If you need a salmon dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with almost no cleanup, this is the recipe. A simple garlic butter sauce with melted butter, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic gets poured over the salmon, sealed in foil, and baked until perfectly flaky. The foil does all the work, locking in every drop of that buttery sauce so the fish stays moist and full of flavour from edge to edge. Pierre asks for this almost every week, and I never get tired of making it.
Why I Always Bake Salmon in Foil
I’ve been making salmon recipes at Primavera Kitchen for over 12 years because we absolutely love salmon so much. If you also love it as much as my family does, I have over 25 salmon recipes on the site, from quick weeknight fillets to meal prep bowls.
Most garlic butter salmon recipes ask you to stand over a hot pan and baste constantly. I’ve done it that way plenty of times and honestly? I always prefer the foil method. Wrapping the salmon creates its own little oven inside the oven and you get perfectly flaky salmon every single time without babysitting the pan.
It is a breeze to make and cleanup takes about 30 seconds. I love serving it with roasted green beans, mashed potatoes, or fluffy rice for a complete weeknight dinner.
Key Ingredients
Salmon — After making this recipe so many times, I’ve found that the quality of your salmon makes a real difference in the final result. Wild-caught is always my first choice. It has a deeper, richer flavour and that beautiful vibrant colour that farmed salmon often lacks. When I’m at the store, I look for bright, firm flesh with no grey patches and no fishy smell. Good fresh salmon should smell like the ocean, clean and mild. I always go for King, Sockeye, or Coho when I can find them. They have the best flavour and hold up beautifully in the foil.
Pro tip: Honestly? Don’t be afraid of frozen salmon. I buy it all the time. Fish that’s been flash-frozen at sea is often fresher than what’s been sitting on ice at the counter for days. I just thaw it overnight in the fridge and it works perfectly every time.
Garlic — I always mince my garlic by hand with a knife and I never use a garlic press for this recipe. When the pieces are too fine, they burn in the hot butter before they have a chance to infuse it with flavour. Hand-minced gives you slightly bigger, irregular pieces that cook more gently and release their flavour slowly into the sauce. Two cloves is what I use, but if you love garlic as much as my family does, three cloves works beautifully too.
Butter — I prefer unsalted butter here because it lets me control exactly how much salt goes into the sauce. When the butter, lemon juice, and seasoning all come together in that foil packet, the flavours are very concentrated. So being able to control the salt matters. That said, salted butter works perfectly fine too, just hold back a little on the kosher salt when you season the fish.
Lemon juice — I always squeeze it fresh. I know bottled lemon juice is convenient, but in a sauce this simple, with so few ingredients, you would honestly taste the difference. Fresh lemon juice is brighter, cleaner, and adds that light citrus lift that makes the garlic butter sauce feel balanced rather than heavy. One lemon is all you need for this recipe.
Seasoning — I use kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper. The oregano adds a subtle earthiness that pairs really well with salmon and the crushed red pepper gives just a little warmth without making it spicy. I’ve also tested this with paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and Italian seasoning and they all work well, so feel free to use what you have on hand.
How To Make Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil
Preheat your oven and prepare the foil — I always preheat to 400F before I do anything else. While the oven is heating up, I cut a large piece of aluminum foil and place it on my baking sheet. It needs to be big enough to fold over and fully seal the salmon. I always go a little bigger than I think I need. A packet that’s too small and can’t close properly will leak sauce all over the baking sheet and you lose everything that makes this recipe special.
Pat the salmon dry — This is a step I never skip, even though the salmon is going straight into a butter sauce. Moisture on the surface of the fish dilutes the flavour of the sauce and can cause the salmon to steam unevenly inside the packet. I just press a few paper towels firmly on both sides and it makes a real difference. Then I place the salmon skin side down on the prepared foil.
Make the garlic butter sauce — In a small bowl, I whisk together the melted butter, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic until everything is combined. This takes about 30 seconds and it’s worth doing before the salmon goes on the foil so the sauce is ready to pour immediately. I like to taste it at this point. It should smell incredible and taste rich, garlicky, and bright from the lemon.
Pour the sauce and season — I pour the garlic butter sauce slowly and evenly over the whole surface of the salmon, making sure every part gets coated. Then I season generously with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper. I always season after pouring the sauce so the spices sit on top and don’t get washed to the sides.
Seal the foil tightly — I fold the sides of the foil up and over the salmon and press the edges together firmly to create a well-sealed packet. This is important. If the packet has gaps or isn’t properly sealed, the sauce leaks out onto the baking sheet during baking and you lose the self-basting effect that makes this recipe so good. Take an extra few seconds here and make sure it’s really closed.
Bake — I place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 to 16 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. A thinner fillet will be done closer to 12 minutes, a thicker one will need the full 16. I always check at 12 minutes just to be safe. Overcooked salmon is dry and chalky and it happens faster than you think.
Broil for the finish — This is my favourite part of the whole recipe. I open the foil carefully (the steam inside is very hot) and slide the baking sheet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. This step turns the top of the salmon golden and slightly caramelised, and the difference in texture compared to skipping it is very noticeable. Keep a close eye on it though — under the broiler things can go from golden to burnt quickly. I never walk away during this step.
Rest and serve — I remove the salmon from the oven when it flakes easily with a fork or reads 145F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part. Before serving, I spoon some of the garlic butter sauce that has collected in the foil back over the top of the fish. That sauce is too good to leave behind. I finish with a little fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices.
Why I Always Bake Salmon In Foil
Foil-baking creates a sealed steam environment, which does two things. First, the moisture from the lemon juice and butter has nowhere to escape. It circulates around the fish and continuously bastes it. Second, the salmon cooks more gently and evenly than it would exposed in a pan. You’re much less likely to overcook it. The final broil at the end gives you the best of both worlds: the moisture of steaming and a golden, slightly caramelized top.
How to Tell When Salmon Is Done
The FDA recommends 145°F, that’s fully cooked. But I’ve found that pulling the salmon at 125–130°F gives you that silky, just-set texture that most chefs prefer. It’s a personal call. I like mine at about 130°F. It’s cooked through but still moist.
Use a thermometer: Insert it into the thickest part.
- 115–125°F: Medium-rare
- 125–140°F: Medium to well-done
- 140°F: Fully cooked—take it out!
No thermometer? Gently flake the salmon with a fork. It should separate easily and look cooked to your preference.
Know your preference: Like steak, salmon doneness is personal. Try a few levels to find what you like best.
Garlic Butter Salmon (Baked in Foil)
Video
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
- 1/4 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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Easy and absolutely delicious recipe….definitely a keeper! Fish was perfectly cooked and wonderful flavor. Opted for Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magical Seafood seasonings instead of oregano, salt and pepper. Served with Mexican corn and salad. My husband keeps saying how excellent it was. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks. Love that you served it with Mexican corn and salad 😉 Delicious!
Could you add veggies in with the salmon in the foil packet and cook all at once?
You can if you should veggies that cook in 15-20 minutes such as sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli…
My son commented « best meal I ever had »…
Wow that’s so AWESOME. Love when kids like my recipe. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment 😉
This recipe is absolutely delicious and so simple to make. HOWEVER, you need to be aware that aluminum is toxic to cook in. I have gotten rid of all my aluminum cookware for that reason!
This recipe can be used in other cookware and have the same delicious taste without the toxins!!
Made this and it was Absolutely awesome!
Happy to hear that 😉
SOOOO GOOD! Thinking about trying this with Shrimp and Oysters!
I’m so thrilled to hear that. Please let me know how this recipe comes out with shrimp and oysters.
How woul you make that with oysters?
we, my husband and i made this last Friday and it was the best, will make again and give my friends the receipe
I’m so thrilled to hear that!
Love this recipe! Came out perfectly! I like my skin crispy so after I baked it, I seared it on a pan. Then plated and poured the remaining butter sauce on top. Delish!! Will add this to my rotation. Thank you!!
Great to hear that 😉
If fish is cooked, it better be great recipe, because we usually eat it raw. I’ve cooked this recipe four times, and will continue til who knows when. I scratched the pepper, flakes, parsley, and warmed lemon , unsalted butter, garlic, oregano til it smelled like heaven, and poured the mixture over the top of the salmon. It was easy with the foil. AND it made the house smell great with the lemon and garlic. Thank you so much!
Wow I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
This was super quick and easy to make when my wife was tired from work. Even easier since we had Lawrys garlic salt with parsley, and some dried red pepper left over from our last pizza! Delicious served with corn and asparagus. Now, how do I post the photo on here?
So happy to hear that Jeff 😉 Love the idea to serve it with corn and asparagus! You can post on your Instagram account and use the hashtag #primaverakitchen. I will receive a notification and then I’ll check out your photo. I would love seeing what you made from my blog.
I made this recipe with Cod and it is just amazing. Thank you
Mm sounds delicious!
Amazing!!!
I made it tonight but I used olive oil instead of the butter.
It’s now one of our favorite salmon recipes !
Wow so happy to hear that. Yes olive oil is a great substitute for butter too!
Hey Olivia,
The recipe seems mouth-watering. I would give this one a try. I love salmon.
You should. It’s delicious and super easy to make 😉
Heyy how many servings does this maje as im planning to make this for two and im wondering hoe many pounds of salmon should i make?
This recipe serves about 6 people.
I wanted to make a serving for two.How many pounds of slamon should i make for just right for two people?
Dania, I am not very sure about that but I think 0.5 pound for two people should work.
OMG amazing!! first time making salmon and it was perfect. def. a keto dinner that was quick and easy
Awesome!
I made this and it was great. I told everyone that I know about it. It was really easy to make and so delicious.
That’s AWESOME! I’m extremely happy to hear that 😉 Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe with everyone you know!
This recipe was so incredibly tangy and delicious! I’m so glad I found it, it will definitely be my go-to for frozen salmon from now on!
Awesome! Happy to help!
This recipe was so incredible . I’m so glad I found it. I told everyone that I know about it. I have a question for you that is how many pounds of slamon should i make for just right for two people? Thanks for the sharing such a great article.
Thanks! I think 0.5lb should be totally fine 😉
great and top tips are possible to collect