This delicious baked sockeye salmon recipe is made in foil and is a simple and succulent dish. It's a delicious meal that's easy to make, and you'll love the flavor!
This is the best sockeye salmon recipe because it locks in the flavor and moisture in a way that sautéeing or grilling can't.
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This sockeye salmon recipe will be your new go-to way to cook fish.
You'll top the salmon with oil, garlic, herbs, and lemon - simple but fantastic flavors that pair beautifully with fish. Optionally, you can finish the dish with some fresh dill, which adds another lovely flavor kick!
Sockeye salmon can be easy to overcook; I'll show you how to lock in the flavor and moisture during baking, which results in a richly flavorful and tender fish.
What is Sockeye Salmon?
Sockeye salmon (also called red salmon) is a wild-caught Pacific salmon with bright red flesh. Sockeye salmon tends to be thinner and leaner than other types of salmon.
Ingredients for Baked Salmon
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy sockeye salmon recipe.
Sockeye Salmon - You'll need fresh or frozen wild sockeye salmon. To choose the best fresh fish, look for salmon with a bright red hue, smells like the ocean (not fishy), and has a firm texture.
Seasonings - You'll combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried parsley flakes, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes for the sauce.
Toppings - You'll top the salmon with several slices of fresh lemon and optional chopped fresh herbs like dill.
See the recipe card for amounts and full details.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the salmon skin side down in a large sheet of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the salmon dry with a sheet of paper towel.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, parsley flakes, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the salmon, trying to cover all parts of the salmon equally.
Place the lemon slices on top of the salmon.
Cinch together the sides of the foil to close the salmon into the foil packet. Bake for 10 minutes, and then open the foil packet.
Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.
Remove the salmon from the oven and serve immediately. Top with optional fresh dill.
Tips for Making Baked Salmon
Cooking Tips - For best results, make sure to use a large enough sheet of foil that you can completely seal up the salmon. Cooking it in a fully enclosed foil is the secret to moist salmon!
Recommended Tools - I highly recommend cooking the salmon on a rimmed sheet pan. That way, if any oil or juices escape from the foil, they won't spill into the oven.
Storage
- Refrigerate - leftover salmon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze - leftover salmon can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat - place salmon on a microwave safe plate and cover with a lightly damp paper towel. Reheat in 1-minute increments till warmed through.
FAQs About Sockeye Salmon
Farmed salmon (like Atlantic salmon) is characterized by thick, buttery, light pink fillets. Sockeye salmon is wild-caught, thinner, and has a firm texture - it packs a much more flavorful punch!
Sockeye salmon has the brightest color and flavor of all the salmon types. It's known for being lean, firm, and richly flavorful. King salmon and sockeye salmon, both wild-caught, are sometimes considered the best salmon. King salmon is more expensive than sockeye.
Sockeye salmon has a firm texture and rich flavor and is known for tasting the most salmony. It has a less fatty taste than farm-raised salmon and is bolder in flavor and color than other types of salmon. It's also a brighter red color because of its diet of krill than farm-raised salmon (which is fed a red dye), coho salmon (which has a rosy hue from its diet of small fish), and king salmon (also called chinook salmon).
Sockeye salmon is almost always caught in Alaska, but it's found in other locations in the Northern Pacific Ocean, like the Pacific Northwest. You can often purchase sockeye salmon at Whole Foods and other grocery stores that stock wild-caught fish. You can also order it online through places like Fulton Fish Market.
Baking sockeye salmon in foil (with the skin on) is the best way to cook it without drying it out. Sockeye salmon is thinner than other salmon types, making it easy to overcook. You can remove the skin after baking, but leaving it on while you cook it helps keep it moist.
What to Serve with Sockeye Salmon
Sockeye salmon pairs well with vegetable side dishes, grains, and pasta. Here are some of our favorite sides for salmon.
- Roasted Honeynut Squash with Miso Maple Butter - the sweetest winter squash topped with a delicious miso butter dressing.
- Asian-style green Beans - a fantastic way to cook fresh green beans, highlighting their natural flavors and adding a zesty kick.
- Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables - easy grilled tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers.
- Grilled Asparagus Recipe - a simple but delicious asparagus recipe with sumac.
If you try this easy baked salmon recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos, or leave us a rating.
Baked Sockeye Salmon
This delicious, tender salmon recipe is incredibly simple to make and will be your new go-to way to cook sockeye salmon!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds sockeye salmon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced
- optional - 1 tablespoon fresh dill for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the salmon in a large sheet of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the salmon dry with a sheet of paper towel.
- Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, parsley flakes, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Drizzle this over the salmon, trying to cover all parts of the salmon equally. Place the lemon slices on top of the salmon.
- Cinch together the sides of the foil to close the salmon into the foil packet.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then open the foil packet. Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and serve immediately. Top with optional fresh dill.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 423mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 45g
Irene says
FYI 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes is not included in ingredient list for this recipe. Preparing this for dinner tonight. We will see...
Irene says
Further to my first comment...made the salmon for dinner last night. Sauce is very tasty, the crushed red pepper a definte ingredient! Followed the recipes exactly, but needed to add a few minutes to baking/broiling times. A keeper!
LS says
Told the family salmon was for dinner and it was met with groans. I'd already bought it so it was happening. I found this recipe in my search for a new option to present one of their least favorite meals, praying after putting in the effort to make it I wouldn't be subject to negative commentary. Pretty easy to make. Simple ingredients. Result - the family really liked it! Ate it all! My husband was the least excited but ended up saying he'd like to have it again sometime. #win
EW says
So glad to hear they liked it! It's lovely to hear stories like this - wishing you and your fam all the best!
judy says
Agree with Irene. Salmon had not heated through. Added another 5 mins. so skin would separate cleanly. Very tasty but I will make less sauce next time
Kathryn Rowe says
Hi! I only have enough wild salmon for 2 people. Does this affect the cooking time?
EW says
It might - it depends on the thickness of the salmon. If you have an instant-read thermometer, check it at 8 minutes to see if it has reached a temp of 130 to 135 F and then broil it for a minute or two. Salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
Jacquieb says
I made the Salmon recipe just as written. It made me realize that I am not a fan of sockeye salmon, I much prefer the regular fatty salmon. My husband however likes sockeye and he thought it was a great dish, very tasty and the best way to cook sockeye. So thanks for the recipe, I would give it 4 stars although it should really get 5 🤭
Mike says
Delicious way to make salmon!
Jill says
Made the sockeye salmon tonight with 1 minor change; used fresh rosemary instead of dried parsley cuz I had it. Was lazy & chopped all the sauce ingredients in my mini chopper & devoured it right out of the oven. Didn’t bother broiling it because I was ‘hangry’ & it smelled divine. I have the other 1/2 of the filet which will be my dinner tomorrow. Thanks for a quick, easy & delicious dinner. This was company worthy.
Lydia says
Looking for a sockeye salmon Recipe chose yours.. it was rady and delicous.
Thank you
Catherine says
This was very tasty! I subbed dill for the parsley, and did need to cook a little longer.
I made rice, and oven roasted vegetables to go with, adding the salmon toward the end of the cooking time for the vegetables. Thank you!
Angela says
Very flavorful and moist for Stockeye. My salmon defrosted for 12 hours, but didn’t want it undercooked. Based on that and previous comments, I baked for 15 minutes. Turned out fantastic. Will make again.
EW says
So glad you liked it!
Eric says
I tried this for the family tonight and it was great! The only thing that I changed was to add grape tomatoes all around the fish. They cooked beautifully and became little sweet tomato flavour bombs! So, so good. Great with some capers,too. Thanks for the recipe!
EW says
Fantastic idea to add in tomatoes and capers - I'm going to try that next time I make it!
Shelly says
Hi. If I want to cook 100g of salmon, do I need to change the cooking time and temp? Thank you!
EW says
The temperature can remain the same but because it's a much smaller piece of fish, it will likely need less cooking time. If you have a instant-read thermometer you can check it while it cooks, but I'd recommend starting out with 7 to 8 minutes of baking time. The thickness of your salmon will also affect cooking time! Is it sockeye salmon or Atlantic (farmed) salmon?
Shelly says
@EW,
Thank you for the reply! Its frozen wild sockeye salmon.
I will follow your advice and try it tomorrow!