Lemon Salmon Recipe with Brown Butter

A super simple, super tasty lemon salmon recipe with brown butter, red onions, lots of lemon and fresh dill. This is good stuff!

There are many great salmon recipes out there, but this lemon salmon recipe with brown butter and dill is truly extraordinary.

Most salmon recipes are simple to make and this recipe is no exception.

With salmon fillets from Costco in my freezer, I guarantee, this recipe will become a regular on our table.

Salmon is something I try to make once a week, but lately I haven’t been running out to the grocery as often.

Hence, my keeping frozen salmon in the freezer.

On my last trip I bought a bag of wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon, that is cut into individual portions.

Perfect for just the two of us and this way I don’t need to make the fishmonger guess when I ask him to slice me enough fresh salmon for two.

I can’t tell you how many times they guess wrong and I feel so guilty when he has to set a piece aside.

I kid you not when I tell you that Manservant told me three times, with his mouth full, that this was a really good recipe.

Though I wish I could take credit for it, the credit goes to Alison Roman, who I’ve mentioned before.

Honestly her recipes are some of my new favorites and I really do recommend you check out her cookbook, Nothing Fancy.

Her newest one, Dining In, is also on my shelf, but so far, I still find myself reaching for her first one more.

What kind of salmon is needed for this lemon salmon recipe?

This lemon dill salmon recipe calls for 2 pounds of skin-on or skinless salmon fillet, which is more than the two of us would eat.

I chose to use 2 of the thawed out, cut Sockeye salmon fillets and merely cut the recipe in half.

Types of Salmon:

Sockeye salmon is also called red salmon. It is smaller than an Atlantic salmon so the fillets are thinner.

It is also said to be richer than Atlantic salmon.

Sockeye is a wild salmon and is caught when the salmon are swimming upstream, whereas most Atlantic salmon are farmed.

Red Salmon holds its shape well and has less fat and more protein than Atlantic salmon per serving.

Pink salmon is a smaller salmon variety than sockeye, and therefore is mostly found canned.

Chinook salmon or King salmon are also from the Pacific, and are considered to be the best tasting salmon of the bunch.

Coho salmon actually changes color when it spawns and can only be eaten when it is silver.

It tends to be mild, less fatty and is often eaten poached.

But enough facts.

Let’s get to cooking this easy salmon recipe.

Using one large or two small lemons, slice half of one lemon into thin lemon slices and leave the other half so you can squeeze it.

Using your zester, I’d up the leon factor, and use it to create some lemon zest!

Place salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and blot dry with paper towels, if needed.

Season with fresh ground black pepper and salt.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Make your sauce by heating the unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook until the butter has started to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

It will sizzle so you may want to lightly cover the skillet with aluminum foil.

After the butter has started to brown add the olive oil, the sliced lemon, and half the sliced red onion.

Season with salt and pepper and cook until the lemons and onions have started to brown and crisp up, 2 – 3 minutes. Add the capers.

Pour the butter mixture over the salmon.

Place in the oven and bake salmon until just cooked through.

Medium rare usually takes 12-15 minutes for a large salmon fillet, but my smaller fillet was cooked more than medium rare and that’s how I like it.

It really depends on the thickness of the salmon so remember bake times can vary.

While the salmon is baking toss together the fresh dill and sesame seeds, if using.

Sesame gives a bit of nuttiness to this easy baked salmon recipe, but is totally optional.

Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Scatter on top of the baked lemon salmon and if you take my advice you will drizzle with my favorite lemon oil.

This lemon oil is my go-to favorite luxury condiment in my kitchen.

It makes the best Caesar salad ever, but use it sparingly because it adds so much flavor.

What to Serve with Lemon Dill Salmon:

Lemon oil is great over green beans or asparagus, both of which would make great side dishes to this outstanding lemon dill salmon.

Or make my blistered green beans which are also good.

I’d also love this hearts of palm salad or my favorite sweet pea/mango salad.

To make this a complete sheet pan dinner, feel free to roast some skinny asparagus alongside the salmon.

I served this with a sour cream cucumber/radish salad and some Right Rice.

Ever tried Right Rice? Not really rice-it’s made from veggies.

I’m slow to try a lot of these new products but we are loving every variety of this brand and getting more fiber while we do it!

And no, I’m not paid to say that! We just really like the stuff!

Truly this is the best salmon I’ve made in a long time.

I love how the salmon flakes soak up the lemon butter sauce.

This is a perfect Spring dish that would be glorious for special occasions like Easter or for a simple Passover meal.

Is it a healthy dinner? Some might argue that this buttered salmon recipe is not.

I will tell you that I think anytime you can add salmon to your table it’s a perfect recipe for success.

The best part about this meal is the salmon.

Loaded with flavor from brown butter, fresh dill, lemons and red onions, this easy recipe really brings Spring to life.

And FYI, eat the cooked lemons. Manservant said they were so good-and for once he was actually right!

The other best part besides making a feel good, truly luscious meal is that from start to finish you can have a truly wondrous dinner on the table in less than thirty minutes.

Winner, winner salmon dinner.

Need a Few More?

Gravlax Salmon

Asian Salmon

Slow Roasted Salmon

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