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Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish

5 from 56 votes
cooked salmon with butter sauce on top and lemon slices
This garlic lemon butter sauce is creamy, rich, bursting with zesty flavor and is the best sauce for fish. Only four ingredients and just 10 minutes to make!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings:4 servings

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.
  • Stir in garlic for 1-2 minutes til fragrant.
  • Stir in lemon juice, broth, and heavy cream.
  • Bring sauce to a simmer. Cook 4-6 minutes til sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Serve sauce over your favorite seafood (or even chicken or pasta!). Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and cracked black pepper if desired.

Notes

  • Don't leave the sauce unattended. You need to make sure it's not cooking at too high a temperature or it'll brown. Every stove top varies so keep an eye on that sauce, stirring once in a while to keep it mixed together while it thickens. 
  • Use fresh lemons whenever possible. The fresh juice lends such a brightness and crispness to the sauce, I think if you try it once to compare you'll really be able to tell the difference! 
  • Add lemon juice a bit at a time. Start with the juice of half a lemon and add more to your tastes if you like. Remember you can always add more lemon in but it's impossible to take it back out if it's overly sour. 
  • If you do not have fresh or minced garlic, you can substitute a teaspoon of garlic powder instead. 
  • Reheating instructions: Take out only what you plan on using from the fridge. For best results, microwave about 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between intervals until the sauce is just heated back through. Or, reheat over medium-low on the stove. 

Nutrition

Calories: 73 kcal, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 24 mg, Sodium: 42 mg, Potassium: 64 mg, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 268 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 44 mg
Course: Sauce / Condiment
Cuisine: American
Author: Tiffany