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Baked Sockeye Salmon in Foil

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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.

Baked sockeye salmon in foil, topped with lemon slices.
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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, lemon slices, lemon juice, garlic, spices, and olive oil.

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.

Olive oil and spices in a bowl with a gold spoon.

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.

Salmon covered in foil on a baking sheet.

Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. 

Sockeye salmon in foil with sliced lemons.

Remove the salmon from the oven and serve immediately. Top with optional fresh dill.

Baked sockeye salmon in foil on a baking sheet.

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

What's the difference between Atlantic salmon and 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!

Is sockeye salmon the best salmon?

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.

What does sockeye salmon taste like compared to other salmon?

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).

Where can you find sockeye 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.

How do you cook sockeye salmon without drying it out?

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.

A fork flaking a piece of roasted sockeye salmon.

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.

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.

Yield: 4 servings

Baked Sockeye Salmon

Baked sockeye salmon in foil topped with lemons and fresh herbs.

This delicious, tender salmon recipe is incredibly simple to make and will be your new go-to way to cook sockeye salmon!

Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes

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

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Cinch together the sides of the foil to close the salmon into the foil packet. 
  5. Bake for 10 minutes and then open the foil packet. Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. 
  6. Remove the salmon from the oven and serve immediately. Top with optional fresh dill.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 423mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 45g

Shelly

Wednesday 29th of May 2024

Hi. If I want to cook 100g of salmon, do I need to change the cooking time and temp? Thank you!

Shelly

Thursday 30th of May 2024

@EW,

Thank you for the reply! Its frozen wild sockeye salmon. I will follow your advice and try it tomorrow!

EW

Thursday 30th of May 2024

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?

Eric

Saturday 6th of April 2024

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

Sunday 7th of April 2024

Fantastic idea to add in tomatoes and capers - I'm going to try that next time I make it!

Angela

Saturday 16th of March 2024

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

Saturday 16th of March 2024

So glad you liked it!

Catherine

Saturday 3rd of February 2024

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!

Lydia

Tuesday 16th of January 2024

Looking for a sockeye salmon Recipe chose yours.. it was rady and delicous. Thank you

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