Light yet flavorful, this delicious Salmon in Foil recipe is a perfect meal for a busy weeknight dinner. This quick dish takes 20 minutes from start to finish with easy clean-up! Inspired by the Japanese drama Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories.
Salmon in Foil, or SHA-ke no Hoiru Yaki (鮭のフォイル焼き), is a fast, simple and delicious dish. When I was growing up, my mom would serve a variety of ‘salmon in foil’ for dinner when she was short on time. All you have to do is toss a few ingredients into a foil, wrap it up like a parcel and let it steam over in a frying pan. In no time at all, you have a healthy meal that your family will love.
Salmon and Mushrooms – Netflix “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” Season 2
You can find this Salmon in Foil dish featured on the popular Netflix® show – Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (Season 2, Episode 6). In the show, this dish is called “Salmon and Mushrooms” as they include both salmon and mushrooms.
Salmon in Foil is rather a home-cooked dish in Japan. You rarely find it on the menu at restaurants or Shokudo (食堂) diners. So let’s make it at home!
Why You Should Try This Salmon in Foil Recipe
1. Moist and tender salmon
No one likes dry salmon. Cooking the salmon in foil is all about retaining the moisture and tenderness inside. This method, when cooked over low heat, also ensures a proper steaming process. It locks in all the delicious juice, resulting in a lush and delicate salmon!
2. Versatile recipe
The recipe never gets old in my family because you can switch up the veggies and the seasonings. Salmon pairs well with a range of vegetables, so you can always include seasonal greens to make things interesting.
I included some of my suggestions below. However, I personally love this salmon, mushrooms, and veggie combination. They work very well together with simple seasonings.
3. Quick cook and easy cleanup
As opposed to the oven method, there is no pre-heating required. You can literary cook the salmon in 12 minutes. It’s that FAST! If you can wrap up all the ingredients in foil in 8 minutes, this is a 20-minute meal!!
Since everything is tucked inside the foil, it makes the easiest cleanup. There is also no oil or sauce, so you don’t even have to clean the stove or the frying pan.
Variations for Salmon in Foil
If you enjoyed this recipe and wanted to try out other variations, here are more suggestions for your next dish.
Ingredients
- Enoki mushrooms
- King oyster mushrooms
- Green leafy vegetables (cut vegetables into julienned strips so they will cook fast)
Seasonings
Instead of suggested condiments in the recipe, you can try the following seasonings.
- Butter + Lemon
- Butter + Garlic
- Butter + Shio Koji
- Butter + Soy Sauce
- Butter + Miso
- Butter + Ponzu
- Mayo + Miso
- Mayo + Soy sauce
- Miso + Mirin
- If using salty seasonings, add in sugar, mirin, etc.
My favorite way to enjoy this dish is to drizzle on Homemade Ponzu.
Do We Add Water to the Frying Pan?
I thought some of you may wonder about this – don’t we need to add water to steam the fish? The answer is no; the salmon will be steamed inside the foil, so water is not necessary.
But how about the frying pan? Will it be damaged by the heat? My pan has never damaged by this cooking method. If you are worried, you can add water but you need to cook an extra 2 minutes or longer. The water in the pan distributes gentle heat so it requires more time for the onion to cook through.
Itadakimasu!
With layers of textures and flavors, this salmon in foil is predictably foolproof, every single time. Serve with steamed rice and miso soup, and a side of salad if you have extra time. With this recipe in your back pocket, you will have more reasons to cook healthy meals for yourself and your loved ones.
Other Quick and Easy Recipes
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Salmon in Foil
Video
Ingredients
- 2 skin-on salmon fillets (8.5 oz, 240 g total; I used thin-cut salmon from a Japanese grocery store)
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ onion (3 oz, 85 g)
- 3 oz carrot (2 inches, 5 cm)
- 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms (½ package)
- 2 shiitake mushrooms
- 1½ Tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 Tbsp sake (divided)
For Serving
- 2 leaves chives
- 2 Tbsp ponzu or soy sauce (for drizzling; you can make my homemade ponzu recipe)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Sprinkle Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides of 2 skin-on salmon fillets.
- Thinly slice ½ onion and cut 3 oz carrot into julienne strips.
- Cut off the bottoms of 1.8 oz shimeji mushrooms and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Separate the shimeji mushrooms by hand into small clusters. Thinly slice the shiitake caps.
- Cut 2 leaves chives into small pieces.
To Prepare the Foil Packets
- Prepare 2 sheets of aluminum foil, each 12 x 12 inches (30 x 30 cm). Divide ½ Tbsp unsalted butter and thinly spread it in the center of the foil sheets (reserve the remaining 1 Tbsp unsalted butter for later).
- For one foil packet, place one portion of the onion slices on the foil. Then, put one salmon fillet on top, skin side down.
- Top with one portion of the mushrooms and carrot julienne strips.
- Add ½ Tbsp sake and ½ Tbsp butter on top.
- Bring the top and bottom of the aluminum foil together over the salmon and fold a few times to close the top. Then, bring the sides together and fold a few times to tightly sealed the foil packet. Repeat the same process for the other fillet.
To Cook on the Stovetop
- Place the salmon foil packets in a frying pan and cover with a lid (no need to add water). Cook the salmon over medium heat for 2 minutes, then medium-low heat for 10 minutes. If your salmon is 1–1½ inches thick, cook for 15–18 minutes. Carefully open the foil packet (avoiding the hot steam) to check the doneness, if needed.
To Bake in the Oven (optional)
- Alternatively, you can bake in a preheated 425ºF (218ºC) oven for 15 minutes. For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). If your salmon is 1–1½ inches thick, bake for 18–20 minutes. Carefully open the foil to check the doneness.
To Serve
- Carefully open the foil packets, avoiding the hot steam. Sprinkle with the chopped chives and drizzle each with 1 Tbsp ponzu or soy sauce. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 16, 2017. The post has been edited and republished in April 2020.
Nami, do you remember, several months ago I asked you if you have any dish recipe using Kome Koji like with Shio Koji? I wanted to make Shio Koji with that, but was puzzled because the Kome Koji I bought was brown just like miso, not white. So it just lingered in my fridge.
Then I thought of using Kome Koji and butter for seasoning in this recipe, because I read one of your seasoning suggestion was butter + Shio Koji. Guess what? A cheesy flavor was created by the Kome Koji. Wow! I couldn’t believe it. Previously I had used this Kome Koji for seasoning steak and didn’t turn into anything special. Maybe this time it’s because of the combination with butter, or the different way of cooking. I don’t know. I’m dancing now. At last! I have found something great to make with this Kome Koji.
Hi Shuni! Yes, I remember! Wow thank you so much for sharing your kome koji journey with us! I love reading your experiments and findings and thanks for sharing them! It’s fascinating to hear about the cheesy flavor. Maybe fermentation too?
This is tasty and easy! I try many things! Such as asparagus. Now that it is mushroom season, I add many mushrooms. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Anna! Yes, it’s really easy to put other ingredients in the foil and cook together with fish. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your feedback. xo
Hi Nami,
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I’m very excited to try it.
I was wondering if this recipe is meal-prep/freezer friendly? Could I prepare this in bulk and just pull out the package and cook it throughout the week?
Thank you!
Hi Grace! I hope you enjoy this recipe! Good question about the meal prep… In general, I think the fish release some moisture while keeping in the fridge. So if you prepare ahead, the packet will probably contain excess moisture, which could dilute the taste… However, you can prepare the ingredients separately, and wrap up in the foil right before cooking it. I know it’s extra time needed, but I would probably do that instead. 🙂
Hi Nami! I’ll definitely try to do that and prepare this meal next week. Thank you for your response 🙂
Hope you enjoy, Grace!
Thank you for the recip, I love your recipes!! I would like to make the Salmon in Foil for my book club of 8. Would it work if input the foil packets in the oven instead because there’ll be so many? If yes, at what temperatures and for how long?
Hi Daisy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my recipes! I am so sorry for my late response. Yeah you can use the oven instead. 400F for 15-25 minutes (depending on thickness – my cut is pretty thin).
Hi Nami san, do you have tips on how to clean store bought salmon fillets? And how to debone them too?
Hi Carmen! You can sprinkle some salt and wait for 10-15 minutes, and quickly rinse it, and then use it. Japanese usually don’t debone for this kind of cut as we eat and debone while we eat with chopsticks or fork/knife…. But if you have a fish tweezer (https://amzn.to/2CYyPyg) you can do so before cooking. It’s a lot easier to debone after cooking (but need some technique if you’re not used to it). Hope this helps??
I LOVE this recipe! It is amazingly healthy and no clean up, YES! Thank You
Hi Cathy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I always like your recipes and kind sharing ! thanks!
One question: does putting water into the pan have the same effect as steaming this salmon in foil ? Or if I steam the fish in foil, would it have the same outcome?
Thank you!
Hi June! Thank you for following my blog! 🙂
No, salmon doesn’t get benefit of steaming (moisture) as the fish is wrapped in foil, while steam is going outside of the foil. I do “steam” the fish inside the foil with sake + butter you add (moisture).
Moist and delicious salmon. It is a big hit. The ingredients can easily be customized to accommodate allergies and picky eaters.
Hi Kiyo! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can you substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms? I love mushrooms but my husband can’t eat them. Are there any veggies you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Nattie! Sure, you can do that. Make sure to use veggies that will cook in 10 minutes or use blanched veggies if necessary, or cut thinly if that helps to cook evenly and faster. Any veggies will work – it doesn’t have to be specific. 🙂
Hi Nami,
It was so nostalgic seeing this recipe on here because my host mother used to make it for me all the time when I lived in Japan. One quick question I had in regards to that, when my host mother used to make it for me she always used the oven instead of the pan method in your recipe.
I’m not exactly sure how she did it but it always turned out great. Do you know much about this?
Hi Justin! Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe your host mother made. Sure, you can make it in the oven too! It will take a little longer than frying pan (frying pan heats up fast and cook faster). 🙂
hello! can i use white fish instead of salmon for this?
Yes, you can do that. 🙂
Would this style of cooking work with a smaller, whole fish too? I have some whole mackerel and was hoping to follow this recipe for cooking them.
Hi Josh! Sure, you can definitely use the whole fish too!
Okay, you know I love trying new recipes to begin with, but… these are the ones I truly wait for. Healthy, filling, delicious, AND easy to make. One you can memorize and make it again and again for a quick and healthy dinner. Yatta!!! This is awesome! I just made it and it was delicious! I sprinkled a little Yuzu juice onto mine too and I ate it with edamame pods on the side with ponzu to dip them in, and some Japanese rice. Only thing that would’ve made it better was a little bit of shibazuke and a beer. I should’ve had that too! Lol. I am eating too much.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!! A great trade-off for my usual ochazuke.
Here’s a great tip for those who can’t get Japanese-style salmon filets. Get a skin-on American style salmon filet (about 8oz) and just cut it lengthwise down the middle to make two long, thin filets. I found that this was closer to a Japanese sized portion and with the amount of veggies in there, and when served with rice and a side, it was plenty of food. If you’re not planning to make any other food with it, then you could use a whole filet. Also, you could use skin-off salmon just as easily, but this recipe makes the skin so soft you won’t notice it, if you’re picky about skin.
Hi Lion! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for already making this dish. I know you two enjoy fish, so I thought of you guys. And yes on Yuzu! I am with you on shibazuke – I miss eating it with steamed rice!
Thank you also for sharing your tip on cut on salmon. I’m sure other people think it VERY useful! So thank you!!
I’m so excited about this recipe! Christmas has come early.
Hi Bret! Hope you like this recipe! Merry Christmas to you! xo
Thank you Nami for this amazing recipe and all the recipes that you share with us! I enjoyed mushrooms very much. It provides moisture and adds umami to the dish.
Hi Iris! Thank you for your kind note, and I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. Thank you! Yes, I agree. I appreciate the flavor and texture of mushrooms way more than when I was younger. 🙂
This looks great..Thanks for explanation of no water in pan…I was curious about that aspect….I bet this would work with black cod as well?
Hi Lyn! You’re welcome. 🙂 Sure, try with black cod – If you use miso, make sure you placed some veggies on the bottom of the fish so miso doesn’t get burnt between fish and frying pan. 🙂
Sought out this recipe after seeing it featured on Midnight Diner: Tokyo stories. I used parchment paper instead of tin foil, because I didn’t have foil on hand. There was no obvious difference (tho it was harder to wrap up) and it did not damage my stainless steel pan. The salmon was incredible buttery. I paired the dish with steamed bok choy and drizzled store-bought ponzu sauce on top. In retrospect, I would stick with soy sauce and use less of it. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Nicole!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your feedback.
We are happy to hear the salmon was incredible buttery!
Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us!