Butter Basted Slow Roasted Salmon

Name: Butter Basted Slow Roasted Salmon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 Large Salmon Fillet or 4 Small Fillets; 6 tbsp. Butter; Sea Salt; 2 tbsp. Fresh Chives; 2 tbsp. Pomegranate Seeds; 1/4 cup Minced Fresh Parsley; 2 tbsp. Chopped Pistachios; 2 tbsp. Minced Shallots; Splash of Red Wine Vinegar; 1/4 cup Olive Oil; Salt and Pepper

Butter Basted Slow Roasted Salmon with chimichurri over it on parchment paper

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Make the perfect slow roasted filet of salmon recipe, basted in clarified butter, chives and salt at home in the oven or even on the grill with this guide!

I starting adding wild caught salmon to my diet back in 2017 (like this popular keto Tuscan salmon recipe) when I wanted to manage my PCOS by changing the way I ate. Salmon is a great source of healthy fats (Like omega-3 fatty acids) that are a great balance to include for any diet not just a keto diet.

While this recipe is inherently keto friendly, its a simple dinner you can easily keep in your back pocket for any night of the week. However, it also pulls double duty because you can easily serve this for a date night dinner or serve as a holiday main dish too.

Close up of the cooked butter basted slow roasted salmon filet

Below, I have answered some common questions in regards to preparing large salmon filets, reducing fishiness, and over tips and techniques for a fool proof cook. Grab the details in the post or scroll down to grab the full recipe now. Let’s dive in!

“School” Supplies:

9×13 inch Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
Small Pan
Large Spoon
Knife & Cutting Board

“Class” Notes:

Let’s break down ingredients, methods, and tips to cooking the best salmon filet at home.

Ingredients:

Full Side of Salmon: I used a whole salmon fillet for this recipe that I purchased at Whole Foods. This recipe will work with any type of salmon cut however, but cooking times can vary. No matter what cut you’re using, be sure to pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and remove any pin bones still present in the fish.

I prefer wild caught sockeye salmon personally. I find the smell and taste of the salmon is better overall, but it is definitely more expensive. Choose what works best for you.

Butter: To make butter basted salmon, you must use obviously use butter. Salmon is a lean fish and basting it in butter while slow roasting adds so much flavor and really tastes so “melt in your mouth” when it all comes together.

I prefer to melt the butter slowly over low heat in a pan, skim off the fats that separate at the top and set the clarified butter aside. If you don’t want to use butter, try olive oil or avocado oil as a substitution for a lower fat recipe.

Melted butter, clarified in a small blue ceramic pan.

Chives: I like the freshness, texture, slight bite that chives add to this recipe. Fresh chives work best, slice them small and set them aside along with the butter.

Sea Salt: A flaky sea salt is delicious on both the salmon skin and on the flesh side as well.

(Optional) Pomegranate Pistachio Chimichurri: I whipped up this flavorful combination because I had the ingredients on hand. I combine fresh herbs like parsley, pistachios, and the pomegranate seeds together to add a bright, fresh, pop to each bite of cooked salmon.

Pistachio and pomegranate chimichurri ingredients on a white plate.

Is salmon keto friendly?

Yes! Salmon is very keto friendly from the skin all the way to the meat, making this recipe nearly zero net carbs per serving. Salmon is rich it vitamins and healthy fats (the kind they may not fill you up as much).

The addition to butter in this recipe helps with flavor, tenderness, and to help fit the fat macros needed on a ketogenic diet as well, making it ideal for weight loss.

How do you reduce the fishy taste in salmon?

By cooking the fish low and slow, you can reduce the fishy taste that sometimes naturally occurs in salmon. Please note that while store bought fish in general may have a slight odor, anything that has a very strong smell that is also off-putting could actually mean it is spoiled.

However, if you are trying to reduce the natural fishy taste (especially if you want your kids to eat this), the tried and true method of cooking the fish on a lower temperature for longer, seems to do the trick.

Slow roasted salmon with butter, salt, and chives over it in a baking dish.

I slow roast at a temperature of 250 F. in the oven or even if you smoke the salmon on the grill. This could take 20 minutes for thin fillets to close to 45 minutes with thicker pieces. No matter how thick or thin the fish is, it comes out tender every time!

Here are a few additional tips for cooking and roasting your salmon:

Use a foil or parchment rimmed baking sheet for easy clean up.
Cook the salmon, skin side down but salt both the top and bottom of the fish for flavor
Enhance the flavor of the fish by placing lemon wedges, lemon juice, or lemon zest under the skin to help infuse if desired
Use a thermometer check the temperature of you salmon. The FDA recommends you could fish to 145 F.
If you have a thinner side to your whole salmon fillet, divide it into smaller pieces so you can remove the thinner ones first if needed to prevent it from drying out.

The cooked slow roasted salmon before the chimichurri was put over it.

How to make the pomegranate and pistachio herb mixture:

For this festive take on a classic chimichurri, I combined:

Fresh pomegranate seeds
Fresh Parsley, minced
Shallots, minced
Pistachios, chopped

Pistachio and pomegranate chimichurri in a white bowl.

Combine everything together in a bowl with olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar for acidity, and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can let it rest at room temperature while you roast the salmon.

You can serve the salmon covered in the chive, sea salt, and butter basted mixture as is but this adds a nice herb and citrus like pop to it. You can also try this roasted red pepper chimichurri recipe that’s greats on steak and seafood alike!