Is there a more perfect combination than lemon, butter, and salmon? We think not. It’s a trio that sings of elegance and simplicity, a culinary match made in heaven that feels both luxurious and incredibly comforting. Now, imagine pairing that glorious, flaky salmon, drenched in a zesty, garlicky butter sauce, with a generous helping of shatteringly crispy, golden-roasted potatoes. It’s the kind of meal that silences a dinner table, where the only sounds are appreciative murmurs and the clinking of cutlery.

What makes this dish truly special is its sheer convenience. Forget juggling multiple pots and pans; this entire masterpiece comes together on a single sheet pan. This means less time washing up and more time enjoying your spectacular creation. The potatoes get a head start, ensuring they achieve that perfect fluffy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture we all crave. Then, the salmon joins them for the final stretch, cooking to tender perfection while soaking up all those beautiful flavours.

This Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes recipe is for everyone. It’s for the busy parent needing a quick and healthy weeknight dinner the whole family will adore. It’s for the home cook looking to impress a special someone without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s for anyone who believes that delicious, wholesome food should be accessible, straightforward, and utterly satisfying. Let’s get cooking!

Recipe Overview

This sheet pan dinner is a celebration of classic, vibrant flavours. At its heart, it’s a simple dish that relies on the quality of its components: fresh salmon, earthy potatoes, sharp lemon, and rich butter. The flavour profile is bright and savoury, with the acidity of the lemon cutting through the richness of the butter and salmon, while fresh herbs add a final flourish of freshness. You can expect tender, moist salmon with a flavourful crust, alongside potatoes that are genuinely crispy and well-seasoned. It’s a restaurant-quality meal made effortlessly in your own kitchen.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes

• Incredible Flavour: The combination of zesty lemon, creamy butter, savoury garlic, and fresh herbs creates a sauce that perfectly complements the rich flavour of the salmon. Paired with the salty, crispy potatoes, every bite is a perfect balance of taste and texture.
• Quick & Easy: This is the ultimate one-pan wonder. The method is incredibly straightforward, and clean-up is an absolute breeze. It’s a complete meal on one sheet pan, making it ideal for busy weeknights when you want something special without the fuss.
• Versatile and Customisable: This recipe is a fantastic template. You can easily add other vegetables to the pan, like asparagus, broccoli, or courgettes. Swap the dill for rosemary or thyme, or add a pinch of chilli flakes for a little heat. It’s easy to make it your own.
• Perfect For Any Occasion: While simple enough for a Tuesday night, this dish is elegant enough for a dinner party or a romantic date night. It looks impressive on the plate and delivers on flavour every single time.
• A Crowd-Pleaser: It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love flaky salmon and crispy potatoes. This dish is naturally gluten-free and packed with healthy omega-3s, making it a wholesome choice that appeals to all ages.

Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 35 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simple, high-quality ingredients. We recommend using fresh, skin-on or skinless salmon fillets for the best flavour and texture. For the potatoes, a floury variety like Maris Piper or King Edward will give you the fluffiest interiors and crispiest exteriors.

• 4 salmon fillets (approx. 150g each)
• 750g Maris Piper or other floury potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) chunks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 60g unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 large lemon, half juiced and half thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• Optional: 200g asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed

Pro Tip: For guaranteed extra-crispy potatoes, you can parboil them in salted water for 7-8 minutes before roasting. Drain them well and let them steam-dry for a few minutes before tossing with oil. This roughs up the edges and creates an unbeatable crunch.

How to Make Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes

Our method is designed for perfect timing. We give the potatoes a crucial head start to get them well on their way to crispy perfection before adding the quick-cooking salmon. This ensures everything is cooked beautifully and ready at the same time.

1. Preheat and Prepare the Potatoes: First, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6). On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the potato chunks with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Spread them out into a single, even layer, making sure they aren’t crowded. This space is key for roasting, not steaming.
2. First Roast for the Potatoes: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes. We’re looking for them to start softening and developing golden, lightly browned edges.
3. Make the Lemon Butter Sauce: While the potatoes are having their first roast, prepare the star of the show. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, the juice of half a lemon, half of the chopped dill, and half of the chopped parsley.
4. Assemble the Sheet Pan: Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Push the partially cooked potatoes to one side of the pan. Pat your salmon fillets dry with a paper towel – this is an important step to help the sauce stick and to ensure the fish roasts nicely.
5. Add the Salmon and Sauce: Arrange the salmon fillets on the empty side of the baking sheet. If you’re using asparagus, add it to the pan now, tossing it lightly with the potatoes. Spoon the glorious lemon butter sauce evenly over each salmon fillet.
6. Final Seasoning and Garnish: Season the salmon fillets with a little more salt and pepper. Lay a couple of the thin lemon slices on top of each fillet. This not only looks beautiful but also infuses the fish with more citrus aroma as it cooks.
7. Roast Everything Together: Return the full sheet pan to the oven. Roast for another 12-15 minutes. The exact time will depend on the thickness of your salmon. The dish is ready when the potatoes are golden brown and wonderfully crispy, and the salmon is opaque and flakes easily when gently pressed with a fork. According to the Food Standards Agency, fish should be cooked until it’s steaming hot and cooked all the way through.
8. Rest and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle everything with the remaining fresh dill and parsley for a burst of fresh flavour. Serve your delicious Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes immediately, straight from the pan.

Expert Tips for Perfect Results

• Give Them Space: The golden rule for crispy roasted vegetables is to avoid overcrowding the pan. If your potatoes and salmon seem too snug, it’s far better to use two separate sheet pans. This allows hot air to circulate freely, ensuring everything roasts to crispy, golden perfection instead of steaming.
• Don’t Skip the Pat Dry: We mentioned it in the instructions, but it bears repeating! Patting the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel removes excess moisture from the surface. This is a crucial step for getting a lovely roasted texture and helps the butter sauce adhere properly.
• Make It Ahead: You can get a head start on this recipe to make your evening even easier. The potatoes can be chopped and stored in water in the fridge for up to 24 hours (just be sure to dry them thoroughly before roasting). The lemon butter sauce can also be mixed and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day.
• Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, we recommend using an oven or air fryer at 180°C for 5-10 minutes to help the potatoes crisp up again. Microwaving will work, but the potatoes will be soft.

Delicious Variations to Try

One of the best things about this recipe is how easily it can be adapted. Think of it as a delicious starting point for your own culinary creativity. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Add a Spicy Kick: For those who like a bit of heat, add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the lemon butter sauce. It adds a lovely warmth that contrasts beautifully with the zesty lemon.
• Change Up the Vegetables: This sheet pan meal is perfect for using up whatever vegetables you have on hand. Broccoli florets, trimmed green beans, or sliced bell peppers are all fantastic additions. Add them to the pan with the salmon. If you enjoy veggie-packed meals, our Chicken Breast And Green Beans recipe offers more inspiration.
• Experiment with Herbs: While dill and parsley are classic partners for salmon, don’t be afraid to experiment. Finely chopped rosemary or thyme would be wonderful with the potatoes, or a sprinkle of fresh oregano could add a lovely Mediterranean twist.

What to Serve With Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes

This is truly a complete meal in one, but if you’d like to add a little something extra to the table, here are a few simple suggestions that complement the main dish perfectly.

• A Simple Green Salad: A bowl of mixed greens, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes with a light lemon vinaigrette is the perfect fresh, crisp contrast to the rich salmon and potatoes.
• Steamed Greens: A side of steamed tenderstem broccoli or green beans, served with a squeeze of lemon juice, adds another layer of green goodness to your plate.

–A Glass of White Wine: To elevate the meal, pair it with a crisp, dry white wine. A Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or an unoaked Chardonnay would be an excellent choice to cut through the richness of the butter and complement the citrus notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes

A simple and delicious one-pan meal featuring tender salmon with a bright lemon butter sauce, roasted alongside perfectly crispy potatoes. An easy weeknight meal all cooked on one pan.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 salmon fillets approx. 150g each
• 750 g Maris Piper or other floury potatoes scrubbed and cut into 2.5cm (1-inch) chunks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 60 g unsalted butter melted
• 4 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 large lemon half juiced and half thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• Optional: 200g asparagus spears woody ends trimmed

Method

 

1. Preheat and Prepare the Potatoes: First, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6). On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the potato chunks with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Spread them out into a single, even layer, making sure they aren't crowded. This space is key for roasting, not steaming.
2. First Roast for the Potatoes: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes. We're looking for them to start softening and developing golden, lightly browned edges.
3. Make the Lemon Butter Sauce: While the potatoes are having their first roast, prepare the star of the show. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, the juice of half a lemon, half of the chopped dill, and half of the chopped parsley.
4. Assemble the Sheet Pan: Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Push the partially cooked potatoes to one side of the pan. Pat your salmon fillets dry with a paper towel – this is an important step to help the sauce stick and to ensure the fish roasts nicely.
5. Add the Salmon and Sauce: Arrange the salmon fillets on the empty side of the baking sheet. If you're using asparagus, add it to the pan now, tossing it lightly with the potatoes. Spoon the glorious lemon butter sauce evenly over each salmon fillet.
6. Final Seasoning and Garnish: Season the salmon fillets with a little more salt and pepper. Lay a couple of the thin lemon slices on top of each fillet. This not only looks beautiful but also infuses the fish with more citrus aroma as it cooks.
7. Roast Everything Together: Return the full sheet pan to the oven. Roast for another 12-15 minutes. The exact time will depend on the thickness of your salmon. The dish is ready when the potatoes are golden brown and wonderfully crispy, and the salmon is opaque and flakes easily when gently pressed with a fork. According to the Food Standards Agency, fish should be cooked until it's steaming hot and cooked all the way through.
8. Rest and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle everything with the remaining fresh dill and parsley for a burst of fresh flavour. Serve your delicious Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes immediately, straight from the pan.

Notes

For a complete one-pan meal, add the optional asparagus spears with the salmon. Best served immediately to enjoy the crispy texture of the potatoes.

And there you have it – a simple, elegant, and unbelievably delicious meal that’s destined to become a new favourite in your household. This Lemon Butter Salmon Crispy Potatoes recipe proves that you don’t need complicated techniques or a long list of ingredients to create something truly special. It’s a celebration of fresh flavours and smart cooking, all on one convenient sheet pan. We truly hope you love making and eating this dish as much as we do. Give it a try, and let us know how it turns out in the comments below!