This Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus could not be easier to make. Succulent tender Salmon on a bed of asparagus covered in a lemon garlic butter sauce then topped with lemon slices and baked in a foil packet for one complete dinner with no mess!
Looking for more salmon recipes? This Garlic Butter Baked Salmon recipe is one of my family’s favorites!
Table of Contents
- Easy Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus
- Recipe Ingredients
- How to Pick Salmon
- How to Bake Salmon in Foil
- How Long to Bake Salmon
- Is it better to cook salmon covered or uncovered?
- Do you wrap salmon in foil when baking?
- What are the benefits of baking salmon in foil?
- Can you eat the brown stuff on salmon?
- More Salmon Recipes to Try
- My Favorite Wine Pairings with Salmon:
- Get the Recipe
Easy Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus
Salmon Recipes are one of my go to recipes to make for our family in the week. Not only do I love it, the kids do to and I know I’m giving them something healthy.
Usually I bake or grill salmon. But guys, I don’t know why I don’t do foil packets more often! It allows all the flavors to cook together in a small area for a while, which creates maximum flavor on the other end. But the piece de resistance to foil packet meals is the clean up is a snitch! Woohoo!!!!
I’m all about no dishes, especially because most of the time my kitchen has a mound of dishes, pots, pans, and cutting boards in it!
This Easy Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus is elegant, simple to make, and loaded with fresh citrus and herb flavor. I guarantee it will become a family favorite, plus it’s a perfect meal for those quick weeknight dinners and fancy enough for company! We have eaten this meal as is or some of our favorite things to add to it are a Classic Wedge Salad with Light Blue Cheese Dressing, Garlic Ranch Potatoes or a Springtime Creamy Farro Salad.
Recipe Ingredients
This is such a no fuss recipe you’ll absolutely love it! Everything is made in one tin foil pocket for flavor infusion and easy cleanup. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus.
- Salmon
- Asparagus
- Fresh Lemon
- Garlic Cloves
- Dijon Mustard
- Butter
- Honey
- Spices: smoked paprika, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt
How to Pick Salmon
The biggest part to remember when selecting fish from the grocery store is to go to the fish market for the freshest. Then take a good look at the skin should be clear and bright, not sunken or cloudy. It should be firm to the touch and NOT smell the fish! If it has any of these things, select a different piece of salmon.
How to Bake Salmon in Foil
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Create a pocket with 4 sheets of tin foil. Place on a baking sheet.
- Evenly distribute asparagus spears among the 4 packets. Season with salt & pepper.
- Place salmon on top of the asparagus.
- In a small bowl, add garlic, mustard, butter, honey, lemon zest, smoked paprika, thyme red pepper flakes, pepper and salt. Stir together.
- Pour mixture over each salmon and gently rub in.
- Next place two slices of lemon on each salmon.
- Close the foil packet up.
- Bake for 20 minutes.Turn broiler on.
- Open foil packets to expose salmon and broil uncovered for 1 minute.
How Long to Bake Salmon
When Salmon is wrapped in foil, it will typically take between 20 to 25 minutes at 400°F. However, if you are baking individual salmon fillets in a baking dish it will take between 10 to 14 minutes at 400°F. A side plain side of salmon, baked on a baking sheet uncovered will take between 15 to 20 minutes at 400° F.
Is it better to cook salmon covered or uncovered?
Cooking fish can be tricky business at time. Too high or too low of a temperature will dry it out quickly, unless you keep a constant eye on it. Usually cooking salmon covered will help the fish retain its moisture and speeds up the cooking time. I usually use a tin foil tent as opposed to a covered baking dish.
Do you wrap salmon in foil when baking?
Yes, essentially. You are making a pocket for the salmon to almost steam and cook in while in the oven. I usually measure my salmon with the tinfoil then pull out a sheet that is double to triple the size so I have enough tin foil to cover salmon and asparagus to make a pocket.
What are the benefits of baking salmon in foil?
Want to feel like the best cook on earth that pleases all the humans in your house while not being a hot mess in the process –> Easy Baked Salmon Recipes to the rescue! These recipes are honestly my go-to when I need something in a pitch. It’s ridiculously simple to make, so flavorful and so healthy for you too. So what are the benefits of baking salmon in foil?
- Easy Cleanup. And all the moms said Amen.
- Steaming affect. The foil locks in moisture. So instead of a dry overcooked piece of salmon, the foil helps guarantee that you end up with a flaky, moist, and tender piece of salmon every time.
- It’s a flavor chamber. Whatever ingredients you place in the foil packet with the fish infuse their way into every single bite. YUM!
If you don’t want to use tin foil, parchment paper is a great substitute.
Can you eat the brown stuff on salmon?
On occasion, when cooking. The exterior of salmon can develop a gray-brown layer. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wondered if it’s safe to eat! The answer is, yes. It’s just insulated fat between their skin and flesh. Although some people don’t like the intense flavor – but the gray layer does contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
More Salmon Recipes to Try
- Easy Baked Honey Garlic Salmon in Foil
- 20 Minute Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil
- Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Dijon Sauce
- Best Pan Seared Creamy Tuscan Salmon
- Honey Mustard Baked Salmon
- Best Grilled Salmon Burger with Lemon Garlic Aioli
- Honey Garlic Cedar Plank Salmon
My Favorite Wine Pairings with Salmon:
- Dove Hunt Dog Chardonnay
- Gallivant Sauvignon Blanc
- Chi Feco Pinot Grigio
- FieldHouse Pinot Noir
- FiddleNeck Chardonnay
- Dove Hunt Dog Pinot Noir
- FieldHouse White Blend
Easy Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus could not be easier to make. Succulent tender Salmon on a bed of asparagus covered in a lemon garlic butter sauce then topped with lemon slices and baked in a foil packet for one complete dinner with no mess!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. asparagus
- 4 (4oz.) salmon filet
- 8 slices of lemon
- salt & pepper to season
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Create a pocket with 4 sheets of tin foil. Place on a baking sheet.
- Evenly distribute asparagus spears among the 4 packets. Season with salt & pepper.
- Place salmon on top of the asparagus.
- In a small bowl, add garlic, mustard, butter, honey, lemon zest, smoked paprika, thyme red pepper flakes, pepper and salt. Stir together.
- Pour mixture over each salmon and gently rub in.
- Next place two slices of lemon on each salmon.
- Close the foil packet up.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Turn broiler on HIGH.
- Open foil packets up on the top to expose salmon and place back under broil uncovered for 1 minute.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 foil packet
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 199 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->
40 comments on “Easy Citrus Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus”
It looks just delicious, but I would want to cook my Asparagus in a separate pan or ????
That’s the magic of this recipe – it is all cooked in a foil packet!
This was AMAZING!
I omitted the thyme and lemon zest, and seasoned the salmon with lemon pepper & garlic salt.
I was nervous about the mixture of honey & mustard, but it was SO good!
* I also used spicy brown mustard because I didn’t have Dijon. *
Ohhh the spicy brown would be even better! So glad you loved it Ebony!
Have you done this with parchment paper? Tried it with the foil, and it was delicious. Want to try with parchment paper.
I have not. But you could probably do it in those parchment pouches, you can get that in the same aisle as parchment paper in the grocery store.
Trying this tonight for my family of to be 7, you had me at easy clean up 😉
haha… hurray! Easy clean up and delicious food all the way!
It looks so delicious!! I was just curious if you thawed the salmon before you put it into the foil packets. If you did, how much longer would I need to cook the packets for if I used frozen ones. Thanks!!
Hey Mary, yes it was fresh when I put it in the oven. I would recommend thawing it as opposed to cooking it frozen.
I made this tonight, it was very good and so easy! It will definitely be added to the rotation when I make salmon! I so appreciated how easy this was to put together and how beautiful it looked plated. My husband thought it looked so fancy. Thanks for a great recipe!
haha.. hurray for sneaky recipes that look fancy but are so easy! Those are definitely my favorite kinds! Glad to hear you and your hubbie enjoyed the dish Marie! Thanks for stopping back and letting me know what you thought! I appreciate it!
Wondering about throwing these on the grill? Any ideas? Would love to not have to turn my oven on.
Yes you could absolutely do that. Just put it on for maybe 7-10 minutes and check it…
Wonderfully easy and delicious, my husband is really loving the fact that I found your website. I will be making this again.
Ohh.. I’m so glad you found it too Susan! I love how easy this recipe is and that clean up is minimal!
Gorgeous! So easy yet so elegant, love it!
Thank you so much Kimberly!
What an easy-to-make and elegant dish! Perfect for company! Sorry about your spilled coffee — nothing worse than spilled coffee 😉
Thanks Patricia and you are so right nothing worse than spilled coffee, unless its spilled coffee on a white shirt.. boo!
Oh no on the Starbucks episode! It does make for a pretty funny story after the fact though! LOL Your salmon looks so delicious! I’ve been meaning to try a foil dinner…I think I will start with yours! 🙂 Pinning for later!
haha.. right! I just sat there laughing at myself. 🙂
You definitely need to try a foil dinner, they are so easy and packed with flavor! Thanks for the pin!
This is so easy I cannot possibly screw it up!!
Amen to that! It’s fool proof with easy clean up!
I love how this sounds…yummy
Thanks Becky!
I hate getting dental work done, it always takes forever for my mouth to return to normal! This salmon looks like such an easy and tasty dinner idea!
Right!!! It has been so long since I had work done so I totally forgot the recovery part. No bueno!
I just had some delicious salmon last night and for today’s lunch, actually, haha! It’s just so good! I never tried baking salmon wrapped in aluminum foil! Does it help the salmon’s texture in the oven?
haha… bring on the salmon! The texture is the same, its just another way of locking in all the flavors and makes for easy clean up Cassie! 🙂
I could literally eat this every single day!
Right! Easy, light, delicious .. I’m game every time!
I so want to make this for dinner. Yum!
You need to! You and the man will adore it!
sorry about the white shirt 🙂 but foil packet dinner are the BEST!! great flavor and NO clean-up
haha.. thanks and yes they are. I LOVE the clean up part!
I love easy dinners like this! This is really gorgeous!
Thank you so much Caroline!
Looks great. What kind of substitutions can I make? Different vegies? How about chicken breasts instead of salmon.Wife and Kid is not too keen on salmon but it sounds great to me.
you could do chicken or white fish with asparagus, brussels sprouts, snap peas, green beans, red pepper, etc. 🙂