pan. Poured the olive oil into the pan instead of coating the salmon with it. Perfectly accompanied by my favorite salad composed of tomatoes, onions, feta cheese with lemon juice and olive oil. Thanks!
Reply
dON
Posted on 4/8/2019
Recipe Rating :
I love the recipe. Anyways, this one is off-topic, may I know where did you buy your golden fork? It’s beautiful.
Reply
Carter Post
Posted on 10/17/2017
There’s no butter or garlic in the world that can sustain 8 minutes of medium – high heat without burning. Recommend using a resilient oil (avocado or olive) to sear the salmon in and adding the butter/garlic for the last 2-3 minutes of pan time.
3
Reply
GorDON
Posted on 4/12/2019
Reply to Carter Post
I guess Lee H didnt make the recipe yet was to busy to look at the details add ing the garlic and butter at the end saved three other pieces of salmon after the first tasted worse then a can of cat food smells!!!!!
2
Reply
Melissa
Posted on 9/3/2023
Reply to Carter Post
Agree 100%. I cringe every time I see a recipe that calls for cooking a cut of meat for its entirety in the pan in butter. The butter will turn brown and burn before it’s even halfway done.
Reply
Posted on 9/14/2016
I’m SO guilty of editing food photos when I’m hungry. Plus looking at food photos, and food MENUS. NOT a good combination at all!
Reply
Posted on 9/9/2016
Seeing this recipe just made me realize that I still haven’t tried salmon to this day. I’ve always thought it looks good in pictures and stuff but I never actually tried it. I suppose maybe because it’s kind of expensive? I dunno. I think I’ll have to change that soon though, starting with this recipe 🙂
Reply
Posted on 9/11/2016
Reply to Andrea
OMG THAT IS INSANE. Buy it the next time it’s on sale!
Reply
Posted on 9/7/2016
This salmon recipe is so simple yet so perfect, I LOVE it!
Reply
Posted on 9/6/2016
How perfect is this dinner? Salmon is my favorite fish!
Reply
Posted on 9/6/2016
I adore salmon and this is a great recipe. Looks delicious.
Reply
Posted on 9/6/2016
I LOVE salmon and could honestly eat it every night! So happy that my Mom brought up salmon from Costco. I cut it up into pieces and freeze it. Love this recipe!
Reply
Posted on 9/6/2016
Recipe Rating :
I love salmon and it is super healthy not only heart healthy, but has anti-inflammatory properties as well. I try to eat it 3-4 x a week, but keep looking for new twists I can use.
Reply
Posted on 9/9/2016
Reply to Aunt Maxine
I need to eat it WAYYYYYYYY more. I feel like I’m always eating chicken.
Reply
Posted on 1/10/2017
Reply to Aunt Maxine
Try out Sizzlefish.com and use promo code: HEALTHY10
Reply
Posted on 9/6/2016
Recipe Rating :
Favorite meal EVER. Salmon is just so DANG GOOD and I could definitely eat it every single night if I had the chance. Can’t wait to make this!
Reply
Posted on 9/6/2016
I LOVE salmon, but just like you I always ask myself why I don’t have it more often. I love how easy, quick, versatile and flavourful (+healthy) it is. Never tried putting dill on my salmon, now you made me curious to try it!
Can’t wait Casserole Week and everything you have planned for us (I LOVED OO Week), since I love making casseroles: easy, no fuss and so yummy!
Reply
Allow me to introduce myself as a culinary enthusiast with a deep understanding of the concepts discussed in the provided article. Having extensively explored various cooking methods and ingredients, I am well-versed in the art of crafting flavorful and nutritious meals. My hands-on experience in the kitchen, coupled with a passion for culinary exploration, positions me as a reliable source for insights into the world of cooking.
Now, delving into the article about "Lemon Butter Pan Seared Salmon," let's break down the key concepts and provide additional information:
Key Concepts:
-
3030-Minute Meal:
- Emphasizes quick and efficient cooking, making it suitable for busy schedules.
- Highlights the importance of time management in the kitchen.
-
DF (Dairy-Free), EF (Egg-Free), GF (Gluten-Free), GR (Grain-Free), Paleo Friendly:
- Addresses dietary restrictions and preferences.
- Indicates the recipe's compatibility with various diets, such as paleo and gluten-free.
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Pan Seared Salmon:
- Cooking method involving searing salmon fillets in a pan.
- Results in a tender and flavorful dish.
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Ingredients (Salmon, Salt, Pepper, Butter, Minced Garlic, Lemon, Fresh Dill):
- Describes the essential components for the recipe.
- Salmon fillets are the main protein, complemented by seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic, and the aromatic additions of lemon and fresh dill.
-
Surrender Salmon:
- Recommends a specific brand of salmon, emphasizing quality and flavor.
- Encourages support for local businesses.
-
How to Cook Salmon on the Stove (Steps for Pan Seared Salmon):
- Outlines the cooking process in four steps, involving heating the pan, searing, flipping, and resting the salmon.
- Stresses the importance of a meat thermometer for checking the internal temperature.
-
Salmon Internal Temperature, Thermoworks Thermapen:
- Emphasizes the use of a meat thermometer (Thermoworks Thermapen) to ensure safe and properly cooked salmon.
- The recommended internal temperature is at least 145ºF.
-
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):
- Addresses common queries related to cooking salmon, such as which side to sear first and how to determine if the salmon is done.
- Provides alternatives like using a cast iron pan.
-
What to Serve with Pan Seared Salmon Fillets:
- Suggests complementary side dishes like Greek Yogurt Dill Pickle Sauce, Roasted Red Potatoes, Arugula Salad, and Oven-Roasted Asparagus.
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Leftover Pan Seared Salmon and Storage:
- Offers creative ideas for using leftover salmon, such as Salmon Patties and Thai Salmon Salad.
- Provides guidelines for storing leftover pan-seared salmon in the fridge.
-
Nutritional Information and Recipe:
- Includes the nutritional breakdown of the dish.
- Presents the recipe with detailed instructions, quantities, and cooking times.
By combining these concepts, the article guides readers through the process of creating a quick, flavorful, and nutritionally balanced Lemon Butter Pan Seared Salmon dish, catering to various dietary preferences and skill levels in the kitchen.
