Garlic Butter Salmon Asparagus (Printable)

Salmon fillets and asparagus roasted together with a flavorful garlic butter sauce for an elegant meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on or skinless

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed
03 - 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
04 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnish

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

05 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
11 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - Position salmon fillets in the center of the baking sheet. Arrange trimmed asparagus around the salmon in a single layer. Tuck lemon slices between salmon and asparagus.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
04 - Drizzle the garlic butter sauce evenly over the salmon and asparagus.
05 - Roast in the oven for 15–18 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and the asparagus is just tender.
06 - Garnish with chopped parsley before serving. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in 35 minutes, which means you can actually enjoy your evening instead of being chained to the stove.
  • That garlic butter sauce is basically liquid gold—it clings to both the salmon and asparagus, making every bite taste like you know what you're doing.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and low-carb, so you can feel good about what you're eating without any of the guilt.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of trimming asparagus properly—woody ends will ruin the texture, and there's no amount of roasting that fixes that mistake once it's made.
  • Remove the salmon from the fridge about 10 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature and roasts evenly; cold fish from the fridge takes longer and often cooks unevenly.
  • That garlic can burn if your oven runs hot or if you're not careful, so if you notice it starting to brown at the edges, it's actually fine—just don't let it go darker than that.
03 -
  • Buy salmon from a fishmonger if you can; they'll tell you exactly how fresh it is and trim it properly, which changes everything about how it cooks.
  • Keep your butter at room temperature before melting so the garlic doesn't seize up and get grainy when you add the cold lemon juice.
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