Grilled Salmon in Foil with Garlic Butter

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.

I love the idea of cooking outside and grilling gives such great flavor to meats, veggies and even fruit. Burgers, chicken, 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!

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.

Storage & Reheating Tips

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!

Leftover Love

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.

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!