Garlic Butter Salmon Asparagus (Printable)

Salmon fillets and asparagus roasted with a flavorful garlic butter sauce for a fresh, 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

→ 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

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - Place salmon fillets in the center of the baking sheet. Arrange trimmed asparagus around 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, until salmon flakes easily with a fork and asparagus is tender.
06 - Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The garlic butter does all the heavy lifting, so you get restaurant-level flavor with zero stress.
  • Everything cooks on one sheet, which means your cleanup is mercifully short and your weeknight suddenly feels manageable.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the salmon—the moment it flakes easily is when you pull it out, because it keeps cooking on the hot pan for those crucial seconds after you open the oven door.
  • If your asparagus looks too thin, it'll turn to mush; thicker spears can actually handle the full roasting time without falling apart.
03 -
  • Pat the salmon completely dry with paper towels before roasting—any moisture keeps it from developing that beautiful light crust and concentrates the garlic butter flavor instead of diluting it.
  • Make the garlic butter sauce while the oven preheats, so you're never standing around waiting and everything comes together in that satisfying cascade of simple steps.
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