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Perfect Lemon Butter Salmon in the Instant Pot: Quick, Tender Fillets

Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon features a bright lemon, garlic, and butter sauce that complements the tender salmon. This easy Instant Pot recipe comes together quickly — about 30 minutes from start to finish — and yields moist, flavorful fish. Serve it over rice or alongside vegetables, which can be cooked at the same time using the pot-in-pot method.

Pressure Cooker Lemon Butter Salmon with vegetables on black plate next to fork

Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon

Living in the Pacific Northwest gives me easy access to fresh seafood, and salmon is a family favorite. Cooking salmon in the Instant Pot produces a texture similar to poaching but with more flavor thanks to the lemon butter sauce. It’s a quick, healthy dinner that’s simple enough for weeknights.

You can prepare this dish using the pot-in-pot (PIP) method: an oven-safe dish sits on a trivet above water in the Instant Pot, so the sauce stays concentrated and the salmon steams gently. This approach prevents the sauce from diluting and works well for delicate or saucy dishes.

Pressure Cooker Lemon Butter Salmon with vegetables on black plate with gold fork

Pot-in-Pot Cooking

With PIP, the water in the stainless liner creates the steam to bring the cooker up to pressure while the salmon cooks in a separate pan above. This keeps the sauce intact and prevents burning. The method is also ideal for thicker preparations or recipes where you want to avoid direct contact with the cooker’s bottom.

uncooked salmon in pot prepared and ready to cook
Layer the salmon fillets like this: season with salt, pepper, and garlic; sprinkle dill; add thin lemon slices; and finish with pats of butter on top. The lemon and butter melt into a flavorful sauce as the fish cooks.

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Two types of pans work well for PIP salmon: stackable stainless pans (useful for cooking salmon over vegetables) or a shallow square pan that fits comfortably inside your cooker. When using stackable pans you can place vegetables in the lower pan and the salmon on top to prepare a full meal at once.

Image showing Pot in pot method to put both salmon and veggies in pressure cooker at the same time

Stacking pans lets the sealed lower pan cook a bit more slowly, which helps ensure even, tender vegetables. Choose pan sizes that fit your Instant Pot and the amount you’re preparing.

two images showing how veggies go in a separate pan under the pan with the salmon
This photo shows vegetables in the lower, covered pan with the uncovered salmon pan stacked on top for simultaneous cooking.

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Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon and veggies on black plate as well as the title and Simply Happy Foodie.com logo

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Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon and Vegetables on black plate

Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon

Instant Pot Lemon Butter Salmon is a quick, healthy, and delicious meal that’s easy to make.
Prep: 12 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 17 mins
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • 6 qt or 8 qt electric pressure cooker
  • Stainless pan that fits in the pot
  • Trivet/rack with long handles

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Water (for the pressure cooker; use 2 cups for an 8 qt pot)
  • 2 (5–6 oz) Salmon fillets (with skin)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 pinch Pepper
  • 2 cloves Garlic (pressed or grated/minced)
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh chopped dill (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
  • 4–6 Fresh lemon slices (thinly sliced)
  • 2 Tbsp Butter (sliced into 4 pats)
  • 2 Tbsp Water (or white wine)
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 cup of water into the inner liner of the pressure cooker and set the trivet/rack inside.
  2. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, into the pan.
  3. Season the fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic.
  4. Top with dill, then lemon slices, and place pats of butter on each fillet.
  5. Add the 2 tablespoons of water (or white wine) and the lemon juice to the pan.
  6. Place the pan on the trivet inside the pressure cooker.
  7. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to Sealing.
  8. Select Pressure Cook/Manual on high pressure and set the time to 5 minutes.
  9. When the cook cycle finishes, immediately quick-release the pressure by turning the steam release knob to Venting.
  10. When the float valve drops, open the lid and carefully remove the pan.
  11. Serve immediately, spooning some of the lemon butter sauce over the fillets.

Notes

  • Larger or thicker fillets and frozen salmon will require additional cook time. Adjust accordingly and check for doneness.

Nutrition

Calories: 326 kcal (approximate)

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

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Resources to Make This Recipe

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.