Jump to Recipe Sauces Dressings Marinades

Sauce For Salmon [Video]

Name: Sauce for Salmon
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 1/2 - 3 cups light cream; 4 cloves (minced garlic); 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon lemon zest; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; salt and fresh ground pepper to taste; 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated )

By Catalina Castravet

Updated: Aug 5, 2021

Published: Feb 7, 2019

4.5 from 8 reviews

Recipes Sauces Dressings Marinades

Cook time: 5 minutes

Check out this delicious and creamy Sauce for Salmon that can be used in a variety of dishes. It is our favorite sauce to use when cooking poultry and fish, and especially salmon. Made with butter, lemon, light cream, garlic, and Parmesan cheese this one is guaranteed to win you over. Watch step by step recipe video below.

This dish is not only rich and creamy but is easily made and requires less than 15 minutes of your time. Once you give it a try, you will never cook your salmon with any other sauces. It can also be used to dip Shrimp Cakes, Crab Cakes, or even Mahi Mahi.

fresh salmon fillets with white sauce along with a lemon on the side

Creamy lemon garlic salmon sauce

This Homemade Sauce for salmon is one of the easiest and quickest recipes you can prepare. It is absolutely delicious and comes together fast and effortlessly. I love using it over pan seared salmon and Honey Garlic Salmon, but you can use it pretty much with any seafood dishes. It has just a few ingredients, but tastes absolutely rich, creamy, and delicious!

The flavors are out of this world, with butter, cream, fresh herbs, and garlic mix, you will smell the aromas filling your kitchen right away. When using it for cooking salmon, it truly boosts the flavors of the fish to a new level.

Also, we have added some lemon juice and zest to it, which adds a nice citrusy kick and a great overall balance. You can also use a bit of white wine if desired. It adds a nice boost of aromas to it.

All in all, this is our favorite sauce to use when cooking salmon recipes because it is buttery, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We have tried making this recipe in many variations over the years, and we have perfected it over and over again.

This homemade recipe is truly easy to follow and yields a delicious and hearty sauce that can be mixed in lots of other recipes. We actually love it so much that we use it as a dip once in a while. Give it a try, we are confident you will enjoy it just as much!

Ingredients needed:

Butter and light cream: this makes it creamy and adds a lot of flavor to this dish. I go with unsalted butter, this way I can control the saltiness. Also, you can use heavy cream if desired.
Flour: you can use regular all-purpose flour. This is used to thicken and make it more consistent.
Garlic: freshly minced garlic is just a must here! Feel free to use more or less based on your own preference.
Lemon juice and zest
Herbs: dried basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Parmesan cheese: it is important to use high quality and grated parmesan cheese here to ensure it properly melts and combines with the rest of the ingredients. The store-bought, pre-shredded cheese is just not the same as the grated one. It will make your sauce gritty.
White wine and olive oil: both of these ingredients are optional, but can be easily added if desired.

How to make homemade Sauce for Salmon?

This is one of the easiest dishes you can make at home. Follow the simple steps below:

Place a large skillet over medium heat, add butter, and melt.
Once butter is melted and sizzling, add flour, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute.
While stirring continuously, add the cream little by little.
Next, add garlic, lemon juice lemon zest, dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring the sauce to a light simmer and reduce heat to low.
Lastly, stir in parmesan cheese until fully melted.

Creamy lemon and garlic sauce for salmon on a silver spoon

Can you substitute Parmesan Cheese?

Sure, can! We love using grated Parmesan cheese in this recipe since it gives it a nice and rich aroma. However, you can use any of your favorite cheeses. They will work just fine. Some of our other favorites are:

Romano cheese
Gruyere cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Asiago
Grana Padano

How to make Dill Sauce for Salmon?

Dill version of it is also delicious and super fast to prepare. You can use it mainly over any fish, especially if it’s grilled.

You will need:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise (optional) or whole Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste

Then, simply whisk together all the ingredients above until well blended. Chill for few hours before serving. Once used, make sure to refrigerate it since it contains dairy, you want to make sure it does not go bad.

Also, you can make this recipe dairy-free. It is also great for those who are lactose intolerant or people who wish to serve this fish entree alongside a kosher meat meal. Just replace the sour cream with dairy-free vegan sour cream and vegan yogurt.

homemade creamy sauce for salmon over pan seared salmon fillets in a skillet

Ways to use garlic lemon salmon sauce?

This dish can be used pretty much on all fish and meat types. Try it on:

How to store leftover?

If you have any leftover, it is best to store in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. If stored for over a few days, it is best to shake it well before consuming it.

Can you Freeze it?

Absolutely! Use a sealable plastic container and freeze it up for up to 3 months. When ready to use, just thaw overnight in the fridge. Also, do not forget to whisk it before serving.

More salmon dishes to try:

Recipe Tips:

For an even richer and creamier sauce, add one extra tablespoon of butter.
You can also substitute regular butter, with vegan, or dairy-free butter.
Also, adjust the garlic per your own preference.
In addition, if you want a stronger lemon-flavored dish, then simply add the wedges into the pan when the sauce is bubbling.
Dried herbs can be substituted with fresh herbs. Such as fresh dill, basil, parsley, chives, etc.