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salmon filets on a bed of greens and chickpeas
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3.86 from 7 votes

Baked Salmon in Foil Recipe

Enclosing salmon in a foil packet keeps it moist and tender while it cooks. Cook the salmon over chard and chickpeas and finish with lemon dijon mustard sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Keyword: easy dinner, foil-packet, seafood, sheet pan meal
Servings: 4
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $12.00

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Half Sheet Pan
  • aluminum foil

Ingredients

Salmon, Chickpeas, and Greens:

  • 4 large leaves Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves finely chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (sub white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons capers, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 4 fillets salmon (about 6 ounces each; see note)
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Creamy Lemon Dijon Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon honey
  • Pinch Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Place a large piece of foil on top of a sheet pan. Toss chard and chickpeas with vinegar, olive oil, capers, garlic, and salt. Spread out on one half of the sheet pan.
  • Top chard and chickpeas with salmon. Season salmon with some salt and pepper and top with the lemon slices.
  • Enclose salmon and seal foil tightly. (Note: You may have to really compress the chard to fit inside the foil packet. It will seem like a lot, but will cook way down.)
  • Transfer sheet pan with salmon to oven and cook until salmon flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. (This will vary a bit depending on the thickness of your salmon. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and registers between 125˚F and 145˚F in the thickest part. See note for tips on the ideal temperature for baked salmon.)
  • While salmon cooks, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and a pinch of salt.
  • Serve creamy lemon sauce over salmon and greens. Enjoy!

Notes

How to tell when the salmon is done - The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F. This yields well-done salmon. However, salmon will continue cooking in the residual heat of the pan when you are done, so you can remove it from the oven when it is between 125˚F and 135˚F and leave it in the foil packet so that it gently continues heating through. If the salmon flakes easily with a fork, this is also a great indication that it is done cooking.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 672mg | Potassium: 1116mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3022IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg