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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Super saudável
Haven’t cooked yet, but tonight is the night. Just needing to no how long to cook the salmon if it weighs 2.22 pounds.
Not sure. I would check it after 12 minutes and check again every 5 minutes.
I’m so excited to try this! Salmon can be a little expensive so I love that all the other ingredients are things I already keep on hand. I’ll be making this over the weekend – I can’t wait!
Great. Please, let me know who it turned out 😉
It was fabulous! We make this every other Friday now, it’s tradition. Thank you so much for this recipe!
That’s absolutely awesome! You’re comment made me so happy. Thank you 😉
Made this today for my newly wedded husband. He enjoyed it. Very easy recipe. Cheers!
That’s awesome. Thank you for your comment 😉
Sorry I’m kind of confused ! Lol So cook the fish at 375 for 16 minutes then 400-500 for 2-3 minutes??
You bake the salmon for about 16 minutes (the time will depend on the thickness of your salmon) and then you broil it for more 2-3 minutes.
The Salmon I just bought doesn’t have skin on it, will this make a difference?
Not at all 😉
Must say, this recipe was delicious the first time I made it! I did add some Dill weed to it this time and u can still taste the original recipe very well. The only thing different I tried was letting it marinade n the butter n garlic and other ingredients for more intense flavor! Thanks!!! Can’t wait to try others recipes u post!!
That’s absolutely awesome. Let it marinade for a little bit is a great idea 😉
I do not do fish, at all!! My doctor told me that I had to get over that. She started me out on Salmon. I have been trying all sorts of recipes and this is the best. I actually enjoyed it. Best part, it is so easy. Question..if I take it to work for lunch tomorrow how do I heat it up with just a microwave??
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this review. And yes just heat it up in the microwave. I actually like it cold with salad too.
Did you cook it with the skin on?
Yes I did!
I would this recipe work well with flounder?
I believe so, but I’m not sure about the baking time. It should be less than 20 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.
I love the recipe!! Thank you…but it’s not very clear to me the instructions for broiling then baking..can you explian it please.
You bake it for about 15 minutes and then you set your oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes or less.
Amazing! First time I cooked salmon and wondering now why I waited so long. Recipe was easy and spot on❤️
Awesome!!!
Absolutely loved it. My husband is such a picky eater and he hates fish. It this dish he absolutely enjoyed! Thanks so much. So easy to prepare too!!
How awesome!!! Thanks for leaving this great feedback 😉
I made this dish earlier this year and I give it a solid 4 2/4 of a star
happy you liked it 😉
Yum, I’m going to try it. Usually, we have salmon once a week. Typically we’re going to barbecue, but now that summer is over, I’m going to try this recipe.
Hope you liked it!
Quite possibly the worst recipe I have ever followed. Maybe all of the butter was too rich for us, but between the cooking time taking three times as long, the tin foil catching on fire, and the food tasting less than desirable – nothing worked.
Sorry to hear that, Amy. I’ve made this recipe about a thousand times and it always turns out well. Do you think your salmon fillet was too thick and that’s why you increased the cooking time? Also, you can reduce the amount of butter if you don’t like it much.
I have made this recipe about a dozen times and it is always beautiful. One of my *go to* recipes now!!
This is amazing! Happy to hear that!
This is literally the best salmon recipe out there! It has become a staple in my house, and I look forward to making it any time we purchase fresh salmon from the grocery store. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear it’s a hit, Sydney! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Great recipe that I have made for others multiple times, but I find it has to cook for nearly three times as long as you recommend. Any suggestions for why that could be?
It could be the size of your salmon!
I love salmon and have made it several times using this recipe. I don’t get home from work until around 7:00 p.m. and love that this takes no time to prep and bake. I cook it for 15 minutes and broil it for 2 minutes and it always comes out perfect. Thanks for this quick and easy and tasty recipe.
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback.