In our household, I often make my baked salmon recipe and make a fresh salad (like zucchini salad) while the salmon cooks. However, switching to these salmon foil packets with veggies included has been a game-changer: less mess, less fuss, and my entire dinner cooks in one pan. My kids gobble them up, my friends rave about them, and honestly, it just makes mealtime a breeze for everyone involved.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for making salmon foil packets, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Salmon – You can use frozen or fresh salmon. I prefer fresh, because I can skip defrosting it, and usually find great deals at warehouse clubs. If frozen, thaw it first. Vegetables – I used asparagus, zucchini, and grape tomatoes (technically a fruit) as my veggies, because they cook quickly and pair well with oven baked salmon in foil. You could use other veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms, or bell peppers. Keep in mind that salmon cooks faster than roasting most veggies, so see my tips below to ensure that they cook through. Olive Oil – This is my go-to oil since I always have some on hand, but you could also use avocado oil. Even melted butter would work, since the foil packets and relatively short cook time should prevent burning it. Lemon – Grab a fresh lemon, as you will need both the juice and the zest. Garlic – You could substitute fresh garlic for 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic, but trust me, fresh gives the best flavor! Fresh Herbs – For a classic herby taste that pairs well with fish, I recommend fresh parsley and dill. Chives would also make a nice addition. If you opt for dried herbs, use one third the amount, because they are more concentrated. Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Bake Salmon In Foil
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card. Of course, you can season your fish and veggies any way you like. A couple of my favorite variations are using lemon garlic butter sauce (I make it with lemon, garlic powder, and butter) or my sweet maple salmon marinade.
My Top Recipe Tips
Foil baked salmon is a super easy meal to make, but here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way: Instead of preheating your oven, preheat the grill to medium. Prepare the packets as usual, then place on the grill, cover, and cook for 13-18 minutes. No need to flip!
Optimize vegetable prep for perfect cooking. Since fish cooks so quickly, it can be tricky to get the veggies to cook through by the time it’s done. The key is to use ones that cook fast, and cut them into small or thin pieces. If you’re using the same vegetables I did, be sure to slice the zucchini super thin, choose skinnier asparagus stalks, and cut the tomatoes in half if you want them softer. For other veggies, such as broccoli, cut them very small. Avoid hard vegetables that take a long time to roast, like brussels sprouts or root veggies, unless you partially pre-cook them first. Get most of the garlic on the salmon. The veggies will need less of it. Putting more garlic on the salmon makes it taste really good and adds a lot of flavor to the whole meal. You can use parchment paper if you like, but you’ll still need foil. If you want to avoid foil touching your food, you can place parchment paper over the foil and place the fish and veggies on top. You’ll still need the foil to seal properly, but it can be on the outside. Be careful not to overcook. Salmon baked in foil stays moist more easily than cooking it in other ways, but it’s still possible to overcook it — which will make it dry. That’s why I recommend focusing on the doneness of the fish over the veggies. I prefer to cook my fish to an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F for a juicy, flaky result, and use a probe meat thermometer as a foolproof method to achieve this.
Storage Instructions
Store: You can store the cooked packets in the fridge for up to 2 to 4 days. Meal prep: Cut veggies and prepare packets up to a day before you plan to bake them. Brush with the oil mixture just before cooking. Don’t do it ahead of time, because the acid in the lemon juice will start to “cook” the fish, similar to ceviche. Reheat: To reheat leftover oven baked salmon in foil, reseal the packets and warm in the oven at 275 degrees F for about 15 minutes. I prefer this lower heat to avoid drying out the fish. Freeze: You can freeze foil baked salmon in vacuum-sealed or air-tight freezer bags, ideally in their foil for easy reheating. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven.
More Baked Salmon Recipes
If you liked the flakiness of baking salmon in foil, try some of my other super easy and flaky salmon recipes:
My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
Sheet Pan – Although any baking sheet will work, I swear by this one because it heats everything evenly and the non-stick surface is a dream for cleanup. No fuss, no mess. Probe Meat Thermometer – This one beeps when salmon baked in foil reaches the perfect temperature — without having to open the packets.
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