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.
Thanks for the wonderful recipes! Just wondering, but would I be able to use chicken in place of the fish? Good fish is hard to find in my area.
Hi Naomi! Chicken can get tricky because you don’t want to eat raw chicken. If you would like to use chicken, then this is what I recommend. 1) Cut the chicken and do not use the whole chicken piece. 2) Make sure each chicken piece is small enough to cook faster. 3) I recommend the cutting technique “Sogigiri” which you cut the piece slanted to make flatter and thinner piece (https://www.justonecookbook.com/sogigiri). You don’t want to have a thick piece that will take a longer time to cook.
Before you eat, make sure chicken is cooked through. 🙂
Thank you!
Nami, this is a fantastic recipe. It is foolproof and so versatile. I just wanted to ask if I could use any other fish in place of salmon. Are there any other kinds of fish you recommend, or I shouldn’t use with this recipe? Thanks so much.
Hi Ali! So happy to hear you like this recipe! Yes, you can use other fish like cod, chilian seabass or any oily fish would make a really great soup. 🙂
Soup that leaves in the foil, I meant. 🙂
I just made this for tonight’s dinner. So easy and delicious. I use butter and soy sauce. I’m going to try using other sauce next time. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Stephanie! Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback. xo
Hi, I was wondering if I can make it in the oven. Because we are many in our family and using pan will take long time. And can i skip shimeji mushrooms because I can not find it here.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Sofia! You can skip shimeji mushrooms. 🙂 As for the oven, bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes and see if the salmon is cooked through. 🙂
I made this salmon in foil, so easy and delish. I followed the timing except I heated up the pan first. I usually worry about over cooking the salmon but with this recipe, it was perfect. I drizzle ponzu sauce mixed with sesame oil, and served with Korean style black rice. There were enough veggies in the package that I didn’t have to make a side dish. I will be making the all purpose miso sauce and want to try that over different types of fish.
Hi Jackie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I recently made this for my mother in law who is visiting from Taiwan and she really liked it too! When you use miso, be careful as miso burns easily. Hope you enjoy different versions of this dish! 🙂
What a beautiful and fast way to cook salmon! It has become a go-to recipe for my weeknight dinner. Thank you Nami!
Hi Alicia! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
[…] Salmon in Foil […]
Do you serve the foil packet on the plate as shown in the photos? I am preparing this recipe for guests next week.
Hi Kim! Yes, the guest can open up the foil (be careful with the steam) and juice is still inside the foil. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. It was so easy, quick and delicious, and as a bonus, it was easy to clean up after. I couldn’t get chives so I used spring onions instead.
Hi Melissa! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. 🙂
Here in North America, we have a choice of either Atlantic or Sockeye Salmon. Atlantic salmon tends to be a bit more rich in oil. For this recipe, which works better? I’m just worried that using sockeye salmon may end up a bit dry or overcook? Thoughts?
Hi Ashley! I use Atlantic salmon. 🙂
Is it possible to take the salmon after all the ingredients were added and it was wrapped in foil and place it in the fridge for a few hours? My wife and I work opposite schedules so wanted to prepare it so all she has to do when she gets home is place the foil in the frying pan and cook it.
Hi Jason! That’s very sweet of you. Sure, that will work just fine! 🙂
What do I do with the other half of the onion slices?
Hi Kay! Use the other half for the second salmon. 🙂
Ohhh I see! Thank you.
No problem! Enjoy! 🙂
I’d love to try this dish, but my son can’t eat fish. Can I make a chicken breast version of the packet, and cook them side by side? Do I need to cook the chicken longer? How much longer. Thanks.
Hi Shirley! Sure, you can do it with chicken too, if you like. But please cut into smaller pieces (not one piece or big chunks) because it takes more time to cook through. I’d recommend slicing diagonally (in Japanese, we call this cutting technique sogigiri – to increase the surface to cook faster). If you cut this way AND small pieces, it should be cooked at the same time with your salmon. After you open it, make sure to check if it’s cooked through.
[…] 8. Salmon in Foil 鮭のホイル焼き […]
Thanks for sharing the reciepe, really easy and simple.
Just wondering if we can use parachment paper instead of foil?
Hi EmEm! Thank you for reading this post! Yes, you can use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. 🙂
Thanks! Will try it!
[…] 7. Salmon in Foil […]
Thanks a lot for the recipe! I cooked that two days ago and the result was tasty!
I was thinking to cook noodles (after boiling) with the vegetables instead of salmon next time. Is that a good idea?
Hi Damian! Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Do you mean cooking noodles with vegetables? Sure!