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If cooking salmon at home is something you avoid doing, then I am so excited for you to try this easy baked salmon in foil! It is so simple to prepare, has only a few ingredients, the fish is ultra-tender and the clean-up is so easy!

Easy baked salmon on a platter

This recipe for Easy Baked Salmon in Foil is sponsored by The Spice Hunter and includes tracking links. For more information about tracking links and how to opt out, please visit All About Do Not Track prior to clicking any external links found in this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.

overhead look at the packet of foil with salmon inside

If you have guests visiting this holiday season, and you want to prepare something impressive looking, but you don’t want to risk making something too complicated, this Easy Baked Salmon in Foil is the recipe you’ve been searching for!

a close up of portion of salmon being sliced off the filet

Why This Baked Salmon is So Easy

Tip of the Day: The key to baking salmon in the oven, is all about the foil packet! The reason the foil is so great is twofold (pun only slightly intended.)

  • First, it helps seal in the moisture as the salmon bakes so that it stays moist and tender.
  • Second, all you have to do is toss out the foil when you’re done. That’s it for clean-up! I’ll share below just how to make the foil packet and how long to bake the fish too!

Another reason this recipe is so easy is that I don’t even remove the skin from the salmon before baking it. So there is no extra step of removing the skin or slicing it into portions. I think serving a large piece for entertaining looks so festive.

 

How To Buy Salmon for Baked Salmon in Foil

I like to use my Seafood Watch App when I am buying salmon. It’s hard to keep track of which salmon is best for the environment, so having the app (which is constantly updated and will make recommendations for you in your specific buying area) is so useful.

For this recipe I call for 2 pounds of salmon with the skin. I always ask for “center cut” which means they will cut off the tail piece if it is attached. The tail is very thin, and will cook through more quickly, when you have a center cut portion, the fish will end up baking more evenly.

Because you’re essentially steaming the salmon in the foil packet, I found that fresh salmon is much better than previously frozen salmon. It has better texture and will not get as much (harmless but kind of ugly) white albumin proteins cooked on the outside of the fish.

If the salmon comes with the “pin bones” still in the filet, make sure you ask for them to be removed, or you can do yourself with needle nose pliers.

 

How to Season Baked Salmon in Foil

  • To season this recipe, I relied on only three essential ingredients: butter, garlic and The Spice Hunter Fish Seasoning and oh my does this combo adds so much to the salmon!
  • First combine melted unsalted butter and chopped fresh garlic in a little dish. I brush the garlic and butter combo over the top of the fish.
  • Then all that’s left to do is sprinkle on the Fish Seasoning and some salt and pepper. If you’re not familiar with The Spice Hunter Fish Seasoning, it is a savory herb and spice blend with lemon, onion and fennel. All of their jarred spices are Non-GMO Project Verified. If you would like to try it, you can get 15% off your order on Spicehunter.com (excludes branded merchandise) through 12/31/19 with code HOLIDAYSPICE19.

 

 


 

How To Make A Foil Packet To Bake Salmon

I like to start out with setting a sheet pan on the work surface. It is easier to move the packet around on the sheet pan. I start by laying two sheets of foil (about 20-inches long) side by side and overlapping about 1/3 of the width along the middle seam.

  • Next, I lightly coat the center section of the foil with cooking spray. I just approximate an area the size of the salmon and give it a quick spritz!
  • I lay the salmon, skin side down right on top of the cooking spray.
  • Once I have coated the salmon, as I described above with butter, garlic and Fish Seasoning, I can start folding up the foil.
  • First, I bring the two sides together, and crimp them down the length. I try not to seal it up too close to the salmon, so that it has a little room to steam up.
  • Then I roll up the top and bottom sides of the foil to make a long narrow packet.

 

Bake The Salmon in Foil Packet

Bake the foil packet on the sheet pan. If you have a thick piece of salmon, err on the longer end of the cooking range, but if it is a thinner piece (like sockeye salmon) you’ll want to check on it on the shorter end of the cooking range.

Easy Baked Salmon on a table with broccolini

How to Serve the Easy Baked Salmon in Foil

  • Because it is so pretty and festive to cook salmon this way, I like to serve the salmon right on the foil. Just open the packet up, sprinkle on some parsley and add some lemon wedges for garnish.
  • For a fancier presentation, you can also slide the fish filet off the foil onto a platter. It comes off easier than you think! You can slide the two pieces of foil apart under the salmon and let it come out the center! Just like the tablecloth trick! Then arrange lemon and parsley on top for garnish.
  • You can cut the salmon into pieces or it’s so tender you can use a fish spatula to break the salmon into portions. When you break it off, just leave the salmon skin behind.

a large piece of salmon cooked with seasonings on a white platter

What To Serve With Easy Baked Salmon in Foil

 

To learn more about The Spice Hunter and their extensive line of Organic spices, seasonings, extracts and more (They have more than 150 varieties and sizes!) visit them online or check them out on Instagram. Make sure to sign up for The Spice Hunter’s emails to receive coupons and recipe inspiration throughout the year.

Thanks so much for reading. If you make this recipe, please come back and let me know how you liked it by leaving a star rating and review! I appreciate it so much!

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Easy Baked Salmon in Foil

Easy Baked Salmon in Foil

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 18
  • Total Time: 35
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

★★★★★

5 from 15 reviews

Print Recipe

Description

If cooking salmon at home is something you avoid doing, then I am so excited for you to try this easy baked salmon in foil! It comes together with only a few ingredients and the clean up is so easy!

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

2 pounds salmon filet, pin bones removed, if necessary

1 ½ teaspoon The Spice Hunter Fish Seasoning Blend

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh chopped parsley, optional

1 lemon cut into wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Stir butter and garlic in a small dish.
  3. Cut two 20-inch long sheets of foil, and lay overlapping on a large baking sheet to create a rectangle of foil 20 inches long by 20-inches wide. Spray center area lightly with cooking spray.
  4. Pat salmon dry. Place the salmon on top of the foil skin side down. Brush the butter mixture over the salmon. Sprinkle with The Spice Hunter Fish Seasoning Blend, salt and pepper. Fold the foil over the salmon and seal up into a packet.
  5. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast until the salmon is just cooked through, 15 to 19 minutes. Carefully open packets. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut into portions and serve with lemon wedges

Notes

For best results when forming the foil packet bring the two sides together, and crimp them down the length. I try not to seal it up too close to the salmon, so that it has a little room to steam up. Then roll up the top and bottom sides of the foil to make a long narrow packet. They key is not to allow the steam to escape.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 1/2 ounces without skin
  • Calories: 209
  • Fat: 11 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 1 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 25 g
Easy Baked Salmon in Foil
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