Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil
Garlic butter pools around tender salmon inside its foil packet, with lemon giving the rich fish a bright finish. A brief broil adds color to the top, leaving soft flakes underneath and plenty of savory sauce to spoon over them.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Reduce the lemon first
Simmer lemon juice with garlic until reduced before swirling in cold butter a little at a time.
2. Seal the foil
Close every side of the foil packet around the sauced salmon so the garlic butter stays inside during baking.
3. Watch the broiler
Open the packet for a short broil and watch closely so the top colors without burning.
Get to know the ingredients
Salmon
Sockeye or coho is suggested, with the thickest part used for checking firmness after baking.
Butter
Use cold cubed butter, swirling each addition into the reduced lemon juice before adding more.
Garlic
Mince the garlic and simmer it in lemon juice at the start of the sauce before adding butter.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Open for color
After baking, open the foil and broil briefly, then finish with parsley and serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
Check thick sections
Baking time varies with fish thickness, so check firmness in the thickest portion of the fillet.
Use a large foil sheet
Choose enough foil to fold over the whole fillet and seal all sides around the sauce.
A few questions you might have
Does all the butter go in at once?
Add it a tablespoon at a time, swirling off and briefly on the heat until each addition melts.
Should the foil be sealed?
Yes. Close all sides properly so the garlic butter sauce does not leak out during the bake.
When do I open the foil?
Open it after the main bake so the salmon can broil for two to three minutes while you watch closely.
How does thickness affect the fish?
Baking time varies with thickness, so check firmness in the thickest part of the fillet.
Can the foil packet cook on a barbecue?
You can barbecue at 375 to 400 degrees for roughly the same time, then open briefly to finish.
Any more cooking tips?
Baking time may vary slightly due to thickness of fish. Feel for firmness on the thickest part of the filet to make sure your fish is cooked through. I suggest using a good quality salmon for this recipe. Try to avoid using ‘pink salmon’ as this type of salmon is quite watery and will release lots of water in the baking process causing the fish to be wet and not flakey. The salmon can also be wrapped in foil and barbecued at 375º-400ºF for about the same amount of time give or take a minute or two. Allow the salmon to ‘broil’ the same way you would in the oven, by opening the foil and allow the fish to dry out for just 1-2 minutes.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: littlespicejar.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
