Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter

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Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter makes for a simple family meal! Salmon cooked just right and finished with rich lemon caper butter.
This dish is not only popular with readers but is also a favorite in my household. I have always loved the combination of salmon and capers.
Thus, it was a natural choice to prepare this Oven-Baked Salmon topped with a quick and easy caper butter. The caper butter is incredible. It’s rich, tangy, and balances perfectly with the salty flavor from the capers. You’ll likely want to add it to everything.
Now, let’s look at what you’ll need to create this dish.

Oven-Baked Salmon with Caper Butter Ingredients:

One of the most appealing aspects of this recipe, besides its simplicity, is that it requires only a handful of ingredients.

SALMON:

In the Pacific Northwest, salmon is abundant, and fresh wild salmon can frequently be found at my local grocery store. I suggest using fresh salmon when possible; if you must use frozen, ensure it is fully thawed and patted dry before cooking.

SALT/PEPPER:

These are used to season the salmon.

LEMON:

Utilize lemon juice for the caper butter, and add lemon slices on the salmon before baking for a mild lemon flavor.

CAPERS:

Capers are salty flower buds commonly found preserved in brine. You’ll likely encounter two types: capote and non-pareil. For this dish, opt for the smaller non-pareil capers.

BUTTER:

I advise using unsalted butter here, as the capers are quite salty. You can always adjust the salt level later if needed.

Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions:

• Cooking salmon is quite simple! My preferred method is to bake it at a high temperature (450 degrees F) for a brief period and then cover it loosely with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Covering the salmon after baking allows it to continue cooking without becoming dry. This technique helps achieve the ideal doneness for your salmon.

1. Remove any pin bones.
2. Season with salt and pepper, and lay 1 to 2 lemon slices on top.
3. Cover lightly with foil for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the lemon caper butter.

STEP 1:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. If you wish, remove any pin bones from the salmon. If it’s not already cut into fillets, make 5-ounce fillets.

STEP 2:

Arrange the salmon fillets on the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add the lemon slices on top.

STEP 3:

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then remove it and cover loosely with aluminum foil for another 10 minutes.

STEP 4:

While the salmon is baking, prepare the caper butter.

STEP 5:

Drizzle the caper butter over the salmon fillets and dish up.

Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter

Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter makes for a simple family meal! Salmon cooked just right and finished with rich lemon caper butter. 4. 9 from 39 votes

• Preparation Time 10 minutes
• Cooking Time 25 minutes
• Total Duration 35 minutes
• Course Main Courses
• Cuisine American
• Servings Four Servings
• Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients:

• ▢1 1/2 pounds salmon, divided into four 5-ounce pieces
• ▢kosher salt and black pepper
• ▢8 slices of lemon
• ▢non-stick cooking spray
• Lemon Caper Butter
• ▢6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• ▢4 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• ▢1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ▢2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. ▢ Set the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
2. ▢ Prepare a baking tray with aluminum foil and apply a layer of non-stick spray. If preferred, take out the pinbones from the salmon. If not already done, cut the salmon into 5-ounce portions.
3. ▢ Arrange the salmon pieces on the lined baking tray. Add kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper on top. Place two lemon slices on each piece of salmon. Bake for 10 minutes. Afterward, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for another 10 minutes. The fish will keep cooking during this period and will easily flake when it’s done.
4. ▢ While the salmon bakes, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, mix in the garlic, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Allow it to cook for 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
5. ▢ Remove the lemon slices and throw them away. Use a turner or serving spatula to carefully separate the skin from the salmon fillet, which should come off easily. Move the fillet to a serving plate and drizzle the lemon caper butter over it. Ready to serve.

Notes

This dish has been adjusted from the earlier version to cater to four servings instead of two. The previous recipe quantities were as follows (instructions remain unchanged):

• 2 (5-ounce) salmon fillets
• salt and pepper
• 4 slices of lemon
• non-stick cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Calories: 400 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 2 g
• Protein: 34 g
• Fat: 28 g
• Saturated Fat: 12 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 139 mg
• Sodium: 881 mg
• Potassium: 862 mg
• Fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 1 g
• Vitamin A: 605 IU
• Vitamin C: 5 mg
• Calcium: 36 mg
• Iron: 2 mg.