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!

the salmon in foil packet with lemon on top

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Why We Love Baked Salmon in Foil

Here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we are all about helping busy families get dinner on the table fast. So if you are constantly short on time when it comes to dinnertime, then listen up! Our foil packet method for baked salmon is so simple and totally hands-off!

Recipe Highlights

This Baked Salmon in Foil is the perfect recipe for salmon lovers! Here are some of the reasons you’ll love it:

  • Salmon is a healthy and versatile protein that is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and protein!
  • Baking the salmon in foil helps seal in the moisture as the salmon bakes so that it stays moist and tender.
  • Clean up is easy. All you have to do is toss out the foil when you’re done.
  • Great for entertaining (simply use a larger piece of salmon and make a bigger foil packet!) It is so gorgeous and festive when presented with lemon slices!
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Ingredient Notes For This Recipe

ingredients with labels for this recipe

Salmon

I like to use my Seafood Watch App when I am buying salmon. It’s hard to keep track of which wether wild-caught or farm-raised 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. If possible, ask for a “center cut” which means they will cut off the tailpiece if it is attached. The tail is very thin and can 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. See more below in our FAQ section.

Prep Tips For The Salmon

  • 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.
  • Also make sure the scales are removed by running the back of your knife against the grain of the scales. Rinse them away and pat dry.
  • You can also remove the salmon skin if you prefer to do so ahead of cooking.

Seasoning For The Salmon

To season this recipe, I relied on only three essential ingredients: butter, garlic and Fish Seasoning Blend and oh my does this combo adds so much to the salmon!

Look for Fish seasoning in the spice blends in the spice section of large supermarkets and natural food stores. Avoid those with added salt.

How To Make Roasted Salmon in Foil

mixing butter and garlic, spraying the foil with cooking spray

Step 1: To start preheat your oven. Next you will want to blend the melted butter and the garlic together. This will act like your glue to adhere the seasoning to the fish.

Step 2: Lay a sheet pan on the work surface. Overlap two large pieces of foil over the sheet pan. (They should be about 20-inches long.) Lay them side by side and overlapping about 1/3 of the width along the middle seam. Coat the center of the foil with cooking spray.

coating the fish with butter and garlic then sprinkling with seasoning

Step 3a: Brush the garlic and butter combo over the top of the fish.

Step 3b: Then all that’s left to do is sprinkle on the Fish Seasoning and some salt and pepper.

wrap the foil into a packet

Step 4: 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.

the salmon on a platter
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Expert Tips and FAQ

Use this section to troubleshoot and see our tips for mastering this easy culinary technique of cooking salmon in foil!

Baking Tips For Perfect Foil-Baked Salmon

  • Bake the foil packet on the sheet pan.
  • Make sure to use a nice long sheet of foil to make your packet! You’ll want enough excess to pinch the packet closed to seal in the moisture to allow the salmon to steam.
  • 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.
  • Wild-caught salmon cooks more quickly because it is lower in fat. Farm-raised or aquaculture salmon is higher fat and will take a little longer to cook. The exception would be during the summer months when you can buy fresh King salmon which is very thick and fatty. It cooks much like common Atlantic salmon would.
  • Check the internal temperature of the roasted salmon with a digital thermometer. It should read around 130 degrees when it is done.

Serving and Presentation Tips For 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 or lemon slices 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.

What Goes With Baked Salmon?

Substitutions and Variations To Try

  • Instead of butter, use extra-virgin olive oil
  • Use fresh chopped herbs instead of the seafood spice blend. I like the classic French combination known as “Fines herbs” with seafood. Try tarragon, chives, parsley and chervil blended together. Start with 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs.
  • Layer sliced lemons on top of the salmon before wrapping it up. Or add a little lemon zest to the garlic butter mixture.
  • Cook it on the grill instead of the oven. Preheat it to medium-high (the temperature on the lid thermometer should be about 400 degrees. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes. Use your digital thermometer to check to see if its done. It should be about 130 degrees F in the center.

FAQs

What to do with leftover salmon?

We prefer leftover salmon used in salmon cakes or served cold crumbled over a green salad for a bit of protein.

How do I reheat baked salmon?

Place the leftover salmon in a small baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 17 to 20 minutes util hot. Use an instant-read thermometer to check. It should be about 125 degrees in the center. Timing will depend on the thickness of your salmon. You can also reheat in the microwave on 50% power in 40 second intervals. Do not overheat in the microwave because it will dry out the fish.

My cooked salmon has white stuff on the outside of it, is it overcooked?

Not necessarily. This salmon is essentially steaming in the packet, therefore the proteins (albumin) on the outside of the salmon will steam and denature as the salmon cooks through. This is normal!

How Can I Tell When it is Done?

You can either open the packet and test the fish with the tip of a knife. If it is still rosy pink and not opaque, then it is not cooked through. You can also temp it with an instant read thermometer. 125 degrees F is medium.

My salmon is cut into individual portions, will this still work?

Yes! Just set the salmon pieces side by side on the foil. They will cook slightly faster than a single piece of salmon, so make sure to check on it early.

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close-up of the salmon from the side

More Salmon Recipes

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Easy Baked Salmon in Foil

Easy Baked Salmon in Foil

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5 from 16 reviews

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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!

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

2 pounds salmon filet, pin bones removed, if necessary

1 1/2 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. Stir butter and garlic in a small dish.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 18
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

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

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