Oven Baked Salmon In Foil
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This Oven Baked Salmon in Foil recipe is perfectly flaky and ideal for quick and easy dinners. If you enjoy seafood, this will quickly become a go-to healthy meal!
Why you will love this foil baked salmon recipe
With the perfect medley of seasonings and herbs, this easy salmon recipe is baked to tender perfection. It’s elegant enough to serve as an impressive main course at your next dinner party, but you can also quickly whip up this dish on a busy weeknight for a quick meal.
I like to add golden and red cherry tomatoes for some pops of color and a nice amount of sweet and acidic flavor. The result is a flavorful and flaky salmon that’s nearly impossible to mess up!
It goes well with a simple side of Air Fryer Vegetables and even this crunchy cole slaw for fish tacos makes a delicious side dish to pair it with!
Why bake salmon?
Baking salmon can free up other appliances or surfaces like your air fryer, grill, or stovetop. Because it’s a fairly fatty fish, salmon holds up well in the oven and won’t easily dry out.
Ingredients you will need
- Cherry tomatoes: Red and yellow tomatoes create a gorgeous color palette that pairs well with the pink salmon.
- Aromatics: Garlic adds a nice savory bite and shallot is the perfect way to incorporate a more sophisticated onion-y flavor.
- Seasonings: Fresh thyme, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper are my choices for this foil baked salmon. You can add additional seasonings like garlic powder or minced garlic, or even some maple syrup or brown sugar if you want to give this foil-baked salmon recipe a touch of sweetness.
- Fresh salmon: Known for being delicious pretty much no matter how you cook it, a nice whole salmon fillet is the perfect starting point for this dish. I love sockeye salmon, coho salmon, and Atlantic salmon.
- Fresh lemon juice: Contrasts all of the savory spices and herbs with a bit of acidic citrus.
- Herbs: Parsley and dill are great to garnish your salmon.
*For a detailed list of instructions, ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.
How to make oven baked salmon in foil
- Season the tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes with shallot, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Prepare the salmon. Add the salmon filet to a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Squeeze lemon juice over top of the fish and add the tomato mixture.
- Bake the salmon. Form a tent over the top of the salmon with another sheet of foil, then bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
- Broil the salmon. Remove the top layer of foil and turn on the broiler. After a few minutes under the broiler and the tomatoes have a nice char, remove the salmon from the oven.
How long to bake salmon
In my experience, cooking salmon usually takes about 20 minutes. Cooking times can vary depending on the size and thickness of the salmon filets you’re using, but it shouldn’t take any longer than 25 minutes or so.
Do you flip salmon in foil?
No, you don’t have to flip this easy baked salmon once it’s in the oven! This is a great hands-off recipe that’s stress free and will turn out perfectly without a helping hand.
Recipe tips
- Be sure to press the two foil pieces together. This will lock in moisture and prevent the salmon from drying out while it bakes.
- Don’t forget about your salmon under the broiler! It’s easy to accidentally burn your tomatoes, so make sure you keep a close eye on it.
- Bake the salmon skin side down for best results.
- Give some other fresh herbs a try, dill, parsley, and basil all work well with this recipe!
How to know when salmon is done baking
- The most reliable way to tell that salmon is done is to use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.
- Your salmon should have a nice opaque pink color, and when you take a fork to it, the salmon should flake easily (which means the fish will come apart along the natural lines of fish fat that run across the filet).
- Another test is to gently press the fish. If it’s slightly firm but still gives way, that’s a good indication it’s finished baking.
Do you have to remove salmon skin?
No, you can leave the skin on if you like! I don’t mind salmon skin so I leave it on for easier prep, but if you’re not a fan, you can absolutely take it off before baking.
The skin gives the salmon so much flavor while it cooks, if you don’t want to serve it with the skin on, it’s very easy to slide a spatula between the salmon and the skin to remove it once it’s finished cooking.
How to remove salmon skin
For a bit of a life hack, if you pour hot/boiling water over the salmon filet, the skin should shrivel up. This will make it easy to peel away with your fingers.
You can also use a nice sharp knife and slip it between the fish and the skin. Gently pull the skin away from the fish as you apply pressure with the knife. If it’s slippery, you can use a kitchen towel or paper towel to help you get a better grip.
How to store salmon
Allow any salmon leftovers to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, or cover with foil and keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also keep salmon in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating.
How to reheat salmon
Place the salmon back in the oven at 350 F, wrapped in foil. After about 10 minutes, start checking to see if it’s heated through properly. You can also reheat salmon in the microwave in a pinch, but I prefer the quality of the salmon when I reheat in the oven.
The air fryer is a great way to reheat leftover salmon too!
Leftover salmon ideas
Leftover salmon is a great topping for salads or rice bowls, which make fantastic healthy and filling lunches! I like to use leftover salmon for this salmon rice bowl, or as some added protein with a chopped vegetable salad or even mixed into an Asian cucumber salad!
What to serve with it
Serve your foil baked salmon over a steaming bowl of ginger rice with a side of green beans almondine or an asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette.
Top your delicious salmon with fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, lemon slices, soy sauce, or a garlic butter sauce for even more flavor!
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Oven Baked Salmon In Foil
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup halved golden cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup halved red cherry tomatoes
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 lb salmon filet
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Herbs for serving
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 2 tbsp dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a sheet pan with foil.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, garlic, thyme, oregano, half the salt, half the pepper, and olive oil.
- Place the salmon filet on the foil lined sheet pan and season with the remaining salt and pepper, and paprika. Drizzle the lemon juice over the salmon and spoon the tomato mixture on top. Use another large piece of foil to loosely cover the salmon, forming a tent. Fold the edges of both pieces of foil together to seal them.
- Bake the salmon for 15 minutes or until it is just about fully cooked. Then remove the sheet pan from the oven and turn the broiler on high. Carefully remove the top pieces of foil and place the salmon back in the oven 2 inches from the broiler for 2-4 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to char.
- I like to serve this salmon over Ginger Rice and top it with fresh herbs like parsley and dill.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried thyme and oregano instead. You can garnish the salmon with whatever fresh herbs you like, but my favorites are fresh parsley and dill.
