Easy Garlic Butter Salmon – perfectly cooked keto salmon with a delicious drizzle of garlic herb butter. This single sheet pan meal takes only a few minutes of prep time and comes together in less than 30 minutes, start to finish. It’s the perfect low carb dinner for those hectic weeknights.
It’s a busy busy time of year and you need easy and healthy dinner options. Like this sheet pan Garlic Butter Salmon recipe. There really isn’t anything easier.
Guess what? While I may work in the kitchen all day, I also need easy dinner recipes. This time of year isn’t just holiday madness for us, but birthday madness as well. I have three children all born in the late fall and winter, and a husband born right after Christmas. Plus a myriad of other family members with holiday birthdays. It’s bananas around here and keeping my head above water is priority number one.
I tend to get caught up in the cookie baking and holiday dessert making at this time of year. Let’s face it, the cookies are way more fun! But my family still needs to eat real meals and so I have to choose my recipes wisely. Dinner recipes that are healthy, delicious, and don’t take more than 30 minutes are about my speed. That way I still have plenty of time to devote to the holiday treats.
Keto salmon fits that bill perfectly because it’s so easy and quick to cook. Mind you, it’s also easy to overcook so you need to be mindful of the time. There are tons of keto salmon recipes, some of them great, some of them not so great. But this garlic butter salmon is absolutely spectacular. Bonus points that it’s a sheet pan meal, so clean up is a snap.
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What are Sheet Pan Meals?
Sheet pan meals are absolutely fabulous! In essence, they are meals you cook entirely on a single sheet pan in your oven. There is usually no need for other bowls or pans, it’s a one and done scenario. And they are the whole meal, with veggies and meats cooked together right on the same pan.
I am becoming a huge fan of cooking my entire dinner on a sheet pan. One of my favorite ways to cook salmon is simply to roast it in butter, which adapts itself very well for a sheet pan meal.
You do need to make sure you use a rimmed baking sheet, as juices are released from the meat and vegetables. You don’t want those spilling into the bottom of your oven, so you need something with higher sides, like a jelly roll pan.
And be sure to choose a good sized sheet pan, so everything can lay in a single layer. If you are cooking for more than 4 or 5 people, you may need two sheet pans.
You don’t need to line the sheet pan with anything. Some recipes suggest using foil or parchment but I think that tends to interfere with the browning of the meat and veggies. It’s also wasteful and it doesn’t necessarily make clean up any easier, as the juices often seep under the foil, so you have to clean the pan anyway.
As long as you use plenty of oil or butter, the food will not stick to the pan and will brown nicely.
Tips for Making Garlic Butter Salmon
This really is an incredibly easy recipe, full of great flavor. Even my kids eat it willingly, which I can’t say for all salmon recipes.
I recommend getting a good piece of fresh wild caught salmon if you can. Frozen filets are fine too but they do tend to release that funny white liquid when they are cooked. It won’t affect the taste of your dinner, it just doesn’t look as pretty or perfect.
I also recommend getting filets that are at least an inch in thickness, so that they cook more evenly and stay juicy and tender.
Roasting salmon in butter is something I’ve been doing for quite some time. Usually I do it in a glass baking pan but it was just as easy to do on a sheet pan. Place half of the butter on the pan and let it melt in the oven as it preheats.
The remaining butter is melted and mixed with the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest.
The cauliflower takes longer to cook than the salmon so you have to roast it for a while first. Once the oven is hot and the butter is melted, add the cauliflower florets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss them and coat them in the melted butter, and bake until they are starting to become tender.
Then you can add the salmon filets. Make a little space for them so that the skin of the salmon rests directly on the sheet pan. Drizzle the garlic butter mixture all over each filet and return to the oven.
Your work here is done. It’s really that simple and once the salmon is cooked through, you are ready to eat. Just serve it straight from the sheet pan.
More Easy Keto Salmon Recipes
Smoked Salmon Stuffed Avocados
Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
For more Easy Keto Dinners, grab a copy of my cookbook! Aptly named Easy Keto Dinners.
Keto Sheet Pan Salmon
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lb cauliflower florets
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ lb salmon filet cut into 4 equal portions
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and place 2 tablespoon of the butter on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven as it preheats.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small bowl and whisk in the garlic, parsley and lemon zest.
- Remove the pan from the oven when the butter is melted and add the cauliflower florets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the butter. Bake 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and make space for the salmon filets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with plenty of the garlic butter.
- Bake another 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. How long will depend on how thick your filets are.
- Serve hot with wedges of lemon.
Rebecca Reed says
Can’t wait to try this, and I love the substitution ideas I’ve read in the comments – love a recipe that’s easy to vary as needed! Do you use salmon fillets with skin on or off . . . or does it matter?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
I always use skin on, because it retains more moisture and then it’s super easy to peel the skin off after cooking.
Kim says
Absolutely delicious! The cauliflower was fantastic!!
Tammy McDowell says
I made this tonight and it was really good. I do want to try again with a little more butter. I also used a touch of lime juice as opposed to lemon because that is what I had. It was so easy and tasted great. Best of all-I was eating healthy! Thano you for this recipe!
Marcella says
This was ridiculously easy and so amazingly delicious. I used broccoli instead of cauliflower and was more generous with the garlic 🙂 Yummmm!
Teresa Heckel says
I just have to comment on this. Made tonight as I had salmon and didn’t feel like grilling. Substituted Brussels sprouts for the cauliflower. It was out of this world amazing,,, will be making this often!! Served with cauliflower rice sauté. Thanks for the great recipe! I have been loving your recipes and just got one of your cookbooks today. ????
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Aviva says
I made this for dinner but instead of califlower I made it with broccoli, it was a great hit with hubby. This recipe is a keeper, thank you!
Carol says
We had this for dinner last night. It was super quick and easy to put together. We had brussel sprouts instead of cauliflower and had tossed salad on the side. Everyone cleaned their plate. Even my 11 year old who can be my pickiest! Great and simple recipe!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Annette says
My not so fish loving family, including my hard to please 7 year old, all enjoyed this meal! Seconds were requested by both children. And I loved the simplicity of the recipe. Another win! Thank you!
Jessica Smith says
Hello Carolyn, I had frozen broccoli. Microwave these 5 minutes before putting them in the ove
Laura says
I’ve never been to this site before, but I know I will love it just because of the name. Thanks for the recipe. Gonna give it a go tonight. And I’ll definitely be back!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Laura!
Erica B says
Carolyn, your salmon looked so good this morning that I just had to make it for dinner. Made just a couple changes based on availability of ingredients, but followed the general recipe and method. It was simple, excellent, satisfying, and a great change of pace after so much Thanksgiving food. Zucchini was my accompanying vegetable in lieu of cauliflower, and I think it went splendidly. I’ll do salmon this way again, for sure. Thank you!
By the way, I love this line: “As long as you use plenty of oil or butter, the food will not stick to the pan and will brown nicely.” Don’t have to tell me twice! That’s my kind of recipe. ????
Carolyn says
Well, that line often scares away the low fat crowd… but we don’t need them anyway! 😉
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
I need to try this immediately, it looks so good!
Charity says
I love sheet pan dinners. Even better when they are good for you! Excited to try this!
Jamielyn says
This looks so easy and full of flavor! Yum!
Kathleen Labounty says
Hello and thank you for your lovely recipes! I roast frozen Sockeye Salmon all the time. If you thaw it and brush with any kind of liquid fat and season, bake at 425 and let rest for 10 min., you don’t get the white stuff (protein). I have used Cajun, Blackening, Italian, seasoning. Just depends what you’re serving it with. I have also used walnut oil, butter, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
Christy says
Would like to try this with chicken tenders.
Karen says
This will be in our dinner rotation – can already tell. Perfect for the cray weeknights.
Justine says
Thanks for the delicious recipes that you continue to share! I love that I don’t have to scrutinize your recipes to know that they will effortlessly fit into my way of life. I often share the recipes in my keto group and they are always well received ❤️
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Gerri says
Just made this exactly as directions read. so simple and so delicious!