Put a quick and healthy dinner on the table with this recipe for Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon Baked in Foil. Super easy to make and absolutely delicious!
This recipe is Trim Healthy Mama friendly (THM S), low carb, gluten free (if using certified gluten free products) and Keto friendly.
We love fish around here, and especially salmon.
My favorite way to make fish is in the oven – it’s easy and pretty much foolproof. The only thing you have to watch out for is that you don’t overcook it!
How to Bake Salmon in Foil:
What cut of salmon is best for this?
I’m using pre-cut fillets here, but an entire side of salmon works great, too.
The entire side takes about 5-10 minutes longer to bake than individual fillets.
What if I forgot to defrost my fish?
This recipe is great for those “oops” moments at 5pm: You can bake salmon from frozen!
It’s not optimal because it’s a little harder to get it done evenly, but it still works.
Simply follow the recipe, but double the baking time.
How Long to Bake Salmon at 400°F?
It takes approximately 15 minutes to bake salmon fillets at 400°F.
Now that number isn’t set into stone – the exact time will depend on the thickness of your fish and how hot your oven runs.
You can tell the fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
To be safe, check the internal temperature at the thickness part with an instant read thermometer – it should be 145°F to be safe.
Can You Freeze this Recipe or Make it Ahead?
I would not recommend freezing either the cooked recipe or the raw fish in the sauce/marinade, because the lemon juice affects the raw fish.
What Can You Serve with this Foil Baked Salmon?
This is a great main dish for a THM S or XO setting.
Since I’m currently nursing a newborn (and my older kids are busy running around the summery backyard, so are plenty hungry), I’ve been doing quite a few S helpers or crossovers.
So I’ll add some options for XOs, too.
Some of our favorites for S meals:
- low carb roasted veggies: asparagus, green beans…
- zucchini noodles
- braised spinach or kale
- a big salad with lots of chopped veggies, avocado and greens
Some of your favorite additions for XO meals:
- brown rice
- sweet potatoes
- chickpea salad
More S-Dinners You’ll Love:
This baked garlic butter salmon is such an easy way to put a nutritious dinner on the table.
And so delicious – even my child who’s so-so on meat and fish right now can’t stop asking for this. Mom win 🙂
Get the Recipe Here:
Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon Baked in Foil
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds salmon fillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 lemon juice only
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter diced
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°Place a large piece of aluminum foil in a large rimmed baking dish that will comfortably hold all of your salmon (the baking dish is to catch any drippings – way easier to clean than your oven!).
- Season fish: Lightly grease the foil with olive oil. Place the salmon fillets on top (they can be close together if using individual fillets, just not on top of each other). Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and evenly scatter garlic on top. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Seal foil over salmon.
- Bake: Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your filletor until salmon flakes easily. Serve immediately.
Nancy Baines says
This salmon was absolutely delicious!
This is the very first time I actually loved a salmon recipe! …Won’t be the last
Alex says
Really tasty and super easy. Will be making again. The only thing I would say is that your recommendation to cook the salmon to 145 is frankly tragic. Cook it to 125, max. 120 is better. Fattier salmon like King or Atlantic may still be edible at 145 (though a whole lot better at 125), but if you have a fillet of Sockeye or Coho, 145 is toast. And salmon ain’t cheap.
Nora says
Alex, I’m just sharing the government recommendations for food safety, not some made up figure. FTR, I find salmon thoroughly edible at 145°F, but to each their own 😉
Linda says
I’m using packaged frozen fillets. Will recipe still work?
Nora says
Linda, do you mean you’ll cook the fish from frozen or defrosted? I have done both. It works, although the texture is a little better if defrosted. Cooking the fish from frozen can take around 25-30 minutes vs the time stated in the recipe.
Susan L says
Qiuick, delicious, easy clean-up, what more could I want?! I used the method with a couple of tweaks. I left out the garlic, my side dish had loads in it. I used Penzeys Mural, a blend of citrus and herbs that is fabulous with fish. Lastly, I used a little truffle butter, am impulse buy at a specialty store. The fish cooked perfectly, beautifully moist and cooked through. Best of all I shared with a friend whose daughter is learning to cook. Thank-you for the recipe.