Flaky, perfectly baked lemon parmesan salmon & asparagus in foil is an easy and healthy 30 minute meal with fantastic flavor.
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This recipe. It’s EVERYthing. It’s my go-to dinner for rescuing busy Tuesdays and the dish to impress company for any occasion. Healthy, delicious, easy, and quick…all wrapped up in one delicious package.
My brother drove up from Arizona last week and showed up completely unannounced at my Dad’s birthday party. It was a total surprise but much needed. We chat almost daily – usually via text, often at 1:30 in the morning, sometimes on the phone – but I only see him in person a couple of times a year. Annnnnyway, back to the point. We had my brother and my sister (who I see on a much more regular basis but who had yet to come over for dinner) and this salmon was on the menu.
Luckily, it was a huge hit and that ginormous salmon you see in these photos?? We devoured every last bite of it! Also? There are very few things I love more in this world than a main dish and a side dish made in one pan. So little prep, so little cleanup, and everything is done at the same time! This is the magic meal you’ve been looking for your whole life — trust me!
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN BAKED LEMON PARMESAN SALMON IN FOIL?
Very few ingredients make for very happy dinner guests! (And one happy cook!)
- Salmon fillet (or smaller fillets)
- Asparagus spears
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Lemons
- Minced garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs for topping (optional)
HOW DO YOU MAKE BAKED LEMON PARMESAN SALMON IN FOIL?
Since I never see my brother, and I wanted to spend as much time as possible with both him and my sister over this very low-key dinner, I whipped this all up in one sheet pan. Easier on all of us and more time for us to chat and catch up!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with cooking spray.
Next, place the large salmon fillet in the center (or the smaller ones in the center) and arrange the asparagus on both sides of the salmon using up both sides of the pan. Add lemon slices under the edges of the salmon and then salt the fish and the asparagus with salt and pepper.
To melt the butter and add the seasonings, get out a sauce pan and put the butter in over medium high heat. When it’s melted add the garlic and Italian seasonings and give it a good mix. Pour the butter and seasonings over the salmon and the asparagus. Then sprinkle the parmesan over both as well.
Put in the oven to bake for 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler and cook it the rest of the way for another 5-7 minutes. Take it out and serve, adding fresh herbs as a garnish if you want to be fancy like that.
WAYS TO CUSTOMIZE BAKED SALMON
If you want to change this baked salmon recipe up a little, you can try the following ideas:
- Add a cup and a half of panko breadcrumbs to the parmesan cheese and mix together before sprinkling over and baking to give a nice crunchy coat to the salmon and asparagus.
- You can half the butter if you’d like to save on calories and fat. It will still cook just fine in its own salmon fat, but won’t be as buttery tasting.
- To the Italian seasoning, add a little spice with some red pepper flakes or smoked paprika.
- Swap the asparagus for smaller cuts of broccoli or cauliflower, zucchini or yellow squash disks, bell peppers and onions, or any veggie you like.
- Swap out the Italian seasonings for some Cajun ones!
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD SALMON BE COOKED TO?
For ideal doneness, cook salmon to 145 degrees. If you’re using a meat thermometer you should check the temperature at the thickest part of the salmon, if that’s done, then it’s all done. However, you can also check by doing a “flake” test: Pull at the salmon with a fork, if it flakes easily, then your salmon is done.
IDEAS FOR SERVING BAKED SALMON
I usually serve this Italian Baked Salmon with a side of rice or noodles.
I also like to serve it with a tossed salad too (not everyone likes asparagus or vice-versa and top the salad off with a nice balsamic vinaigrette.
This also works well with a fresh baguette cut into thick slices or homemade rolls.
If you’re feeding a bigger crowd, try serving a hearty pasta dish on the side as well. Ones that I think complement the salmon include Greek Tortellini, Spaghetti Pasta Salad, or Creamy Avocado Pasta.
What people are saying about this Baked Lemon Parmesan Salmon & Asparagus in Foil
“This is so delicious! I have made it several times and have found that it is still wonderful no matter what green veggie you pair it with. Thank you for sharing this recipe!” – Lisa
“This is fantastic! It was so easy and it’s scrumptious! One of those recipes I’ll be making weekly! 
” – Gail
“Made this tonight and it was a hit! All 3 of my kids chowed and we are fighting over leftovers! We will be making this again (just without so much butter).” – Rose
Baked Lemon Parmesan Salmon & Asparagus in Foil
Ingredients
- 1 large salmon fillet - (or 4-6 single portion fillets)
- 1 pound asparagus spears - ends trimmed
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup butter
- juice of 1 medium lemon - plus additional lemon slices for garnish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- optional: fresh herbs for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Arrange salmon in the center of the pan and arrange asparagus around the sides of the pan. Arrange lemon slices under the edges of the salmon. Season salmon and asparagus with salt and pepper.
- In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Once melted stir in garlic, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Pour mixture over salmon and asparagus. Sprinkle parmesan over salmon and asparagus.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then change oven to broil and cook another 5-7 minutes. Top with fresh herbs if desired and serve.
made this tonight and it was awesome! Will definitely make again. I used broccoli in place of asparagus.
Yum! I have done that swap as well and enjoyed it! thanks for your feedback, Christina! Glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I added diced tomatoes on top and a combo of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Yummy
That sounds super delicious, Cindy! Thanks for sharing!
This Recipe was so deliCious! Unfortunately, My asparagus went bad before i could use it, so I used broccoli instEad. Still, this was such a delicious meal! I would recommend putting the lemon juice in the butter, or putting the lemon rounds on the salmon for more flavor. I went heavy on the garlic because i love garlic!
Fantastic job, Logen! Way to use what you had on hand. Thanks for sharing your input!
Im juat now Reading below that yiu say to wrap it In The foil for baking….. maybe you can include that in Your direction because mine is already in the Oven. Also maybe yiu can include i. THre recipe what to do woth the lemmon Juice.
This is so delicious! I have made it several times and have found that it is still wonderful no matter what green veggie you pair it with. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Perfect!! I love this recipe with green beans or broccoli as well!! Thanks for your feedback, Lisa!
This is fantastic! It was so easy and it’s scrUmptious! One of those recipes i’ll be making weekly! 😋
This makes me so excited! So happy you love this dish so much!! Thanks for stopping by, Gail! 🙂
Mine didn’t look like your finished product … did you bRoil your salmon for the photos? Also a little disappointing in the flavor department – i won’t bE making thIs aGain
Hi Teresa- Yes, I did broil it at the end! The last step of the recipe calls for the salmon to be broiled. Sorry you didn’t love this dish! 🙂
Made this tonight And it was a hit! All 3 of my kids chowed and we are fighting over leftovers! We will be making this again (just without so much bUtter…)
You can’t beat kid approved! Right? Happy to hear that you all enjoyed this dish!
Is this gluten free
Omg so good! Even my salmon hating daughter loved it!
This is a dish I try to get the salmon haters I know to try- they all love it and never look back!
Delicious, fast and. Easy! I Forgot the lemOn juice and just used slIces and It was still great!
I made this dish for dinner tonight. It was quick and easy and really delicious! Thanks!
this was heavenly, one of the very best salmon recipes i’ve tried thanks
Hi! Do you wrap everything in foil before baking or just line the pan with it?
Wrap it up in the foil first. 🙂
If you are using individual pieces of salmon do you wrap them all together or individually?
They shouldn’t need to be individually!
This was fabulous! I made w/o the parm (per families request) & it came out perfect! I’m sure the parm would be good too, but we’ll try that another day. Thank you!