Garlic Butter Salmon
Salmon fillets spooned with lemony garlic butter and roasted on one sheet pan with tender asparagus. Dinner is ready in about 25 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
1 fillet + asparagus- Net carbs
- 3.7g
- Calories
- 514kcal
- Protein
- 38g
- Fat
- 38g
- Total carbs
- 6.3 g
- Fiber
- 2.7 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Dairy-free: Good olive oil replaces the butter in the garlic-lemon sauce. Lighter and just as easy, and it suits the salmon’s richness.
- Stir the garlic, lemon, parsley and pepper flakes into the olive oil instead of melted butter, and spoon it over the fish the same way.
Garlic butter cod: Mild, flaky cod loins with the same lemony garlic butter. A leaner, budget-friendly fish dinner.
- Cod is lean, so spoon most of the garlic butter over it before roasting. Roast 10–14 minutes, until it is opaque, flakes easily and reads 145°F (63°C). Thin fillets may be done in 8 minutes.
Pesto salmon: Basil pesto spread over the fillets replaces the garlic butter. It roasts into a fragrant, savory crust with almost no extra work.
- Stir the lemon zest into the pesto and spread about 2 tbsp over each fillet before roasting.
- Roast as written, then squeeze the lemon juice over the salmon and asparagus. Homemade basil pesto has the fewest carbs.
- Salmon & asparagus
- Garlic butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Salmon & asparagus
- Garlic butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Salmon & asparagus
- Garlic butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Salmon & asparagus
- Garlic butter
-
4 cloves garlicleave out -
2 tbsp fresh parsleyleave out - Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $24.80 for 4 servings ($6.20 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment.
-
Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper and spread it around the outer edges of the pan.
-
Stir together the melted butter, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and red pepper flakes.
-
Lay the salmon skin-side down in the center of the pan, season with the remaining salt and pepper and spoon about two-thirds of the garlic butter over the fillets.
-
Roast 12–15 minutes until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reads 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part, and the asparagus is crisp-tender. Thin tail pieces cook faster, so start checking at 10 minutes.
-
Spoon the remaining garlic butter over the salmon and asparagus and serve with lemon wedges.
Tips for success
-
Salmon goes from silky to dry quickly. Fillets keep cooking a few degrees as they rest, so take them out as soon as they reach 145°F (63°C). - Pencil-thin asparagus can scorch. Add it to the pan 5 minutes after the salmon goes in. Green beans or broccolini work too.
- Flake any leftovers into salmon patties or over a salad.
Nice to have, not needed
- An instant-read thermometer helps you pull salmon right at 145°F (63°C); without one, check that the thickest part flakes easily.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Eat cold over a salad, or warm gently at 275°F (135°C) for 10–15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
Prep tip: Flake cold leftovers into salads or salmon patties rather than reheating them — they stay moist.
Refrigerate up to 3 days. Eat leftovers cold, or reheat gently at 275°F (135°C) for 10–15 minutes.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosDairy-free
DietGood olive oil replaces the butter in the garlic-lemon sauce. Lighter and just as easy, and it suits the salmon’s richness.
- butter → extra-virgin olive oil
3.7 g net · 533 kcal · 38 g protein · 40 g fat · ≈$6.34 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Garlic butter cod
ProteinMild, flaky cod loins with the same lemony garlic butter. A leaner, budget-friendly fish dinner.
- salmon fillets (6 oz / 170 g each) → cod loins or thick fillets (6 oz / 170 g each)
3.7 g net · 300 kcal · 33 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$5.64 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Pesto salmon
FlavorBasil pesto spread over the fillets replaces the garlic butter. It roasts into a fragrant, savory crust with almost no extra work.
- butter → basil pesto
- no garlic
- no fresh parsley
4 g net · 536 kcal · 39 g protein · 39 g fat · ≈$6.80 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
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