Garlic Caper Baked Salmon Recipe

This baked salmon recipe with capers and garlic is absolutely delicious. The tender, flaky salmon is gently cooked in butter with garlic, lemon, and capers, resulting in one of the best dishes we’ve made recently.

We have been making a variation of this salmon recipe for a long time. The method comes from my Mom, and I may be biased, but her method for cooking salmon is unbeatable. She bakes her salmon gently, covered at a low temperature with a little liquid in the pan to keep it from drying out.

In this caper butter version, we use melted butter as the baking liquid and enhance the flavor with capers, fresh lemon, and garlic. Trust me, it’s amazing, or just read through the reviews, everyone loves this recipe!

Key Ingredients

• Salmon: Any salmon fillet works for this recipe, but varieties with a higher fat content like sockeye, king, and coho are especially moist and soft when baked.
• Butter: The base of our lemon caper sauce. It adds richness and flavor to the dish.
• Garlic: A tablespoon of minced garlic is used to make the butter sauce.
• Capers: The classic combination of salmon and capers adds a delicious briny flavor.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon brightens up the dish and adds a citrusy note.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Baked Salmon with Capers

Tip 1: Use an oven-safe skillet. Use one pan for this dish to simplify cleanup. A large, oven-safe skillet works best.

Melt butter with garlic and capers in the skillet, then add seasoned salmon fillets. When the butter is bubbling and smells like garlic butter, remove from heat.

Tip 2: Cover the pan. Spoon butter over the fillets and cover the skillet with foil or parchment paper to create a steamy environment and prevent the salmon from drying out.

Tip 3: Check for doneness. The salmon is ready when it flakes easily and is slightly pink in the middle.

After baking, squeeze lemon juice over the salmon and spoon the garlic butter from the pan back over the fillets before serving. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This salmon pairs well with side dishes like mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, saffron rice, homemade grits, or creamy polenta. For a vegetable side, consider sautéed green beans, roasted green beans, bok choy, cabbage, other veggies, or garlic roasted asparagus.

For a special meal, serve this delicious salmon over risotto for a truly memorable dining experience.