Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce

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This oven baked salmon is drizzled generously in a simple and delicious lemon cream sauce (classically known as lemon beurre blanc). The sauce will become your secret weapon for seafood recipes. It’s great with salmon, scallops, crab cakes and all kinds of fish. It is easy to make and brings so much amazing flavor.

We enjoyed salmon with lemon beurre blanc at our favorite fancy restaurant while celebrating the sale of our house. I knew at first bite that I had to recreate the recipe. For the $25.00 menu price of 1 serving, I could buy a whole salmon filet and feed the entire family!

Traditional beurre blanc recipes can be finicky if they aren’t done right but we found that using heavy cream makes it much more forgiving. It keeps the sauce from separating and allows for gentle reheating if you have leftovers.

As with any cream or butter based sauce, we recommend reheating over low heat, stirring frequently, just until hot and ready.

Notes: 2 lb of salmon serves 4 to 6 and 3 lb of salmon serves 6 to 8, depending on how you portion.

For Oven Roasted Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce:

2 to 3 lb salmon fillet
salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil for drizzling salmon
1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, to garnish

Ingredients for Sauce (Lemon Beurre Blanc)

1 small onion or 2 medium shallots, super finely diced (about 1/4 cup diced)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 medium or 1 large lemons)
1/4 cup dry white wine (such as chardonnay or pino grigio)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces

How to Make Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce:

1. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Arrange salmon skin-side-down, season with salt and pepper and drizzle the tops with oil. Bake uncovered at 425 for 10-15 min (depending on thickness of salmon) or until salmon is cooked through. My thick wild caught salmon took about 14 minutes. 

2. In a small sauce pan, combine 1/4 cup finely diced onion, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup wine and simmer over medium heat until reduced to a thick mixture (7-8 min).

3. Whisk in 1/2 cup cream and as soon as it comes to a simmer, reduce to low heat and slowly whisk in the 8 Tbsp butter, one tablespoon at a time (whisking constantly). Add 1/4 tsp salt or to taste and remove from heat. Cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to serve.

Plate salmon and drizzle generously with the lemon sauce, garnish with freshly chopped parsley then serve your hungry dinner guests 🙂

This oven baked salmon pairs really well with fluffy white rice and asparagus. Now that’s one classy dinner!

Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce

4.85 from 76 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

This oven baked salmon is drizzled generously in a simple and delicious lemon cream sauce (classically known as lemon beurre blanc).

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 14 minutes mins

Total Time: 24 minutes mins

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 to 6 slices

For Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce:

• 2 to 3 lb salmon fillet
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil for drizzling salmon
• 1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, to garnish

For the Lemon Cream Sauce:

• 1 small onion or 2 medium shallots, super finely diced (about 1/4 cup diced)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 2 medium or 1 large lemons
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay or pino grigio
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup 8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces

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Instructions

• Line baking sheet with foil or parchment. Arrange salmon skin-side-down, season with salt and pepper and drizzle the tops with oil. Bake uncovered at 425 for 10-15 min (depending on thickness of salmon) or until salmon is cooked through. My thick wild caught salmon took 14 min.
• In a small sauce pan, combine 1/4 cup finely diced onion, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup wine and simmer over medium heat until reduced to a thick mixture (7-8 min).
• Whisk in 1/2 cup cream and as soon as it comes to a simmer, reduce to low heat and slowly whisk in the 8 Tbsp butter, one tablespoon at a time (whisking constantly). Add 1/4 tsp salt or to taste and remove from heat. Cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Plate salmon and drizzle generously with the lemon sauce, garnish with freshly chopped parsley then serve.

Notes

We recommend reheating over low heat, stirring frequently, just until hot and ready.
A 2 lb salmon serves 4 to 6 and a 3 lb salmon serves 6 to 8

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: salmon with lemon cream sauce

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Do you have a go-to recipe for dinner guests? Let me know in a comment below!