Baked Salmon in Foil
This Baked Salmon in Foil is seasoned with lemon, garlic and butter and bakes up perfectly moist and flaky. This baked salmon recipe is easy, healthy and delicious!
Salmon is one of our go-to meals for an easy dinner. My family loves Baked Salmon and today I have a brand new baked salmon recipe that’s both easy to make and impressive in presentation: Baked Salmon in Foil.
This is a delicious salmon recipe that you can have on your table in just 30 minutes. Before baking, the salmon is brushed with a flavorful lemon garlic butter sauce. The butter adds richness and moisture, garlic brings its punchy flavor, and fresh lemon juice brightens up the dish. Baking salmon wrapped in foil keeps it exceptionally moist and succulent. This simple, healthy meal is sure to satisfy!
Easy Baked Salmon Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You’ll only need 4 ingredients plus salt and pepper for this mouthwatering salmon recipe.
- Easy Salmon Recipe: The salmon takes less that 10 minutes to prep for the oven. It bakes quickly, making this meal perfect for a weeknight.
- Healthy Dinner: Salmon is high in protein and good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids.
Baked Salmon in Foil Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this recipe:
- Salmon: To serve 4 people, you’ll want to but a salmon fillet that weighs about 1.5 pounds. Keep the fillet whole and keep the skin on. The fish will easily slide off of the skin after baking.
- Salt and Pepper: To season the salmon.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and makes the salmon especially moist and flavorful. You can substitute olive oil if you prefer.
- Lemon: Lemon brings bright, fresh flavor to this salmon recipe. Use fresh lemon juice in the garlic butter sauce if possible. The flavor of fresh squeezed juice is much better than bottled lemon juice. You’ll also slice up a whole lemon and lay the slices on top of the salmon as it bakes. This adds additional citrus flavor and makes for a beautiful dish.
- Garlic: Minced garlic brings delicious flavor to baked salmon.
You may also wish to sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes on the salmon right before serving.
How to Bake Salmon in Foil
Here’s a look at the steps of this baked salmon recipe. It really couldn’t be any easier!
First, preheat your oven and prep a baking sheet. With a rack in the upper third of the oven, heat the oven to 400° F. Lay a piece of aluminum foil that’s big enough to wrap up your salmon fillet over a rimmed baking sheet. The baking sheet will help to protect your oven from any drips and also makes it much easier to move the salmon into and out of the oven.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Place it on the foil, skin side down. Then, season the fish with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
To make the lemon garlic butter, whisk together the melted butter, lemon juice and minced garlic in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the salmon. Cut the whole lemon into slices and lay the slices on top of the salmon.
Wrap it up and bake! Wrap the foil up and around the salmon to make a sealed packet. Then bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the salmon is not quite cooked through (it should be about 115° F in the center at this point).
Finish cooking the salmon under the broiler to brown the edges of the fish: Turn on your oven’s broiler and set it to 450° F. Open up the foil so that the salmon is exposed, folding the foil down so that it won’t touch the broiler. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through. It’s done when the salmon temperature registers 145° F on an instant read thermometer.
What to Serve with Salmon
- Vegetables: Green Beans, Glazed Carrots and Roasted Broccoli all go well with salmon.
- Potatoes: Try Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Potatoes or a Baked Sweet Potato.
- Rice: See these How to Cook Rice, Instant Pot Brown Rice and Instant Pot Rice recipes.
- Salad: Try one of these 45 Salad Recipes!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Salmon is best served right after cooking it, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a 375° F oven until hot.
More Easy Salmon Recipes
If you love salmon as much as we do, try one of these salmon recipes next:
Baked Salmon in Foil
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound salmon fillet, skin on
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 whole lemon
- chopped fresh parsley, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F with an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap up the salmon.
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and place it in the center of the foil, skin side down. Sprinkle on salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, lemon juice and minced garlic.
- Brush the lemon garlic butter over the salmon. Cut the whole lemon into slices and lay the lemon slices over the top of the fish.
- Wrap the foil up and around the salmon to make a sealed packet.
- Bake salmon in foil for 13-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is about 115° F. Then turn on the broiler and set it to 450° F. Open up the foil so that the salmon is exposed and place it under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until it cooks through to 145° F. (Make sure that the foil is not touching the broiler.)
- Let salmon rest for 3 minutes, them sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Delicious! As I did not have parsley, I used fresh dill which I used plentiful and stuck between the salmon and the lemon. Winner!
If you don’t want to broil at the end what is the total bake cooking time ?
It is going to depend on the thickness of your piece of salmon, but it will probably be about 20 minutes.
Thanks for the tip about broiling at the end! I’ve always struggled with undercooked salmon on the top – this solves that issue without drying out the fish by baking it too long. Delish!
Is there any other techniques other than baking in foil you would recommend? We try to stay away from cooking with aluminum foil.
Hi Allie,
You can use my Baked Salmon Recipe as a guide for an alternate cooking method, without foil.