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    Home / Dinners / Easy Baked Salmon with Lemon and Butter (in foil)

    Easy Baked Salmon with Lemon and Butter (in foil)

    Published: Feb 20, 2022 Modified: Apr 7, 2022 by Jillian This post may contain affiliate link. This blog generates income via ads

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Baked Salmon with Lemon and Butter is SUPER easy to make. Only consists of 4 ingredients and is on the table in 10 minutes. Seasoned with melted butter and lemon pepper this salmon recipe always turns out flaky with the perfect texture and drizzled with a warm buttery sauce!

    salmon with lemon and butter on a white plate with asparagus and lemon slices

    Lemon butter salmon just sounds like a delicious meal!  Anything that is considered easy is also a staple in my home. Since I have 3 children that are 4 years old and younger I have minimal time to get my healthy dishes on the table.

    Salmon is also a great benefit to your health.  I know I am always trying to find different ways to add protein to my diet and salmon is a great source of protein. If you are also a fan of salmon you should try my Lemon Garlic Salmon in a Creamy Greek Yogurt Sauce or my Panko Encrusted Salmon with Homemade Tartar Sauce.

    Ingredients for this easy salmon dish

    ingredients for easy baked salmon with lemon and butter on a wooden table
    • salmon fillets - you can use frozen or fresh fillets. Use as many fillets as the number of people you will be serving. 1 person = 1 fillet. I happen to be making dinner for just me and the hubby this night so I used 2 fillets.
    • ghee or unsalted butter - ghee is clarified butter. I like to use ghee because it has a higher smoke point then butter and there is less of a chance anything will burn, but unsalted butter will work just as well. Carrington Farms Ghee!
    • lemons - I like to add thinly sliced lemons on top of my salmon when baking. You do not need the lemons, but I think it makes the dish look more appetizing!

    This recipe requires you to bake your salmon on a shallow baking pan. 

    How to make this meal

    Step 1 - Preheat oven to 450 degrees and get a shallow baking pan and set aside.

    Step 2 - Lay your salmon fillets into a tin foil boat. 1 fillet for each boat. Top each fillet with lemon pepper, ghee or butter, and a slice of lemon.

    a piece of salmon laying inside tinfoil with ghee on top and a slice of lemon and seasonings
    Step 2

    Step 3 - Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through!

    How to cook salmon in foil

    It's very simple to cook anything in foil. It also helps you have no mess! Being a mother of three youngsters my whole house is a mess, so any help with that is a plus. Simply, rip a piece of tin foil that is about 7 to 8 inches long. Lay your salmon in the middle of the foil and top it with your ingredients. Then, fold your foil up around the salmon and close it at the top. Voila!

    What to serve with this dinner

    The possibilities of what you can serve with salmon are endless. I am always a fan of some veggies on the side. Check out these Grilled Veggie Kabobs or my Crispy Sweet Potato Fries are out of this world delicious! Some other side dish ideas are

    • brown rice
    • steamed broccoli
    • creamed spinach
    • lemon asparagus
    easy baked salmon with lemon and butter on a white plate with asparagus and lemon slices

    Benefits of salmon

    Salmon is a very good source of protein. I find that protein is one of the best things you can eat because it keeps you fuller longer. Salmon also has zero carbs or sugars, if you are on the healthy bandwagon; like I usually always am. Salmon is also bursting with nutrients and vitamins like B12, potassium, iron, and vitamin D. Salmon is also easy to digest. It is one of the most nutritious foods out there and I try to eat it at least once a week.

    Forgot to thaw your salmon

    No worries! I have been there before. Especially, with my three little youngsters running around I often forget to thaw my dinner. If you have been in this position before no need to fret. There are 2 solutions to this problem.

    1. Lucky for you, salmon thaws super quickly. Fill a bowl with cool water and place your frozen salmon (still sealed in the package or placed in a sealable bag) into the bowl of water.
    2. Place the frozen salmon in the tinfoil and season like you would if it were thawed. Then, just bake it for 20 minutes instead of 10 to 12. Problem solved!

    The Internal temperature of salmon

    Ok, so you just followed this recipe to the T and you aren't sure if your salmon is cooked all the way through. The USDA suggests the internal temperature of your salmon is 145 degrees Fahrenheit when completely cooked through. You can check out the USDA Safe Minimum Temperature Chart for your future meals.

    You can use an instant-read thermometer to help you with this. Simply stick the end of the thermometer into the meat and it will read the temperature for you. It's that easy!

    close up of easy baked salmon with lemon and butter on a white plate with lemon slices and asparagus

    Tips and FAQ's

    How long does salmon need to bake in the oven?


    In this recipe, I have my oven set to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. When you cook salmon at this temperature you only need to bake it for 10 to 12 minutes.

    Why bake salmon in tin foil?


    The foil locks in moisture and ensures that your salmon turns out flakey and moist! That sounds like the best-baked salmon recipe in the world to me 😉

    Do I have to use fresh lemon?


    No, you don't have to, but fresh is always best! Fresh lemon has a much better flavor than bottle squeezed lemon. If you only have lemon juice in a bottle then that will work fine.

    Other fish recipes to try

    • garlic lemon salmon in a greek yogurt cream sauce
      Lemon Garlic Salmon in a Creamy Greek Yogurt Sauce
    • Panko Crusted Salmon w/ Homemade Tartar Sauce
    • roasted mahi mahi and chickpeas
      Roasted Mahi Mahi and Chickpeas
    • birds-eye view of shrimp tacos in corn tortillas on a white plate and topped with red bell peppers, lime slices and drizzled with plain greek yogurt
      Mexican Shrimp Tacos

    If you give this salmon dish a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! Always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!

    easy baked salmon with lemon and butter on a white plate with asparagus and lemon slices

    Baked Lemon Butter Salmon

    This Baked Salmon with Lemon and Butter is SUPER easy to make. Only consists of 4 ingredients and is on the table in 10 minutes. Seasoned with melted butter and lemon pepper this salmon recipe always turns out flaky with the perfect texture and drizzled with a warm buttery sauce!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 170kcal
    Author: Jillian Schneider

    Equipment

    • shallow baking dish
    • tin foil

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb boneless, skinless salmon fillet
    • 1 lemon thinly sliced
    • 4 tbsp ghee or butter divided evenly amongst each fillet
    • 4 tsp lemon pepper divided evenly amongst each fillet

    Instructions

    • Step 1 - Preheat oven 450° and get a shallow baking pan and set it aside.
    • Step 2 - Lay your salmon fillets into a tin foil boat. 1 fillet for each boat. Top each fillet with lemon pepper, ghee or butter, and a slice of lemon. Close the tin foil with the salmon wrapped up inside.
    • Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the oven or until cooked through and flaky. Serve with your favorite vegetable. Mine is asparagus!

    Notes

    How can my kids help?  My favorite way to have my children help out is to have them sprinkle the seasonings on top.  
    Also, it's very simple to cook anything in foil. It also helps you have no mess!  Rip a piece of tin foil that is about 7 to 8 inches long. Lay your salmon in the middle of the foil and top it with your ingredients. Then, fold your foil up around the salmon and close it at the top. Voila!
    Try and use fresh lemon over lemon juice squeezed from a bottle. Fresh lemon has a much better flavor than bottle squeezed lemon, but if you only have lemon juice in a bottle then that will work fine too. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1fillet | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.4g | Protein: 12.3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 3mg | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @JilliansHealthfulEats or tag #jillianshealthfuleats!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Taylor

      February 25, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      SO easy and delicious!

      Reply
    2. Eric

      March 22, 2022 at 2:07 am

      5 stars
      I passed this along to some of the men. All I will say is blown away

      Reply
      • Lori

        March 18, 2025 at 12:20 am

        5 stars
        So easy and healthy! Thank you, Jillian, for another great recipe!

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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