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Garlic Butter Baked Salmon in Foil with Asparagus

Garlic butter baked salmon in foil with asparagus is a quick, hands-off oven dinner where a lemon-garlic butter sauce soaks into the fish and crisp-tender veggies. The foil packets help the salmon steam-flake tender while the asparagus stays bright and firm.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon & Asparagus
  • 4 salmon fillets about 6 oz each
  • 1 asparagus bunch, woody ends trimmed
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced
Garlic Lemon Butter
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped (plus extra for garnish)
  • 0.25 tsp salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and packet assembly
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line up 4 large sheets of foil on a sheet pan. Keep the foil ready so you can assemble packets quickly.
  2. Divide the asparagus among the foil sheets, then place 1 salmon fillet on top of each pile. Arrange the fish so it sits evenly over the asparagus.
  3. Whisk the melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, dill, salt, and black pepper until combined. The mixture should look uniform with visible garlic and herbs.
  4. Spoon the garlic-lemon butter evenly over each salmon fillet so it coats the top. Make sure some sauce also flows toward the edges of the foil.
  5. Top each fillet with 2–3 lemon slices, then fold the foil into sealed packets. Press the seams firmly to prevent steam leaks.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake the foil packets for 15–18 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Check doneness when the salmon flakes easily and the asparagus is crisp-tender.
  2. Carefully open the packets and garnish with extra dill. Serve straight from the foil while the salmon is hot and steamy.

Notes

For the crisp-tender asparagus, bake only until the salmon flakes easily at the center and the asparagus still has bite. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days; reheat gently until warmed through, ideally in the oven or microwave in short bursts. Freezing is not recommended because the asparagus texture softens after thawing. Dietary swap: use salted butter and reduce added salt to taste for an easy flavor adjustment.