Take the heat out of the kitchen by making grilled salmon in foil. Enjoy packets of savory juicy salmon slathered in garlicky butter and sprinkled with fresh chives, steamed to perfection on your grill.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: The salmon turns out so tender and it’s never dry. You can also make this recipe in your oven.
How long it takes: 30 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: grill, foil
Servings: 6
I love the idea of cooking outside and grilling gives such great flavor to meats, veggies and even fruit. Burgers, chicken (check out our marinade recipes), and steaks are so yummy on the grill. Even plain ol’ hotdogs taste better on the the grill.
However, sometimes grilled meals can be a two person job, right? Someone needs to be outside tending the grill, and someone needs to be inside making the rest of the meal. If you’ve ever tried to do both jobs yourself, you know what I’m talking about.
Go outside, get the grill heating. Go inside to prepare whatever you’re grilling. Go outside and clean off the grill. Go inside and fetch what’s being grilled. Go outside and put it on the grill. Go inside to prep the rest of dinner. Go outside to check on the grilling. Back inside to check the veggies (or the kids!). Etc. Etc. You get the idea. You’re running around like a crazy person!
Why You’ll Love Grilled Salmon in Foil
- Hands off grilling: This salmon has to be about the easiest thing in the world to grill! Put the foil packets on the grates in a preheated grill and cook for fifteen minutes, unattended. There’s no need to flip the packets or move them around; they are just fine on their own. Set the timer, go inside, and do whatever else needs to be done to get dinner on the table.
- No guesswork: When the timer goes off, take the packets off the grill, open, and enjoy. You can turn the grill off right away because there’s no need to burn off any drippings or grease. Just sit down and have a nice leisurely meal featuring this perfectly done, absolutely delicious salmon, buttery, garlicky, and so flavorful.
- Easy prep: You can have this salmon ready for the grill in less than 10 minutes.
How To Make Grilled Salmon In Foil
Preheat the grill: It’s important to preheat the grill so the salmon begins to cook as soon as you put it on. Set the grill at medium heat. If you’re cooking on a gas grill, the temperature should be around 400°F.
Season the salmon: Arrange the salmon fillet on a large sheet of heavy duty foil (or a double thickness of regular foil), and brush the fillet with a mixture of melted butter, minced garlic, chopped fresh chives, salt, and pepper. Be generous and just slather it on!
Fold the foil packet: Bring the sides of foil together, double fold to seal, and do the same with the ends.
Grill for 15 minutes: Bring the packet out to the grill, set it on the grate, put the lid down, and grill for about 15 minutes. No peeking! The salmon is steaming right now and you don’t want to let out all the steam.
If you like, before you take the salmon packet off the grill, check the internal temp of the salmon with an instant read thermometer. It should read about 135°F.
Let the salmon rest before serving it: Remove the salmon from the grill, and let it rest about five minutes. Unwrap it and serve! The grilled salmon will be perfectly done, moist, buttery, and tender, with loads of garlicky flavor! You’ll love it!
Make It A Meal
- Grilled sides: Grill seasoned potatoes alongside the salmon. They cook at the same temperature for the same length of time and get wonderfully brown and crispy. Or make a separate foil packet of grilled rosemary potatoes and grill them for 25 to 30 minutes for a wonderful side. Add a couple of grilled zucchini or grilled Brussels sprouts and you’re good to go.
- Make salmon packets that include vegetables: Cut the raw salmon into individual fillets and make a packet for each person. On each sheet of foil, put one salmon fillet, and your choice of vegetables. Try slices of zucchini or summer squash, asparagus spears, cherry tomatoes, or thinly sliced onion. You’ll want to avoid harder vegetables that take longer to cook such as carrots, turnips, or potatoes. Add the garlic butter; seal, and cook. Depending on how many veggies you crammed in there, the salmon should be ready in fifteen to eighteen minutes. Shazam! You’re a magician and dinner is served!
A Note About Aluminum Foil
If you have concerns about grilling food wrapped in aluminum foil, Healthline has more information on this topic. While the risks of ingesting aluminum are apparently very slight, I do want you to be informed about the possibility and allow you to make your own decision. If you are concerned, please try an alternate recipe for cooking salmon listed below.
Make It Your Own
- Baking instructions: Too cold or rainy to grill? No problem! Make “grilled” salmon in foil right in your oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and proceed with the recipe exactly the same way. It will turn out pretty much the same as on the grill.
- Change the seasonings: This salmon recipe can be seasoned however you like. Add more garlic, or use less garlic. Skip the chives or add lemon and dill. Use a soy sauce based marinade. Keep reading for more ideas for salmon.
- Whole30, Paleo, or dairy free: use olive oil instead of butter.
Refrigerate: Wrap leftover salmon well and store in the fridge for up to three days.
Freeze: Cooked salmon can also be wrapped well and frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge for best results. Use thawed salmon like you would canned salmon.
Reheat: Reheat gently in the microwave or enjoy it cold, flaked on a salad or sandwich. Yum!
Have a lot of leftover salmon? Use it to make a casserole, like this easy cheesy salmon casserole by The Spruce Eats, or try delicious salmon patties by my friend Erin at Well Plated.
More Salmon Recipes
Grilled Salmon in Foil with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb. fresh salmon fillet, skin on
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat, approximately 400°F.
- Place salmon, skin side down, on large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, or double sheets of aluminum foil.
- In small bowl, mix together melted butter, garlic, chives, salt, and pepper. Spread mixture evenly over salmon fillet.
- Bringing sides and ends of foil together, enclose salmon inside foil, folding edges to seal.
- Place foil-wrapped salmon on grill grates. Cook, covered, for 15 to 16 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through (135°F). Let rest 5 minutes, unwrap and serve.
Notes
- Salmon packets with vegetables: Cut the raw salmon into individual fillets and make a packet for each person. On each sheet of foil, put one salmon fillet, and your choice of zucchini, summer squash, asparagus spears, cherry tomatoes, or thinly sliced onion. Add the garlic butter, seal, and cook 15 to 18 minutes or until salmon is done and veggies are tender.
- Oven method: preheat oven to 400°F. Proceed with recipe as directed, baking salmon packets 15 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!Verdict: I love this! If you’re a garlic lover, this one is for you. And it smells AMAZING.
Husband’s take: Ben doesn’t love garlic as much as I do, so while this isn’t his favorite salmon preparation, he still doesn’t complain.
Changes I would make: No changes are necessary!
Difficulty: Very easy!
meant “tonight” :/
I got a new Weber bbq and made this for friends a week and a half ago …. It was so easy and delicious …. I cooked it at a little lower temperature for a longer period of time .. So yummy with homemade tartar sauce and lemon …. I’m making it again to night for our Sunday dinner get together. Thanks for a winner!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a review!
looks scrumptious
Can’t go wrong with garlic butter!
Hi Rachel, great recipe and works well, delicious!!
In your hints around cooking with vegetables, I believe you meant to say to avoid harder vegetables like carrots and turnips etc
I did mean to say that, thanks for pointing that out, I appreciate it! Glad you liked the recipe!