How To Make the Best Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil

Tender, flaky salmon drenched in garlic butter is, hands-down, the best thing to cook on your grill this summer. It’s exactly what you need to break up the tired cycle of burgers, chicken, and hot dogs, and it’s by far the easiest way to serve salmon to a crowd.

Salmon can be intimidating to buy and cook (especially a large side of it), but this smart technique is totally foolproof. That’s right — seasoning salmon with garlic, lemon, and butter and wrapping it tightly in foil guarantees success every single time. Here’s how to make the best garlic butter salmon in foil.

Salmon in foil is essentially a large-scale version of salmon en papillote, which is a fancy way of saying salmon “steamed in pouch.” There are a lot of reasons to love pouch cooking, especially when it comes to fish: You can prepare it in advance, it’s easy to grill or bake, it cooks evenly, and cleanup is a breeze. Plus, the steam created by the pouch results in super-moist fish. Our favorite version of this classic preparation? Garlic butter salmon, of course.

Purchasing a whole side of salmon — about two pounds and enough to feed a small crowd — can feel more intimidating than buying individual fillets, but it’s actually very straightforward. Remember that color and smell are the best indicators of quality, and don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with the fishmonger at the counter and ask for their recommendations. Contrary to popular belief, farmed salmon is a perfectly fine option, as is frozen. When buying fresh salmon, the most important factor is that it’s sustainably raised (your fishmonger will be able to tell you). If you opt for frozen salmon, be sure to purchase a Marine Stewardship Council-certified label brand.

You’ll want the salmon to have a vibrant pink hue, and it should smell clean but not fishy. Ask the fishmonger to remove the scales and pinbones for you, which will get you one step closer to cooking when you get home.

Read more: 3 Common Myths About Buying Salmon You Need to Know

Give the salmon a quick brine. The first step is to submerge the salmon in a salt-water brine, which both seasons the salmon and reduces the amount of white albumin that often cooks out of the fish. An hour of brining will give you time to chop the garlic and onions and heat the grill.

Make a large foil package. Your salmon needs some room inside its foil cocoon for air to circulate around it — an 18-inch foil square should do it. If you’ve got a narrow roll of foil, don’t hesitate to layer two or even three sheets of foil to make it wide enough.

Season the salmon and layer on the butter. Once the salmon is brined and your packet is ready, pat the salmon dry and top with garlic, onions, and lemon juice. Before closing up the packet, layer on thinly sliced lemons and pats of butter. Tightly seal the packet before taking it to the grill or sticking it in the oven.

This is the best part about salmon in foil: it’s equally as delicious on the grill as it is in the oven. Both methods yield tender, flaky, buttery salmon. Cook the salmon with the packet tightly closed for the first 15 minutes, then carefully (there will be steam) open the packet and cook for an additional five to eight minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon.

A probe thermometer in the thickest part should read 135°F. Rest the salmon for five minutes before slicing. A cake or pie server is particular adept for serving the salmon: Use it to cut through the salmon, then slip it right between the skin and the salmon to serve.