You will love how simple and delicious this Baked Salmon Recipe is! The perfect weeknight dinner recipe, ready in 30 minutes or less, makes it ideal! A no-fuss, no-muss recipe, as the tin foil makes clean up super easy. Make this family-favourite recipe tonight for dinner!
If you’re looking for delicious side dishes to go with this baked salmon, try it with some green beans, broccoli, roasted asparagus and/or rice.

This recipe is delicious, tender, flaky, and full of flavor. It’s sure to be a hit with your family, just like it is with mine. I’ve been making this recipe for years now, and every time I make this baked salmon, my family always asks for more.
This easy baked salmon recipe is quick to make and a tasty dinner choice. When you use garlic butter and lemon to create the sauce, it gives this salmon even depth of flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- Salmon — You can use a long piece of salmon or small salmon filets.
- Lemon juice and garlic — Fresh lemon juice and minced garlic add a lot of flavor to this salmon recipe.
- Melted butter or melted ghee — Be sure to use unsalted butter.
- Seasoning (spices) — I used kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, crushed red pepper. But you can also use paprika, garlic powder, thyme, Italian seasoning and fresh herbs.
Which Type of Salmon Should You Choose? Farmed or Wild?
Farmed salmon is raised in controlled environments called fish farms or aquaculture. These salmon are fed a processed diet, and their living conditions are carefully managed. Because of their diet, farmed salmon often have a lighter, more uniform color compared to wild salmon.
Wild salmon comes from its natural habitat, such as rivers and oceans, where it feeds on organisms found in the wild. This natural diet gives wild salmon a more vibrant, intense color. Different varieties include coho, sockeye, pink, king, and chinook salmon.
If I had the choice, I’d go for wild-caught, but at the end of the day, I buy whatever is available at my local grocery store—both are delicious and work great in this recipe!

How To Make This Salmon Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a small bowl, add lemon juice, garlic, and melted butter and whisk until combined.

- Remove the salmon from the fridge and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place the salmon (skin side down) on a baking sheet and pour the butter mixture over it.

- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

- Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon to fully seal it.

- Place the sheet pan into the oven, and bake until cooked, about 12-16 minutes.
- Open the foil, and broil salmon for 2-3 minutes until the tops are golden. Be careful not to burn the fish by keeping a close eye on it.

- Remove the sheet pan from the oven. It’ll be done when salmon flakes easily with a fork.
Note: Do not use parchment paper if you will broil your salmon. Garnish with slices of lemon.
Ways to use leftover salmon
- Salmon tacos: shred the salmon up and serve it in a taco and salad.
- Salmon pasta: roughly chop up the leftover and add it to a pasta
- Salmon salad: break up the salmon with a fork and toss it in a leafy salad or greek salad.
- You can make salmon meal-prep for your lunch week since it stays go in the fridge for up 4 days.
- You can also make this quick and easy salmon patties.
How To Store Leftovers
To Store — Transfer leftover to an airtight glass container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or, portion it out into meal prep containers to have for lunches throughout the week.
To Freeze — I like to place it in an airtight freezer-friendly container or freezer bags. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To Reheat — Heat the leftover in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add some olive oil to a hot pan and add the salmon to it. Cook until heated through.
You can serve this Baked Salmon with:
- Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Rice – A light, flavorful side that pairs perfectly with salmon.
- Mushroom Cauliflower “Rice” – A hearty, low-carb option with rich, savory flavors.
- Roasted Vegetables – A simple and colorful side that complements the salmon beautifully.
- Roasted Green Beans – Crunchy, garlicky, and a great way to add greens to your plate.
- Parmesan Lemon Asparagus – Bright and zesty, this asparagus dish adds a fresh touch.

Is fresh salmon better than frozen to make this recipe?
You can make this recipe with either fresh or frozen salmon. I normally use fresh salmon because I find it easily at my local grocery store.
But if for you it’s more convenient to buy frozen salmon, please go for it. Seafood has a very fast freezing process. You have to remember to pull the frozen fillet from the freezer in the morning and put it into the fridge to thaw. It’ll be perfect to cook at dinnertime.
What is the best seasoning for salmon?
I use to say that salmon goes really well with almost any type of spice you would like to use.
But my favourite is always garlic or garlic powder, lemon juice or lemon zest, lots of melted butter/ghee or olive oil, salt and black pepper, Italian seasoning and last but not least fresh parsley or dill. Mm… The best! Simply delicious!
How long do you cook salmon in the oven at 400?
It will depend on the size and the thickness of your salmon filet. If your filet is very thick I would say about 15 minutes in the oven at 400ºF.
But it has a normal size I would say about 12-13 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Garlic Butter Baked Salmon Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds salmon fillet
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons melted butter or melted ghee
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish
- lemon slices to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet. The piece of foil should be large enough to fold over and seal the fish.
- In a small bowl, add lemon juice, garlic, and melted butter or melted ghee. Whisk everything together.
- Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet. Pour the butter mixture over the salmon.
- Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
- Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon. Make sure it is well sealed so that the sauce does not leak. Place the pan into the oven, and bake until cooked, about 12-16 minutes. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillet.*
- Open the foil, and broil the fish for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the fish!
- Remove from the oven. Using a spoon, pour some of the butter sauce left in the foil onto the salmon before serving. Then, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices.
Tips
- Cook the salmon until it reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF.
- Do not wrap the salmon too tightly as the tin foil can take off some of the salmon, making it less pretty when serving.
- And if you love salmon recipes, try these delicious salmon recipes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Kayla says
Hi! So salmon patties were on sale at the store, I had no clue what to do with them. Thankfully you had this amazing and delicious recipe. I added a couple actual small red peppers to it!! Oh my delicious!! Thank you!! My husband and I just love it!
Olivia says
That’s great!
Catherine Harris says
OMG 😲! This baked Salmon is so mouthwatering!I love to baked/grilled Salmon without the skin. I don’t like the slimmest of the skin. So I have them to remove it. I make foil packs using these seasoning, i first add salt,, lemon juice, lemon pepper, Cajun, sea food seasoning, butter, slice of lemon & some have Rosemary. That’s how I do mine and hubby grills them for 10-15 mins to make sure they are are all cooked. We like it cooked all da way. My hubby likes the Rosemary to his. I rather not have it. It changes the taste of my Salmon. I don’t like that especially when I love having my Cajun Salmon filets. They are pretty expensive so I buy them when publix is running their sale at $6.95 pld with a $1/coupon by being a publx shopper/member. So sign up to get a good deal.
Bobbi says
I have been making something very similar for many years and it’s a Spring Staple in our household- only I add a cruciferous roasting vegetable: asparagus, broccoli or Brussels all around the fish when baking. This gives me a 1 dish meal AND the veggies reeeeeally go well with the garlic/butter sauce!! I like to serve with rice or pasta- absorbing that wonderful sauce.
Olivia says
Thanks for sharing your twist on this recipe! Adding roasted asparagus, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts sounds like a fantastic idea for a one-dish meal, and I can imagine how well they complement the garlic/butter sauce. Serving it with rice or pasta to soak up that delicious sauce is a brilliant move. 😊🍽️