Oven Baked Salmon In Foil is the easiest way to make tender, flavorful salmon every time. The foil packets lock in moisture and infuse the salmon with lemon and fresh dill. Baked over a bed of asparagus, it’s the perfect recipe for a quick and healthy weeknight meal!

Oh gosh, do you believe it is almost the middle of the year? I told my husband yesterday that it feels like this year has just been flying by. I guess every year we feel the same way, right?
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to eat fresh and healthy dishes as much as possible, and I’m proud to say I’m still sticking to it. This oven-baked salmon perfectly meets all my needs! Here are the reasons why:
- It is D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S and so easy to make for a weeknight dinner!
- This is one of our favorite salmon dinners because it’s fast, easy, and nutritionally
dense. I know you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do! - You probably have all the ingredients on hand.
- You won’t dirty a baking sheet thanks to the foil packets.
- You have a whole meal ready to go in under 30 minutes! You can prep it in as little as 10 minutes and the clean-up is even faster.
- Last, you don’t even need to make a side dish, because the asparagus is already your side dish! But you can also serve it with quinoa salad and rice.
I’ve made many versions of oven baked salmon in foil, like Spicy Salmon in Foil or Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil. No matter what, the salmon is always so tender and packed with flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Salmon fillets — I recommend wild-caught salmon over farmed salmon for the best
flavor. You can buy pre-cut fillets or one large fillet and cut it into smaller portions.
Olive oil — I use extra-virgin olive oil, but avocado oil or even melted butter will work.
Seasonings — I season the salmon with dried oregano and kosher salt and black pepper. You can add pesto, onion powder, lemon pepper, Italian seasonings, or chili flakes to your salmon for extra flavor.
Asparagus — Look for asparagus stalks that are similar in size, so they cook evenly. You can easily swap it for other veggies. Choose quick-cooking veggies like green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, or bell peppers to pair with salmon for a balanced meal. You can also bake some potatoes alongside the salmon while it’s baking.
Lemon — Fresh lemon slices add a nice brightness to the oven baked salmon. You can also squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon juice on top.
Fresh herbs — I love dill with salmon! Parsley or chives would taste great too.
Quick Note: Instead of oven baked salmon in foil, try making this recipe on the grill. It’s the perfect recipe for summer! Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the cooking time based on the heat of your grill.

How To Make Oven Baked Salmon In Foil
- First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Then, evenly season the salmon with oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Cut two pieces of foil large enough to fit the salmon and asparagus. Arrange the asparagus spears on the foil first, then the salmon fillets. Top each one with lemon slices and a sprig of fresh dill.
- Wrap the foil over the salmon and fold the top and bottom to close it. Seasoning the salmon and assembling the foil packets.

- Place the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Once they’re done, carefully unwrap the packets. Transfer the oven-baked salmon and asparagus to a plate and enjoy!
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
- Please be very careful when you open the foil packet, as the steam inside is very hot.
- You may find a bit of water in the packets. Just remove it with a spoon before serving.
- Be sure to trim the woody ends from the asparagus. You can either snap them off or line the stalks up and trim the ends with a knife.
- If you’d prefer not to use foil, parchment paper works just as well!
-

How do I know when the salmon is fully cooked?
The best method is to use a meat thermometer and check the salmon’s internal temperature. It’s done when the salmon reaches 145°F at its thickest part. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can also test it with a fork! Fully cooked salmon easily flakes apart when you press on it.
Is oven baked salmon in foil healthy?
Salmon is a fantastic source of lean protein and my favorite fish to cook with. Salmon is
packed with omega-3 fatty acids as well as essential vitamins and nutrients.
Do I leave the skin on or take it off?
I like to cook salmon with the skin on, but it’s totally up to you!
How to Store and Reheat
To Store: Transfer the leftovers to an airtight glass container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Place the fillets in a freezer-safe bag once they’ve reached room temperature. Then, you can freeze them for up to 4 months.
To Reheat: I love to use my air fryer to reheat oven baked salmon in foil. You can also pop it in the microwave or keep it cold and toss it in a salad.

More Baked Salmon Recipes to Try:
- Easy Cedar Plank Salmon: We rubbed it with Cajun seasoning and grilled it slowly over a soaked cedar plank to bring a delicious smokey flavor to your fish.
- Quick Easy Broiled Salmon: You only need four ingredients to make this tasty and heart-healthy meal for your busy weeknights.
- Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil: This dinner is super easy to make and ready in under 25 minutes. It tastes great with salads, Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries.
- Salmon Chopped Salad recipe: Quick salad to make when you have salmon leftovers. So good!
- Air Fryer Salmon: Ready in less than 20 minutes, this Air Fryer Salmon is moist, flaky, and tender.

Oven Baked Salmon in Foil Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 16 asparagus spears
- 4 slices of lemon
- 1 tsp fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a bowl, place the two pieces of salmon. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and dried oregano.
- Cut two sheets of foil. It has to be big enough to wrap the salmon and asparagus.
- First place asparagus (about 8 spears) on the sheet of foil. Layer fillets over asparagus. Then top each with about 2 lemon slices and 1 sprig dill.
- Wrap sides of foil inward over salmon then fold on top and bottom of foil to enclose.
- Place foil packets in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. The time will depend on the thickness of your salmon and the power of your oven.
- Unwrap and using a large spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates. Serve warm.
Tips
- This recipe was adapted from Cooking Classy.
- Do not wrap the salmon too tightly as the tin foil can take off some of the salmon, making it less pretty when serving.
- There’s no need to flip the foil packs in the oven.
- To store: Put leftover salmon into an airtight glass container and keep for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Rewarm leftovers in the microwave or air fryer.
- To freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag once the salmon fillets have reached room temperature. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Cindy says
Aluminium+acid( citric acid from lemon) = TOXIC
Kc says
Have you tried making tiny holes in your foil and placing a large baking sheet on the rack under this so the water doesn’t collect making it soggy. Salmon baking into “white” stuff is why I stopped baking salmon. Also 400 seems really high to me. Maybe 325-350? O
Teresa says
I randomly came across this recipe last night and fixed this for supper. Huny got some asparagus earlier in the day to go with a large piece of salmon I cut in half. I followed this recipe except I didn’t have any lemons so I used an orange. I used the foil but placed the packet into an iron skillet and covered that with foil. I did bake at 400 degrees but since the pieces of salmon were so large I cooked them an additional 20 minutes. Very good! I had some leftover mashed potatoes and served those as well. Fast, Easy and Good!
Olivia Ribas says
Hi, Teresa. I am so glad to hear that. I love this recipe too 😉
Melody says
If you want to eat something healthy, try to cook your salmon in parchment paper instead of foil, since it’s toxic with lemon !
Sandy says
Can you wrap it in parchment paper and then foil? I couldn’t think parchment alone would create a tight enough seal to keep steam in.
Olivia Ribas says
Yes, you can 😉
Gina says
Made this today, was so easy and so delicious! Thank you for recipe!
Olivia Ribas says
Great to hear that 😉
Gunnar Kr. says
One question to you Olivia
What do you serve with the Salmon?
Best regards
Gunnar Kr.
Olivia Ribas says
I love to serve with quinoa salad or black beans salad or rice.
Check these links below:
Quinoa Salads: https://www.primaverakitchen.com/9-healthy-fresh-quinoa-salads/
Black Beans Salad: https://www.primaverakitchen.com/black-bean-mango-salad/
Rice: https://www.primaverakitchen.com/how-to-make-fluffy-rice/
Pam says
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Looks delicious! I have one question though – the recipe says:
2 salmon fillets (It is about 4 once each)
I assume that should say 4 ounces each – to my way of thinking this recipe should feed 2 people – not 4.
A 4 ounce fillet should be a serving for 1 person. Is that correct?
Regards,
Pam R
Olivia Ribas says
You are totally correct. It feeds 2 people and not 4. Thanks a lot for your comment 😉
Kayla says
I tried this recipe tonight and it was great! I do not cook salmon very often. Are you supposed to leave the black scales on the bottom of the salmon? When I cooked it, some of the scales were cooked onto the asparagus. How would you prevent that?
Olivia Ribas says
Hi, Kayla
I always cook salmon with the black scales on the bottom of the salmon, but you can remove it before cooking if you desire 😉
Lesley says
I felt this was a little overcooked. I would cook the asparagus separately with some olive oil & parmesan cheese on the same baking sheet. I felt that the lemon did reduce the oily taste of the salmon. Make again, not sure
Anna says
Is the parsley just for look or is it supposed to go in the foil before baking?
Olivia Ribas says
It is supposed to go in the foil after baking!