Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil Recipe

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This Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil is the best salmon recipe to make for busy weeknights. The sauce is absolutely delicious. It’s made with melted butter, minced garlic, herbs, and lemon slices. I’m sure that you’ll love this baked salmon in foil with this amazing butter sauce.

This salmon recipe is also a great dinner option if you need to make something very quick because it’s baked in less than 30 minutes. On top of that, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry to make this baked salmon in foil recipe.

The longest thing you need to do is to melt the butter, mince the garlic, and squeeze the lemon juice. Then, whisk everything together, and pour the butter sauce over the salmon.

Season it with salt, black pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Then, fold the sides of the foil over the salmon and bake it (don’t forget to preheat the oven!) for about 20 minutes or so. Done! In a few minutes, you have this delicious baked salmon in foil recipe to serve for dinner.

This recipe was first published in March 2017. I updated this post in June 2018 with new pictures and content.

Best Salmon Recipe

Which type of salmon is best for you?

People always discuss this topic because of the wild salmon fillets from Alaska and the farmed Atlantic salmon fillet.

Farmed salmon is raised in fish farms, also known as aquacultures. On the other hand, wild salmon is raised in its natural habitat, such as rivers and oceans. Also, the diets are different: wild salmon eats organisms found in its natural environment and farmed salmon eats processed feed.

The wild salmon color will be more intense and vibrant than farmed salmon, too.

But it is important to keep in mind that farmed salmon is still very healthy. It’s also a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D. However, wild salmon packs more nutritional benefit per ounce.

baked salmon in foil

Is fresh salmon better than frozen in this recipe?

You can make this salmon recipe with either fresh or frozen salmon. I normally use a fresh salmon fillet because I find it easily at my local grocery store.

Seafood has a very fast freezing process. You can cook frozen salmon in a pan, in the oven, and on the grill. Remember to pull the frozen fillet from the freezer in the morning and put it in the fridge to thaw. It’ll be perfect to make this salmon recipe at dinnertime.

Can I use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil to make this salmon recipe?

Yes and no. Let me explain. For this salmon recipe, we’ll steam the salmon fillet, and then we’re going to broil it.

If you want to skip the broiler step, you can use parchment paper. Just remove the salmon from the oven and make sure it reaches the internal temperature of 145ºF. Please, remember to always insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the salmon.

If you prefer to bake and broil the salmon, you need to use aluminum foil. Foil is more resistant to high temperatures.

The steaming step is great to keep the salmon moist and flavourful. That’s why this is the most important step. And, the broiling step gives this salmon recipe a crisp and caramelized crust. Yum!

Easy Salmon Recipe

Can I use clarified butter (ghee) to make this baked salmon in foil?

Before answering this question, let me explain what ghee is. It’s a kind of clarified butter that is made by melting regular butter over a medium-high temperature.

The butter separates into liquid fats and milk solids. When the milk solids are removed, you have your clarified butter. Because the milk solids are removed, ghee contains less lactose than regular butter. Besides that, ghee has a high smoke point, which is great for cooking. It’s also great for whole30 and paleo.

It’s easy to make homemade ghee (watch this great tutorial on how to make it). But I normally buy ghee online at Amazon since it’s more convenient.

See this list of ghees to buy. And yes, you totally can use ghee to make this recipe, although regular butter is also delicious in this recipe. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.

What is the best seasoning for salmon?

I used to say that salmon goes really well with almost any spice you would like to use.

My favourite seasonings to make this salmon recipe are: garlic, salt and black pepper, Italian seasoning, fresh parsley, oregano, or dill. Mm… The best! Simply delicious!

How long do you cook salmon in the oven at 375ºF?

It depends on the size and thickness of your salmon fillet. If your fillet is very thick, I would say about 15 minutes in the oven at 375ºF. But if it is a normal size, I would say about 12-13 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

You can serve this Easy Salmon Recipe with:

Want other Salmon Recipes? Try these favourites:

Try these Salmon Recipes below are also delicious:

See below for how to make Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil:

Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil

Yield: 4 people
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
18 mins
Total Time:
23 mins
This Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil is an ultra-easy and flavourful dinner to make during your busy weeknights. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and is delicious with salads and roasted veggies.
Print Recipe
4.1 from 184 votes

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 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 — for garnishing
  • lemon slices — for garnishing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil. The piece of foil should be large enough to fold over and seal the fish.
  2. In a small bowl, add lemon juice, garlic, and melted butter or melted ghee. Whisk everything together.

  3. Place the salmon on the prepared baking sheet.

  4. Pour the butter mixture over the salmon.
  5. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

  6. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon. Make sure it is well sealed so that the sauce does not leak.

  7. Place the pan into the oven, and bake until cooked, about 12-16 minutes. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillet.*

  8. Open the foil, and broil the fish for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the fish!

  9. 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 parsley.

Recipe Notes

*Cook the salmon until it reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF.
Suggested sides: Easy Mediterranean Salad, Mashed Cauliflower recipe, Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Green Beans with Tahini Sauce, Cauliflower "Potato" Salad, and this Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower.
If you have salmon leftovers, make this Salmon Chopped Salad recipe. So good!!
And if you love salmon recipes, I have a  list of other delicious salmon recipes for you to try.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked Salmon recipe, Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil, gluten-free, low-carb, Salmon recipe
All text and images © Olivia / Primavera Kitchen.

Nutrition Information

Amount per serving (1/4) — Calories: 250, Fat: 18.1g, Saturated Fat: 6.9g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 201mg, Carbohydrates: 0.5g, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Protein: 29.6g

If you make this recipe, please don't forget to snap a photo and hashtag it #primaverakitchen. I really want to see!

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As a memory, I kept the original photo from 2017!

Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil Recipe - Primavera Kitchen