Baked Salmon with Dill Butter (Print Version)
Tender salmon topped with aromatic dill butter, baked to perfection and ready quickly for a tasty meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 oz each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1 lemon, sliced
→ Dill Butter
06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
09 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
# How to Cook:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels and place skin-side down on the baking sheet.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the fillets and season evenly with kosher salt and black pepper.
04 - Place one lemon slice atop each salmon fillet.
05 - Bake the fillets for 12 to 15 minutes until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and is cooked through.
06 - While baking, combine softened butter, chopped dill, lemon zest, minced garlic, and salt in a small bowl and mash until well blended.
07 - Remove baked salmon from the oven and immediately dollop with dill butter, allowing it to melt. Serve garnished with extra dill or lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dill butter melts into the hot salmon like a warm hug, adding richness without any fussiness.
- It's genuinely impressive enough to serve guests but simple enough that you won't be stressed while they're sitting in your living room.
- Everything comes together in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinners actually feel doable.
02 -
- Salmon continues cooking slightly after you remove it from the oven, so pull it out when it still looks just a touch underdone. It'll be perfectly moist this way.
- The dill butter must go on the hot salmon so it melts and coats everything beautifully. Cold salmon and cold butter are a missed opportunity.
- Frozen salmon works perfectly fine here, but thaw it slowly in the fridge overnight rather than at room temperature, which can make it watery.
03 -
- If you want to lighten the dill butter, replace half the butter with Greek yogurt for a tangy twist that still melts beautifully over hot salmon.
- Room temperature butter makes for the smoothest, most luxurious dill butter. Don't skip the softening step or you'll be wrestling with cold, hard butter that won't mix properly.