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My oven baked salmon in foil recipe is the most effortless way to cook salmon. You are guaranteed flaky, tender salmon every time in a matter of minutes!
Craving more low-effort salmon recipes? You’ll love my lemon pepper salmon, sweet chili salmon, pan seared salmon, and air fryer salmon.
Salmon is one of my family’s favorite proteins because it’s healthy, versatile, naturally flavorful, and it’s easy to cook on the fly.
This time around, I’m combining the powers of the oven plus the magic of tin foil. When wrapped around a juicy salmon fillet, the results are tender, soft, perfectly cooked salmon.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It’s low-effort. Season the salmon, wrap it up, and let it bake in the oven. There’s no babysitting or flipping needed!
- It’s foolproof. Baking in foil guarantees even, consistent cooking. Even if your oven runs hot, you don’t have to worry about overcooking.
- It’s simple yet fancy. The ingredient list is short because it’s the preparation method that shines.
- It’s healthy! Salmon is packed with lean protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and we only add the tiniest bit of oil to keep it tender.
Ingredients needed
- Salmon. You’ll need one large salmon fillet, about one pound. I used fresh wild-caught salmon, but frozen and thawed salmon also works. Just make sure to pat dry the salmon very well so there’s no excess moisture.
- Garlic cloves. I definitely suggest using freshly minced garlic so you get tender bites of roasted garlic.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Olive oil. To drizzle over the salmon.
- Lemon juice. Preferably fresh lemon juice.
How to make oven baked salmon in foil
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Lay out a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, then place the fish in the center.
Step 2- Season. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Spoon the mixture over the salmon and spread to evenly coat it.
Step 3- Wrap. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon, then fold the top and bottom edges to seal the salmon and create a packet.
Step 4- Bake. Bake the salmon for 25 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Prefer not to bake directly in the foil? Wrap the salmon in parchment paper, then the foil. I tested this method, and it turned out great.
- Use a meat thermometer. Salmon is perfectly cooked with an internal temperature of 125-130F. I like to remove it from the oven when it reaches 125F since it’ll continue to cook as it cools.
- Leave a small hole in the foil packet. So steam has room to escape.
Variations
- Add more lemon flavor. Bake the salmon with fresh lemon slices or rub lemon zest on the fillets.
- Make garlic butter salmon. Melt butter with garlic, then drizzle the melted butter over the top of the salmon.
- Add warm honey. To the cooked salmon, for a subtle sweet flavor. I love to drizzle some hot honey sauce for that spicy-sweet kick.
- Garnish. Top the salmon with fresh herbs, like dill or oregano, right before serving.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
To freeze: Let the salmon cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Reheating: Reheat fillets on the stovetop over medium heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.
Leftover ideas
If you end up with leftover salmon you don’t know what to do with, use it to make salmon croquettes. You could even use it in a sushi bake or flake it on top of my salmon bowls.
Frequently asked questions
Salmon is best cooked at a slightly higher temperature so it doesn’t dry out. I find 375F-400F does the trick of cooking salmon quickly, maintaining color, and keeping it moist.
No, when you bake salmon in foil, you don’t need to worry about flipping it during the cooking process since the foil evenly distributes heat around the salmon.
Cooking salmon in foil is a great way to lock in moisture and helps guarantee you get perfectly cooked, tender, flaky fish every time!
What to serve with this
Oven Baked Salmon In Foil
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
- Rinse the salmon with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Lay out a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, long enough to wrap the salmon, then place the fish in the center of the foil.
- In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.
- Spoon the garlic mixture over the salmon, spreading it evenly to cover the entire surface. Fold the sides of the foil up over the salmon, then fold the top and bottom edges of the foil together to seal tightly and create a packet.
- Place the foil-wrapped salmon on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Carefully open the foil packet and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published April 2023, updated and republished September 2024
I never made salmon in the oven before. Only on grill. This seems good.
I never made salmon in foil before. It should be tasty.
I used parchment paper to wrap the fish and wrapped again in foil. I do not like to use foil directly as it can leach toxins in food. I used a butter instead of olive oil, I rarely use butter but I wanted to see how it would taste with better. I did add fresh oregano leaves.
My partner and I stumbled over here by a different page and thought I might as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to looking at your web page yet again.
I’m totally surprised you say to use a tin foil wrap..research shows using Aluminum foil is extremely toxic..look up the research..
What can be used instead??..
I’m fine with it. You can use parchment paper if you like and wrap it up in that 🙂
Sooo yummy! I hated salmon and other fish as a child but it’s been growing on me. This was the first time I’ve ever cooked salmon myself and it was absolutely DELICIOUS and so easy, it’s definitely going to be a staple! I had 2 small fillets and cooked them for about 15 mins using half the quantities of the ‘sauce’. I had it with wholemeal pasta, tenderstem broccoli and green beans :p