Roasted Salmon with Garlic & Herb Sauce
Our Roasted Salmon with Garlic & Herbs is the perfect recipe to make when you need a quick dinner for the family, and impressive enough to serve when entertaining. Even though this recipe is easy to put together, the flavors are rich and sophisticated. Salmon filets are lightly seasoned and roasted to perfection with fresh lemon, then topped with a beautiful butter and garlic sauce that is finished with roasted lemon and fresh herbs.
Served with our Sauteed Kale, this makes a beautiful and healthy dish that you can be proud to serve your family or your guests. Want to know more about the healthy benefits of this recipe? Visit our Blog Comments & Tips for details.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe Updated: 3/29/22
ROASTED SALMON WITH GARLIC & HERB SAUCE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (or 375°F if using a convection roast setting). Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Remove any skin from salmon (see Note #1), and cut into four 6 ounce fillets. Coat bottom of fish with ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then season with ¼ teaspoon Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning (See Notes #2 & #3). Flip over, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Coat top of fish with remaining ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, then season with remaining ¼ teaspoon Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning (see Notes #2 & #3).
- Zest 1 lemon, and set aside. Halve lemon(s) crosswise, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet with the salmon. Roast for 10 minutes for medium temp (more or less depending on thickness of fish - see Note #4).
- Remove from oven, and using tongs, immediately squeeze juice from half a large roasted lemon (or 1 whole small roasted lemon) directly onto the fish. Cover with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
- Chop dill and parsley, and remove leaves from sprigs of thyme, chop leaves, and set aside all the herbs.
- To an 8 inch nonstick omelette pan (or small saucepan) over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, and melt until bubbling. Using a garlic press, add 2 pressed garlic cloves to the butter, stir, and cook for 30 - 60 seconds until garlic becomes soft and fragrant (do not brown). Add ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste), and one large pinch of ground pepper (or to taste). Using tongs, squeeze the juice from half a roasted lemon directly into the pan, add roasting juice from the baking sheet (this item is optional), and swirl the pan to combine. Add chopped dill and parsley, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir the fresh herbs to wilt in the sauce (they should remain bright green).
- Serve the fish, and immediately pour the sauce over the salmon. Sprinkle a little lemon zest over each fillet, and serve over our Sautéed Kale.
Notes
- If desired, leave the skin on the fish. We prefer to remove the skin for this recipe, as it is much easier to eat when the fish is served on top of our Sautéed Kale.
- If you cannot find Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning, then substitute a small pinch of each of the following spices, and rough grind them using a mortar and pestle: Coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder, and combine with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.
- If you want to replicate this seasoning, but you don’t have a grinder or mortar and pestle, then just use the following: ground coriander, ground mustard powder, ground black pepper, and all the above spices listed in Note #2, and mix to combine.
- If using a thermometer, internal temperature to achieve medium rare salmon is 120°F, and internal temp for medium salmon is 125°F.
- The salmon fillets used in this recipe were about 1 inch thick. If the salmon fillets are thinner at one end, just fold under the thin side to equal out the thickness. This will help to cook more evenly.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
463.85Fat (grams)
33.09Sat. Fat (grams)
9.94Carbs (grams)
1.99Fiber (grams)
0.64Net carbs
1.35Sugar (grams)
0.36Protein (grams)
37.99Sodium (milligrams)
523.87Cholesterol (grams)
130.05Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: You will notice that we only used two salmon fillets in these step by step photos, instead of four fillets. The amounts and details noted in the recipe card and our step by step instructions are accurate. We just cut the recipe in half for the photo session.
Salmon
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 400°F (or 375°F if using a convection roast setting). Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
STEP 2
Remove the skin from the bottom of 1 ½ pounds fresh salmon filets (see Note “a” below), and cut into four 6 ounce fillets. Pour or brush ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil onto the bottom of the fillets to coat. Then season the bottom of the fish fillets with ¼ teaspoon Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning (see Note #1 in Notes section below for alternative seasoning), flip over, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet (see Note “b” below). Pour or brush remaining ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil onto the top of the fillets to coat. Then season the top of the fish fillets with remaining ¼ teaspoon Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning.
Note: a) If desired, leave the skin on the fish. We prefer to remove the skin for this recipe, as it is much easier to eat when the fish is served on top of our Sautéed Kale. b) The salmon fillets used in these photos are about 1 inch thick. Fold under the thin side to equal out the thickness, so it will cook evenly.
STEP 3
Zest 1 large lemon (or 2 small), and set aside. Slice the lemon(s) in half, crosswise, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet with the salmon. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes for medium temp (more or less depending on thickness of fish).
STEP 4
Check doneness (see Note below), and remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, immediately squeeze the juice from half a large roasted lemon (or from 1 whole small roasted lemon) directly onto the fish. Cover with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
Note: If using a thermometer, internal temperature should be 120°F to achieve medium rare salmon temp, and internal temp for medium salmon is 125°F.
Sauce
STEP 1
Chop 1 tablespoon fresh dill and 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley. Remove the leaves from 2 small sprigs of fresh thyme, chop, and set aside all the herbs.
STEP 2a
To an 8 inch nonstick omelette pan (or small saucepan) over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, and melt until bubbling. Using a garlic press, add 2 pressed garlic cloves to the butter, stir, and cook for 30 - 60 seconds until garlic becomes soft and fragrant (do not brown). Add ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste), and one large pinch of ground pepper (or to taste). Using tongs, squeeze the juice from half a roasted lemon directly into the pan, add roasting juice from the baking sheet (this item is optional, but adds more complex flavor to the sauce), and swirl the pan to combine.
STEP 2b
Immediately add chopped dill and parsley, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the fresh herbs to wilt in the sauce (they should remain bright green).
SERVE
Immediately pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle a little lemon zest over each filet, and serve over our Sautéed Kale.
Notes:
If you cannot find Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning, then substitute a small pinch of each of the following spices, and rough grind them using a mortar and pestle: Coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder, and combine with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.
If you want to replicate this seasoning, but you don’t have a grinder or mortar and pestle, then just use the following: ground coriander, ground mustard powder, ground black pepper, and all the above spices listed in Note #1, and mix to combine.
VIDEO
How to Make this Quick, Easy, and Tasty Side Dish in Minutes!
Blog Comments & Tips
Sophisticated flavor for an easy recipe!
This Roasted Salmon with Garlic and Herb Sauce has been one of my tried and true recipes for years. When we want something a little more special on a weeknight, or as a quick and easy main dish when entertaining guests, this salmon is a beautiful choice that always seems to impress.
This Roasted Salmon with Garlic and Herb Sauce is so easy to make that you will be surprised by its rich flavor, compared to the little effort it took to prepare it.
Many years ago, I decided to invite 26 people over for a formal Christmas Eve dinner party. Two of my guests didn’t eat meat, but they loved fish. I planned it out and prepped the fish and the sauce ingredients ahead of time. So, all I had to do was stick the fish in the oven, and make this 5 minute sauce. I was so surprised when they went wild about this dish! The great part is that it didn’t take away any time from when I was finishing up the main course for the rest of my guests. I’m always rushing around like a crazy person during those last 15 minutes before serving, so this was a big deal.
For some reason I doubted their praise and made it for myself a few weeks later, just to see if they weren’t just being too kind. Much to my surprise, I was bowled over by the delicious and rich flavor of this salmon dish. Since then, it has become a staple recipe in my home, and is always requested by my pescatarian guests.
There are a few important pieces to the success of this dish. Take a look at our tips below on how to ensure the best results from our recipe.
Our 6 tips to making our Roasted Salmon with Garlic & Herb Sauce:
Super fresh and high quality salmon.
Fresh organic herbs make a difference.
Do not overcook your salmon. 10 minutes for fillets that are 1 inch thick, is more than enough. Keep in mind that the salmon will continue to cook a bit more when it’s resting.
As soon as you remove the fish from the oven, squeeze half a roasted lemon directly onto the salmon. This gives it a fresh, acidic element that will absorb into the salmon. And, make sure you use tongs when you squeeze the lemon. Those roasted lemons are scorching hot, and will sizzle your fingers if you try to pick them up with your bare hands.
Do not brown the garlic, as it will lend a bitter taste to the sauce.
Be sure to turn off your heat when you add your fresh herbs. You want them to retain their bright green color and fresh taste. They do not need to cook, they only need to wilt in the sauce. Serve the fish immediately after pouring on the sauce.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Spicy: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the spice rub for the fish. If you want it even spicier, then add some spice to the sauce, as well. When the butter starts to bubble, add ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and the garlic at the same time. Continue with the sauce instructions.
Make it Without Garlic: Just omit the garlic in the sauce recipe.
Make it Dairy Free: Replace the unsalted butter in the sauce with an equal amount of vegan butter. Another option would be to omit the butter in the sauce entirely, and add only 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, then add ½ cup dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, and reduce by half. Then add the fresh herbs and continue with the sauce recipe.
Make it Lux: Reduce the amount of butter in the sauce to 1 tablespoon, add garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, then add ½ cup dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, and reduce by half. Add 1 ounce of heavy cream and simmer until thickened. Then add the fresh herbs and continue with the sauce recipe.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember NOT to overcook the fish, as it will continue to cook a little while it is resting.
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