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Quick Garlic Butter Salmon with Asparagus

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A fast and easy 15-minute dinner featuring crispy skin salmon fillets cooked in garlic butter alongside tender asparagus. Perfect for busy weeknights, this recipe is simple, nourishing, and delicious.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 6 oz / 170 g each)
  • 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb / 450 g), trimmed
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 60 g), divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Trim the asparagus by snapping off the tough ends, then rinse and pat dry. Zest and juice the lemon, mince the garlic, and chop parsley if using. (5 minutes)
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. (2 minutes)
  3. Place salmon fillets skin-side down in the pan. Press gently with a spatula for about 10 seconds to prevent curling. Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until just cooked through but still moist inside. Remove from pan and tent loosely with foil. (7-8 minutes)
  4. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon butter and the trimmed asparagus. Toss to coat, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but still bright green. (5 minutes)
  5. Lower heat to medium-low. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and minced garlic to the pan. Stir gently for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add lemon juice and zest, then stir to combine. (2-3 minutes)
  6. Return salmon to the pan, spoon garlic butter sauce over the fillets and asparagus. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Let everything warm together for 1 minute before serving. (1-2 minutes)

Notes

Pat salmon dry to ensure crispy skin. Press fillets gently for 10 seconds when placing skin-side down to prevent curling. Add lemon juice after garlic butter is ready to avoid curdling. Avoid overcooking salmon; it should flake easily but remain moist. Use butter for richness but keep heat moderate to prevent burning. For dairy-free, substitute butter with olive oil or vegan butter and omit parsley if desired.

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic butter salmon, asparagus, quick dinner, easy salmon recipe, healthy salmon, 15-minute meal, weeknight dinner, salmon with asparagus

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