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Pan Seared Salmon (15-Min Recipe) — serving inspiration
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Kitchen notes · a little help before you start

Pan Seared Salmon (15-Min Recipe)

Pan-seared salmon with lemon-herb butter is a good dinner to enjoy while it is fresh from the skillet. The crisp skin gives you something to cut through, with warm garlic butter around the fish.

Prep
9 min
Cook
6 min
Total
15 min
Original yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
9 listed

Make it part of your week

Estimating…
Main courseAmericanFishPrep: 15 minutes or lessTotal: 30 minutes or less
Recipe categories & planning details
Meal type
Main course
Primary protein
Fish
Cuisine
American
Preparation & total time
Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less

A few quick notes

1. Mash the herb butter first

Mix softened butter, lemon, garlic, dill and parsley before starting the fish, then keep ready beside the stove.

2. Season just before searing

Pat the salmon very dry, heat the oil, then salt and pepper both sides right before placing it in the pan.

3. Press briefly to prevent curling

Start skin side down, press with the fish spatula for the stated first moments, then leave it undisturbed to sear.

Get to know the ingredients

Skin-on fillets

Use the listed thick skin-on pieces in a single layer, starting on the skin before flipping for the final cook.

Softened salted butter

Soften the butter for mashing with the herbs and garlic; it melts beside the fish only after the first turn.

Chopped dill and parsley

Chop both herbs before mixing them into the lemon butter, rather than adding them separately over the finished fish.

Let’s make it

Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.

MAKE IT YOURS

Ingredients

Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.

Estimating…

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How to make it

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Make room for Pan Seared Salmon (15-Min Recipe)

Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.

The last little job

Spoon butter and remove promptly

Flip the fish back, spoon the lemon butter over it and remove immediately from the skillet to avoid further cooking.

A little more help as you go

Butter goes beside the fish

After turning the salmon, add herb butter near it rather than on top, stirring the melting butter around the fillets.

Use a heavy-bottomed skillet

Heat the oil in the large heavy skillet until shimmering before adding the dried and freshly seasoned salmon.

A few questions you might have

Do I start the fish in butter?

Olive oil is used for the initial sear. The herb butter is added beside the salmon after the first flip.

Should I move the salmon while butter melts?

Stir the butter around it while leaving the salmon in place during that brief second-side cooking stage.

How should the first side look before turning?

The salmon is mostly opaque, with only the top still not quite done, before the careful flip with the fish spatula.

Is lemon juice added at the table?

It is mashed into the butter with garlic and herbs before cooking, then spooned over the finished salmon in that sauce.

Can I leave cooked salmon in the hot pan?

Remove it immediately after spooning the lemon butter over, since the pan would keep cooking the fish.

Storage & reheating safety

For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.

These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures

Recipe source: wholesomeyum.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.

Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.

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