Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon with Zucchini Noodles Recipe
This Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon with Zucchini Noodles is a quick, flavorful, and healthy meal featuring perfectly seared salmon fillets cooked in a garlicky lemon butter sauce, served over crisp zucchini noodles. The dish combines fresh herbs, a hint of heat from chili flakes and hot sauce, and vibrant lemon juice to create a bright, satisfying dinner that is low-carb and packed with protein.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Carb, Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon
- 1 salmon fillet, cut into 3 or 4 chunks
- Salt and pepper, to season
Zucchini Noodles
- 4 zucchinis, spiralized
- Salt, for draining zucchini (optional)
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley, divided
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon red crushed chili pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (e.g., Sriracha)
Garnish
- Fresh chopped scallion
- Lemon slice
Instructions
- Season the Salmon: Thoroughly season the salmon fillet chunks on all sides with salt and pepper to enhance their natural flavor before cooking.
- Cook the Salmon: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon pieces skin side down and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until nicely seared and cooked through. Use a fish turner for best results when flipping. Remove salmon from skillet and set aside.
- Make the Butter Sauce: In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, half of the chopped parsley, hot sauce, and red chili flakes if using. Stir well to combine flavors.
- Cook the Zucchini Noodles: Add the spiralized zucchini to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly to coat the noodles evenly with the lemon garlic butter sauce. The zucchini noodles should be tender but still retain a slight crispness, and the sauce juices should reduce slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reheat and Assemble: Push the zucchini noodles to one side of the skillet, then add the cooked salmon chunks back to the pan. Reheat for a couple of minutes to warm through and combine flavors.
- Serve: Serve the lemon garlic butter salmon over the zucchini noodles, garnished with the remaining parsley, chopped scallion, and a lemon slice on the side. Enjoy immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Zucchini tends to release water when cooking; to prevent sogginess, sprinkle spiralized zucchini with salt and let it sit for a few minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse and thoroughly drain before cooking.
- Use a fish turner or spatula designed for fish to flip salmon gently and keep fillets intact.
- Adjust the heat level by adding more or less chili flakes and hot sauce according to your preference.
- To make this dish fully low-carb and gluten-free, ensure your hot sauce does not contain added sugars or gluten ingredients.
- Cook salmon skin side down first to achieve crispy skin and better flavor.
Keywords: salmon recipe, lemon garlic butter salmon, zucchini noodles, healthy dinner, low carb salmon, skillet salmon, quick dinner recipe, low carb noodles
