Oven Baked Salmon in Foil

Oven baked salmon in foil steams in its own packet for flaky, moist fillets. Butter, garlic, and thin lemon slices keep the texture tender while you get almost no-mess cleanup.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 430

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Salmon packet

6 oz salmon fillets 4 fillets, skin-on
3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
4 garlic cloves minced (4 cloves)
1 lemon thinly sliced, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
0.25 tsp red pepper flakes optional
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

1 sheet pan

Method

Preheat and prep foil

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lay out a large sheet of foil, big enough to fully enclose the salmon.
Place salmon fillets skin-side down in the center of the foil. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, and dried dill.

Make butter-garlic and assemble

Whisk together melted unsalted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes if using. Drizzle evenly over the salmon fillets.
Lay lemon slices over each fillet. Arrange so the slices sit on top rather than sliding off.
Fold the foil up and over the salmon, sealing the edges tightly to form a closed packet. Leave a little room for heat to circulate.

Bake and finish

Bake for 15–18 minutes at 400°F. Bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Carefully open the foil so steam escapes. Let rest for 2 minutes, then garnish with fresh parsley and serve with the pan juices spooned over top.

Notes

For best texture, keep the foil packets sealed and don’t overbake—pull at 145°F for moist flakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days (freeze yes, up to 2 months). For a dairy-free swap, replace butter with 3 tbsp olive oil (use the same method) to keep the topping glossy.