Keto Lemon Butter Salmon with Asparagus
Pan-seared salmon and asparagus with a lemon butter sauce — a 20-minute keto dinner with about 3 g net carbs and 33 g protein per serving.
Serves 2 · Prep 5 min · Cook 15 min
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (150 g each)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
- 2 tbsp butter (cooking fat)
- ½ tbsp olive oil (cooking fat)
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt, pepper, dill or parsley
Method
- Pat the salmon dry and season. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the salmon skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until crisp, turn and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.
- Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 4 minutes, turning, until bright green and just tender.
- Lower the heat, add butter and garlic; when the butter foams, add lemon juice and herbs.
- Spoon the lemon butter over the salmon and asparagus.
Tip. Farmed salmon is fattier than wild; the macros here use USDA values for Atlantic salmon.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 436 kcal |
| Fat | 31.2 g |
| Protein | 33.2 g |
| Total carbohydrate | 5.8 g |
| Fibre | 2.6 g |
| Net carbs | 3.3 g |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the weights listed; cooking fat counts 70% as eaten (our method). Seasonings are not counted. One serving is 16% of a 20 g net-carb day.
Fitting it to your macros
Need more protein? Increase the main protein ingredient by a third. Need more fat to stay full? Add butter, olive oil or avocado on the plate. The keto macro calculator gives your own daily targets, and Ketora can build a full week around recipes like this.
Frequently asked questions
How many net carbs are in lemon butter salmon with asparagus?
About 3.3 g net carbs per serving (5.8 g total carbohydrate minus 2.6 g fibre), calculated from USDA data for the exact ingredient weights in this recipe.
Can I make it ahead?
It is best fresh, but leftovers keep 2–3 days in the fridge.