Paleo Lemon Garlic Salmon

Total time25 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time15 min

4.9

(16)

Bright, citrusy, and deeply satisfying, this skillet salmon is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels far more impressive than the effort required. Four skin-on fillets get a hard sear in olive oil until the flesh turns golden and flakes at the slightest press — that crispy underside alone is worth making this recipe for. The real magic happens when minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, and a splash of low-sodium chicken broth hit the same hot pan, pulling up all those caramelized bits into a glossy, herb-forward sauce. Every ingredient here is clean and whole-food by nature, so there's no need to audit labels or swap anything out — it just works as written. The sauce gets spooned right back over the fillets for a final warm-through, which means every bite is coated in that tangy, garlicky goodness. Finished with a scatter of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon wedge, it's a complete, restaurant-quality plate that serves four without any fuss.

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

For the lemon garlic sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

For serving

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
4 lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

1
Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels, then season both sides evenly with the salt and pepper.
2
Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salmon fillets skin-side up and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes, until the flesh is opaque about halfway up the sides and the underside is deep golden and releases easily from the pan.

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