15-Minute Garlic Butter Salmon with Asparagus
A lightning-fast weeknight dinner — pan-seared salmon fillets in a golden garlic butter sauce with tender-crisp asparagus. Elegant enough for date night, easy enough for Tuesday.
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Pat salmon fillets dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- 3
Place salmon skin-side up and sear for 4 minutes without moving until a golden crust forms. Flip and cook 3 more minutes.
- 4
Move salmon to one side of the pan. Add asparagus to the other side and cook 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender-crisp.
- 5
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter and sliced garlic to the pan. Swirl until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant and barely golden, about 1 minute.
- 6
Squeeze lemon juice over everything and spoon the garlic butter over the salmon.
- 7
Plate salmon alongside asparagus. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh dill. Serve immediately.