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Honey Garlic Butter Salmon Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 149 reviews

This Honey Garlic Butter Salmon recipe is a deliciously rich and flavorful dish featuring tender salmon fillets cooked to medium rare, topped with a luscious garlic confit butter sauce enhanced with honey and lemon juice. The garlic confit adds a mellow, sweet garlic flavor, making this an elegant yet simple meal perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

Garlic Confit

  • 2 bulbs garlic
  • 2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Honey Garlic Butter Salmon

  • 1 lb (500g) skinless salmon
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 20 garlic confit cloves or 6 raw garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • Fine sea salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Garlic Confit: Preheat your oven to 120°C (250°F). Break the garlic bulbs into individual cloves and place them in a heatproof bowl. Submerge in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain. The garlic skins will loosen, making peeling easy. Peel the cloves completely.
  2. Cook the Garlic in Olive Oil: Place the peeled garlic cloves in an ovenproof dish and cover completely with the extra virgin olive oil. Ensuring the cloves are fully submerged prevents burning. Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours or until the cloves are browned and tender.
  3. Season the Salmon: Pat the skinless salmon fillets dry and season both sides generously with fine sea salt and black pepper.
  4. Cook the Salmon: Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon fillets into the pan and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until the bottom turns golden brown and the fish is medium rare. Flip and cook for an additional 1 minute on the other side. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside.
  5. Make the Honey Garlic Butter Sauce: In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and the garlic confit cloves (or finely sliced raw garlic). Stir with a wooden spoon to melt the butter and release the flavors, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, stirring continuously. Let the sauce cook for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
  6. Baste and Finish the Salmon: Lower the heat to low and return the salmon fillets to the pan. Tilt the pan and use a spoon to baste the salmon with the garlic butter sauce for about 1 1/2 minutes. This technique helps keep the fillets moist and flavorful. The internal temperature for medium rare salmon should be about 50°C (122°F).
  7. Garnish and Rest: Sprinkle the finely chopped parsley over the salmon and let it rest in the pan for 3 minutes before serving, allowing the flavors to meld and the salmon to finish resting.

Notes

  • If you prefer a fully cooked salmon, increase cooking time on the second side to 2-3 minutes.
  • Garlic confit can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Use skinless salmon for easier cooking and eating, but skin-on works if preferred; cook skin side down first.
  • Adjust honey quantity for more or less sweetness in the sauce depending on your preference.

Keywords: honey garlic butter salmon, garlic confit, pan-seared salmon, easy salmon recipe, healthy salmon dinner

Find it online: https://mjrecipe.com/honey-garlic-butter-salmon-recipe/