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.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• All About Sockeye Salmon
• What to Serve with Sockeye Salmon
• Storage
• Tips for Making this Recipe
• Baked Sockeye Salmon

This sockeye salmon recipe will be your new go-to way to cook fish.

Sockeye salmon tends to be thinner than other types of salmon (it's wild-caught, so it's leaner), and it's easy to overcook. This recipe locks in the flavor and moisture while baking and results in a richly flavorful and tender 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!

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy sockeye salmon recipe.

Sockeye Salmon Filet - You'll need 1 ½ pounds of wild sockeye salmon. This will be enough to serve 4 people. To choose the best fresh fish, look for salmon that has a bright red hue, smells like the ocean (not fishy), and has a firm texture.

Seasonings - You'll combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, a teaspoon of dried parsley flakes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ quarter teaspoon 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.

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.

All 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? Sockeye salmon has the brightest color and flavor of all the salmon types. It's known for being lean, firm, and richly flavorful.

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 like the most salmony salmon. 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.

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.

Storage

You can store the cooked salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I don't recommend freezing the cooked salmon as this will change the consistency of the meat.

Tips for Making this Recipe

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.

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