Creamy Baked Salmon Lemon (Printable)

Salmon fillets baked in lemon butter with cream cheese and Parmesan for a creamy, tangy flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Salmon

01 - 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each), skin-on or skinless
02 - Salt to taste
03 - Black pepper to taste

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
08 - 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and black pepper. Arrange fillets in the prepared baking dish, skin side down if using skin-on.
03 - In a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, melt the butter. Add minced garlic and stir immediately to release aroma without browning.
04 - Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, softened cream cheese, and grated Parmesan until smooth and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Spoon the lemon butter sauce evenly over the top and sides of each salmon fillet.
06 - Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the sauce is bubbling and lightly golden at the edges.
07 - For a golden crust, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching carefully to avoid burning.
08 - Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving. Serve with extra lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese melts into a silky sauce without any heavy cream, so you get richness without the heaviness.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough that you'll make it on random Wednesdays when you want something special.
  • Lemon and Parmesan keep everything bright and tangy, not overdone or one-dimensional.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the salmon; I learned this the hard way when my first attempt turned into a sauce-sliding-off situation, and now I treat dry paper towels like an essential ingredient.
  • Softening the cream cheese for just 10 or 15 seconds in the microwave changes everything; cold cream cheese refuses to blend smoothly and leaves you whisking for minutes.
  • Watch that salmon like it's a soufflé because the line between perfectly moist and overcooked happens in about two minutes, and there's no fixing it after.
03 -
  • If your salmon is thicker than an inch, add a couple minutes to the baking time and test it in the thickest part; better to check early than discover it's underdone at the table.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes a genuine difference here—bottled lemon juice tastes like sadness by comparison, and since you're only using two tablespoons, it's worth squeezing real ones.
  • Make the sauce right in the baking dish if you're feeling efficient; melt the butter there, add your ingredients, whisk it smooth, then lay the salmon on top—one less bowl to wash.
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