Salmon Foil Packets: Salmon has never been easier to cook, nor has it ever tasted better, lightly seasoned, doused in herb butter, and wrapped up in a packet to bake in the oven. As an extra bonus, crunchy but tender asparagus cook right alongside the salmon so you have a complete meal and no mess.

Tender and flaky salmon with fresh asparagus all cooked in an herb butter sauce, on one sheet pan, wrapped in foil, makes this the ultimate meal.

Much like my favorite Hobo Dinner Foil Packets, these have so much flavor and so little mess. Oh and did I mention you can make it in under 30 minutes?

I love serving these easy salmon foil packets with a big Cucumber Avocado Salad for a totally fresh and flavorful meal.

A fillet of salmon sitting on foil with a lemon wedge and asparagus

What Temp To Bake Salmon in Foil

The great thing about foil packet meals is that they can be grilled, baked, or cooked over a campfire. So you have a lot of options. And the cook time will vary some based on where you are cooking it.

For these salmon foil packets, I like to simply check the fish part way through to see if it is done, as the size of the fillet, thickness, etc. will also impact cooking time.

Foil packet salmon can be cooked:

  • In an oven, cooking at 400 degrees, you will bake your salmon for 15-20 minutes.
  • Salmon packets on the grill would take similar time as the oven if you are cooking at a similar temperature.
  • On a campfire, you have to just pay attention because fires can have hot and cold spots, etc. Luckily salmon can be slightly overcooked and still taste great.

Four salmon fillets on a baking tray in foil with asparagus and lemon wedges

This is one of the very best healthy salmon foil packet recipes and is super flavorful thanks to the garlic herb butter. And thanks to the fact that it is all cooked up nice and neat in little foil packs, you have almost no mess to speak of.

You just throw the foil away, and wash off the baking sheet! I call that a dinner win. And because there is no mess with the main course, and it is a healthy salmon meal, it means you can indulge in a dessert like this Apple Cheesecake Pie after dinner!

salmon fillet in a foil packet with asparagus spears and a lemon wedge

How Do You Cook Salmon in Foil? Salmon Foil Packet Tips:

  1. Customize to your liking: These particular salmon packets have a lot of lemon. You cook the salmon directly on lemon, there is lemon in the butter sauce that goes on top, and I like to squeeze some fresh lemon over after baking as well. Of course, if you don’t want quite that much lemon, feel free to cut it back some to your personal preference. Add other vegetables, or use parsley instead of basil. Customize to your liking.
  2. Add or subtract cook time based on thickness: The foil is going to create this great little steam bath for the fish fillet giving it a perfect cook, but if it is really thin or thick, the suggested cook time may not be accurate. Look at your fish and determine how long you should cook for. The same goes for the asparagus, thick stalks may take longer to cook.
  3. Garnish: You bake the salmon packs with some lemon and basil, but a little fresh garnish of lemon and basil will lighten up the flavor profile and give it an extra burst of flavor, so don’t skip this step.
image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
A fillet of salmon sitting on foil with a lemon wedge and asparagus
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Asparagus Salmon Foil Packets

Salmon has never been easier to cook, nor has it ever tasted better, lightly seasoned, doused in herb butter, and wrapped up in a packet to bake in the oven. As an extra bonus, crunchy but tender asparagus cook right alongside the salmon so you have a complete meal and no mess.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Rachael
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Ingredients  

  • 4 salmon filets
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound asparagus spears ends trimmed
  • ½ cup butter melted
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons fresh basil

Garnish

  • Fresh Basil
  • lemon wedges

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Cut 4 sheets of foil. 12 x 18 inches, heavy duty foil.
  • Place 2 lemon slices on each sheet of foil.
  • Mix paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper together, and rub it over the salmon.
  • Place each salmon fillet in the centre of the lemon slices.
  • Divide the asparagus into 4 equal portions and arrange next to the salmon on each foil piece.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, lemon juice, garlic and basil.
  • Pour the butter mixture evenly over each piece of salmon and asparagus.
  • Wrap the salmon and asparagus in foil, and secure and seal the edges to create a packet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes
  • Open foil packets and enjoy, or broil for 1-2 minutes to crisp up exterior
  • Garnish with additional lemon juice and fresh basil.
5 from 26 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 491 | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 863mg | Potassium: 1156mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1880IU | Vitamin C: 35.6mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4.3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American

If you love salmon and asparagus in foil, check out these other salmon recipes that are delicious:

Repin this Super Salmon Recipe

Salmon Packets with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. i have made this before and have used up leftover cooked rice on the bottom of the packet and lightly drizzled either sesame oil or soy sauce on it before layering the salmon and asparagus, i find that the rice get a nice little crunchy layer on the foil…5 stars

  2. WOW!!!! Made up 4 servings last night, but added a couple of prawns on top. Cooked 2 for 30 minutes at 200C. Just amazing. Left 2 in the fridge marinading overnight. Even better that way. Followed the recipe to the letter except of the prawns and additional 10 minutes. This is a must, and a keeper.

  3. I am sure this is going to be a great dish when it’s finished cooking (in the oven now)! Who doesn’t love butter and garlic? AND asparagus? I did add a few slices of zucchini and shallots along with the asparagus. Love my veggies! Thank you for the recipe!

  4. This was very yummy! Only variation I did, was to double the garlic and added orzo, that had been boiled in vegetable base (broth/bouillon would also work). I will make again, but would add red bell pepper to the asparagus for color. I would also add some finely sliced or minced shallot to the melted butter. The family enjoyed adding fresh parmesan when serving.5 stars

  5. This was amazing! I just discovered your recipes and this is my favorite so far! Thank you for making cooking so much and delicious!

  6. Tastes amazing! Salmon is usually SUPER fishy tasting but this recipe gives you the perfect mix of fish taste and lemon. I just added way more garlic but I’m also a huuuge garlic fan. Definitely plan on making this many more times throughout the summer!5 stars

  7. It was so delicious!! I just realized I completely forgot the minced garlic but I did season with garlic powder. It was still delicious I don’t know if I’ll add the minced garlic next time I make it. At first I thought it was a lot of butter but then when I ate a packet I practically used up all the butter. I used fillets that were 6oz each. I cooked it for exactly 20 mins at 400 degrees then broiled it on high for like a minute and a half and it came out perfect. Asparagus was delicious, I wanted more! Thanks so much for the recipe! This will be my go to recipe for salmon!!5 stars

    1. Hi Leroy, my nutrition information is calculated through a Nutrition API Integration database designed for websites. This information is an estimate based on ingredients and methods I have used and will vary based on your own brands, methods and ingredients.

  8. This has been the “Best” salmon recipe to date. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was and how easy the clean up was. My husband thought it was great too.
    For sure will use this recipe again!5 stars

  9. I can’t tell you how much I love your recipes!  So I thought I’d leave a comment instead of Pinning and moving on.  I just bought salmon–my husband loves it and I only enjoy it if it is really seasoned.  

    Thanks so much, Holly!

  10. Looks delicious! Asparagus is always the indispensable ingredient for this kind of recipes <3