Lemon Garlic Salmon

This simple oven-broiled Lemon Garlic Salmon is tender, flakey, and goes with just about any kind of side dish. In less than 30 minutes, you can enjoy perfectly cooked salmon that requires very little prep and is full of flavor.

If you are at all intimidated by cooking salmon filets, follow along and find out just how simple it can be. And if you are looking for even more salmon recipes, try this Air Fryer Sweet and Spicy Salmon, Blackened Salmon Tacos or my Grilled Teriyaki Salmon.

A plate with baked garlic lemon salmon and a side of broccoli.

Lemon Garlic Salmon

If you’re looking for an easy go-to baked salmon recipe, you’re in the right place. This garlic lemon salmon uses the broiler to cook up tender salmon filets that are covered with fresh lemon and garlic butter.

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Recipe Notes

Do not even think about getting rid of the pan drippings. Drizzle it right over the top of each filet, or even over your veggies, mashed potatoes, and pasta—it is so good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s quick and easy! This recipe couldn’t be simpler. The key is just picking good fish to cook. From there, it’s just a matter of mixing up the garlic and lemon butter and cooking it.
It’s healthy and delicious. Salmon is such a healthy protein that doesn’t need a lot of help to taste delicious. Serving it with a simple lemon and garlic butter really allows the flavor of the fish to shine.
It goes with everything! Because the flavors in this recipe are so simple, you can serve this with just about everything. It goes with salads, rice, potatoes, veggies, pasta—you name it! You can also serve leftovers cold over salad.

Just cooked lemon and garlic salmon filets in foil with lemon slices.

Key Ingredients You Will Need

Salmon: when cooking salmon, you’ll want to choose filets that are roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. This recipe calls for 4 ounce filets, but anything close would work well.
Butter: the butter turns the garlic and lemons into a velvety and delicious sauce. It will need to be melted first so that you can baste the fish with it.
Garlic: you’ll need about 2-3 cloves of fresh minced garlic for this recipe.
Fresh Lemons: to make things easier, be sure to zest the lemon before you juice it!

How to Make Lemon Garlic Salmon

Prepare the salmon. Remove any bones or skin from the salmon, then cut into 4 ounce individual portions. Pat dry with a paper towel, season, and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Brush with lemon garlic butter. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Use a basting brush to brush all sides of the salmon.

Preparing lemon and garlic butter to cook salmon with.

Cook. Broil the salmon filets for 6 minutes, then check the doneness of salmon—it should flake easily with a fork. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes if necessary, then remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve. To serve, drizzle the drippings over the filets and garnish with fresh lemon slices and minced parsley. Enjoy!

Raw salmon filets with salt and pepper topped with lemon and garlic butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose the best salmon?

When you are shopping for salmon, or any other fresh fish, first and foremost you want to be sure that it doesn’t smell too fishy. If the fish still has the head on, make sure they eyes aren’t cloudy. The fish should also be firm and not at all mushy. Salmon should have a bright pink color.

Can I use frozen salmon?

You could use frozen salmon filets if you want. Be sure to thaw them in the fridge overnight before you use them.

How do you know when the salmon is cooked?

The easiest way to tell if salmon is cooked is by gently pressing it with a fork. If it flakes easily, the salmon is cooked. If not, let it cook for another 1-2 minutes before checking again. You can also check that the internal temperature of the fish has reached at least 135 degrees F.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many sides that will complement this fish so well, no matter what time of year it is. Here are a few of my favorites:

Rice and grains: you can go simple with this Lemon Herb Rice, or serve with something a bit more substantial like this Thanksgiving Wild Rice side dish.
Potatoes: just about any kind of potato side dish will go with a piece of perfectly cooked, lightly glazed salmon. You can go classic with Roasted Rosemary and Parmesan fingerling potatoes, or have a little fun with these Hasselback Potatoes.
Pasta: Lemon garlic salmon would go especially well with a creamy sauce like the one in this Asiago Garlic Fettuccini Alfredo, or this Lemon Ricotta Pasta.
Salad: pasta salads, green salads, and even fruit salads would all make great sides for salmon. You can try this refreshing Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad, Ramen Cabbage Salad, or this Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad.

Flaky baked salmon on a white dinner plate with a side of broccoli.

Recipe Tips

Don’t get rid of the pan drippings! They are delicious drizzled over the salmon, but just as tasty drizzled over steamed broccoli or other veggies.
The cooking time listed is an estimate—it all depends on the thickness of the filets, how many you are cooking at once, and how hot your oven is. Be sure to stop and check the salmon after about 6 minutes to see if it flakes easily yet. If not, cook it for another 2 minutes or so.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: to reheat in the oven, wrap the salmon in foil and place in a preheated 350 degree oven until warmed through.