Baked Salmon Dill Butter Lemon (Printable)
Succulent salmon with fragrant dill butter and fresh lemon.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 5 oz each), skin-on or skinless
→ Dill Butter
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
04 - 1 garlic clove, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish & Serving
08 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced
09 - Fresh dill sprigs
10 - Extra lemon wedges
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
02 - In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, chopped dill, minced garlic, lemon zest, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix until thoroughly blended and smooth.
03 - Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Arrange them skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Spread the dill butter mixture evenly over the top of each salmon fillet, ensuring a good coating.
05 - Top each fillet with a couple of thin lemon slices for added flavor and presentation.
06 - Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
07 - Remove from the oven and transfer to serving plates. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and serve immediately with extra lemon wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Salmon becomes silky and tender without any fussiness, and the dill butter does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise.
- It's ready in less than half an hour, which means weeknight dinner actually feels manageable.
- The whole thing tastes like you spent way more time and effort than you actually did.
02 -
- Don't overbake salmon or it turns from silky to chalky in what feels like thirty seconds, so start checking at the 15-minute mark and trust the fork test over the clock.
- The quality of your salmon matters more than anything else in this recipe, so buy from someone who knows their fish and can tell you it's fresh.
03 -
- Softened butter that's too warm will break when you fold in the acid from the lemon zest, so work quickly and let it chill in the fridge for five minutes if it gets greasy-looking.
- For a dairy-free version, plant-based butter works beautifully here and the dill still carries the whole flavor profile, so don't hesitate to swap it in.