Pan Seared Salmon with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce is one of the tastiest, easiest recipes you’ll ever try! Tender salmon fillets are pan-seared until perfectly golden brown then covered in a simple, vibrant and rich lemon butter sauce. A reader favorite!

Easy Pan Seared Salmon Recipe
I love to sear salmon in a skillet because it yields a perfectly crisp seared exterior while the interior stays nice and tender. When you think there’s just no time for dinner, there’s always time to sear a salmon fillet and add a bright squeeze of lemon juice.
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Credit Salmon with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
But here we’ve got 5 extra minutes so I made this seriously delicious garlic butter lemon sauce. That said the “the secret’s in the sauce” holds on this one.
The lemon butter sauce for salmon is made up of 4 basic ingredients (garlic, butter, fresh lemon juice, and chicken broth) and once you try it you’ll want to add it to everything.
This pan-fried salmon recipe is a restaurant-worthy dish that you can make in the comfort of your own home in 20 minutes!
Want to see how easy it is? Watch this video.

Pan-Seared Salmon Ingredients
- Salmon fillets – main ingredient. Rich in omega 3 and a great source of protein!
- Salt and pepper – so the salmon isn’t bland.
- Olive oil – to help brown the salmon and prevent sticking.
- Chicken broth – to create a sauce. White wine will work great too.
- Fresh lemon – for bright flavor. It’s the perfect complement to salmon.
- Garlic – for another layer of flavor.
- Butter – for richness.
- Honey – to balance out the tartness of the lemon.
- Parsley – for a nice colorful garnish.

How to Cook Salmon in a Pan
- Let salmon rest at room temperature briefly, so it cooks evenly.
- Make the lemon butter sauce. In a small saucepan, melt 1 tsp butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice.
- Let the sauce simmer until it has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in butter and honey, and set sauce aside.
- Dab both sides of the salmon dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add salmon and cook until done to your liking.
- Plate salmon and drizzle each serving generously with lemon butter sauce, sprinkle with parsley.
How Long to Cook Salmon in a Pan
For this garlic butter salmon recipe, I used 6-oz salmon fillets. I cooked them for about 4 minutes on the first side until golden brown then flip and cooked through, about 2 – 3 minutes longer.

What to Serve with Salmon
I just served this lemon garlic salmon with rice and steamed asparagus and it all came together perfectly! If you need a few more ideas, here are some additional sides for salmon I enjoy:
Other Ways to Use the Lemon Butter Sauce
Love this lemon butter sauce recipe? Try it on:
- On any fish fillets
- With chicken breasts or a roast chicken
- On steak with extra herbs such as rosemary or thyme
- On boiled potatoes or other boiled or steamed veggies
If you want an even richer sauce, you can add an extra tablespoon or two of butter here but I like to keep it on the healthier side so I kept it at a minimal 3 tablespoons (plus the teaspoon to sauté the garlic) and it’s just enough.

Tips for Making Pan Seared
- Let salmon rest briefly before cooking so it cooks more evenly.
- Preheat the pan and oil, this will help the salmon brown better. Don’t add to a cold skillet.
- Dab salmon dry before adding to the pan, this will give you better browning.
- Don’t move the salmon as it cooks. Again, better browning.
- Don’t overcook it! Salmon should still look slightly pink in the center.
- Serve it with a sauce. Pan-seared salmon is great on its own, but a lemon butter sauce like this just takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.
More Salmon Dinner Ideas to Try!
- Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa
- Baked Parmesan and Panko Crusted Salmon
- Roasted Lemon Pepper Salmon
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Creamy Salmon Piccata
- 5-Ingredient Marinated Grilled Salmon
- Salmon and Asparagus in Foil
- Lemon Garlic Herb Grilled Salmon
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