Butter Roasted Salmon with Lemon and Capers

This one’s for the salmon lovers. I am not trying to exaggerate things here, but I think this is my favorite recipe of the year. As a (major) salmon lover myself, I’ve found that no matter how hard I try, I just don’t ever seem to get sick of the stuff. So, I won’t stop loading this site with ways to serve/fix/cook it and this Butter Roasted Salmon is just about the best of the bunch. You guys are to going to LOVE this one – trust me!

Read on for just a little bit more about this super easy salmon dish, or you can jump ahead to the main event. Whatever works! Just so long as you make it. It’s insanely good.

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A slight adaptation of an Alison Roman recipe from her book, Nothing Fancy, this really is just the simplest, most delicious way to cook salmon – and it’s essentially foolproof. Buttery, subtly citrusy, and lifted up by the fresh, herbal burst of dill – this salmon will make you feel like you’re dining out, right in the comfort of your own home. 

Salmon Cookery: Tips and Tricks

1. This recipe works with plain salmon filets, but between you and me – sometimes I will use the flavored/pre-seasoned salmon in my grocer’s seafood section and it’s always so killer. Bourbon salmon. Brown sugar maple salmon. It’s all good.
2. When I ask you to cook the salmon to medium rare, that means 110 to 125 degrees F. It will maintain a pinky orange hue in the middle, and will retain the very buttery texture that, I think, is utterly delicious. But I know people are particular about their fish doneness, so if you want to add a minute to the cook time, to get it a little more to your liking, no harm no foul.
3. If all you can find is a big, un-portioned piece of salmon, that’s fine too. You can cut it into portions yourself or ask the friendly folks at the seafood counter to portion it for you. They will also skin the fish for you, something that is really worth asking them to do, as I think that can be tricky.

What You’ll Need

This recipe appeals greatly to my minimalist’s heart, with only a handful of ingredients required and just a few dishes to wash. Can you see the bagel and lox inspiration with this one? Goodness this is delicious. I could truly eat this every day and (probably) never get sick of it. The butter and olive oil bath that gets poured down over the (already quite buttery) salmon just carries this one over the top.

Briny capers. The sharp, necessary punch of red onion. A gorgeous shower of fresh dill. All of these things play so well together. You can omit the sesame seeds if you like, but if you’ve got them, they add a little micro-crunch which is nice. You could also sub in black sesame seeds, if you’ve got those around.

INGREDIENTS

4 salmon filets (skinless)

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ small red onion, sliced

3 to 4 tablespoons capers (drained, just use as many as you like)

½ lemon, sliced

Lots of fresh dill, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

How to make this Butter Roasted Salmon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the salmon in a baking dish, and season with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it’s melted, add the olive oil, half of the sliced onion, and the capers. Simmer gently for a minute or two and pour over the salmon in the dish. Bake until the salmon is medium rare (how I like it), about 11 to 12 minutes. You can add a minute if you like your salmon closer to medium.

I like to plate the salmon and break it up a little bit, spooning some of the butter from the baking dish over top, along with some onions and capers. Serve with fresh dill and a shower of sesame seeds.

If you like the looks of this Alison Roman-inspired Salmon recipe, you might also enjoy:

Crispy Skin Salmon with Easy Pan Sauce

Pan Roasted Salmon with Gnocchi, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Fondue

Pan Roasted Green Curry Salmon

Chipotle Brown Sugar Salmon and Potatoes

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