Baked Salmon Garlic Dill (Print)

Tender salmon baked and topped with garlic butter and creamy dill sauce for a flavorful meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless salmon fillets, 6 oz each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garlic Butter

05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
06 - 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
08 - Zest of ½ lemon

→ Dill Sauce

09 - ½ cup sour cream
10 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry, place on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
03 - Combine melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest; spoon the mixture evenly over each salmon fillet.
04 - Bake the salmon for 14 to 18 minutes until cooked through and flaky, reaching an internal temperature of 145°F.
05 - While salmon bakes, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl; adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Serve the baked salmon hot with a generous topping of dill sauce.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but takes less time than deciding what to order for delivery.
  • The dill sauce is tangy enough to make you keep tasting it straight from the bowl.
  • You can prep everything while the oven preheats and still have time to set the table.
02 -
  • Salmon keeps cooking a little after it comes out of the oven, so pull it out when it's still slightly translucent in the very center—it'll finish cooking on the plate.
  • Don't skip patting the fillets dry; moisture is the enemy of anything you want to stay tender.
  • Make the dill sauce ahead of time if you want; it actually tastes better when the flavors have time to get to know each other.
03 -
  • If your salmon fillets are thicker than an inch, add a couple of minutes to the bake time and always check the thickest part for doneness.
  • Leftover dill sauce keeps in the fridge for three days and is extraordinary on roasted vegetables or dolloped onto grilled chicken.
  • The entire prep and cook process can be done while your guests have a drink; it's the kind of elegant meal that doesn't demand you disappear into the kitchen.

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