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–+ servings
Baked salmon fillet topped with lemon slices, shredded carrots, and mushrooms, served in aluminum foil on a plate, surrounded by various side dishes on a wooden table.

Salmon in Foil

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Moist, tender, and full of flavor, quick and simple Salmon in Foil is the perfect weeknight dinner. This foolproof recipe is easy to cook on the stovetop or in the oven, and cleanup is a breeze. On the table in under 30 minutes!
Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 17 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 skin-on salmon fillets (1 lb, 454 g total for center-cut fillets or 8 oz, 227 g total for Japanese thin-cut fillets)
  • ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ onion (5 oz, 142 g)
  • 2 inches carrot (1.4 oz, 40 g)
  • ½ package shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms (1.8 oz, 50 g)
  • 2 shiitake mushrooms (or more if they are thin and small)
  • 2 lemon slices
  • 1 small bunch chives (for garnish)
  • 1½ Tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
  • 1 Tbsp sake (divided; or use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc)

For Serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Salmon fillets in a tray with soy sauce, lemon, carrot, onion, mushrooms, chives, butter, salt, and pepper arranged on a wooden surface, viewed from above.

To Prepare the Salmon and Vegetables

  • Sprinkle all sides of 2 skin-on salmon fillets with ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (I didn't use all the salt).
    Two side-by-side images showing hands seasoning raw salmon fillets in a metal tray with salt on a wooden surface. The left image shows sprinkling salt; the right image shows rubbing salt into the fish.
  • Peel ½ onion and cut into thin slices.
    Split image: Left side shows hands peeling the skin off a whole onion over a tray; right side shows hands slicing the peeled onion into thin pieces on a wooden cutting board with a knife.
  • Peel 2 inches carrot. Cut it lengthwise into thin slabs, then slice into julienne strips.
    Three-step process: first, hands peel a carrot; next, hands slice the carrot into thin rounds; finally, hands cut the slices into fine julienne strips on a wooden cutting board.
  • Cut off the root end of ½ package shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms and separate them into small clusters with your hands.
    Two images side by side: on the left, hands use a knife to slice the base off a cluster of mushrooms; on the right, hands separate the mushrooms into smaller pieces over a wooden surface.
  • Cut off the stems from 2 shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps.
    Two side-by-side images show hands slicing a brown mushroom on a wooden cutting board with a sharp knife. The left side shows the start of slicing; the right shows thin mushroom slices being cut.
  • Gather your onion, carrot, and mushrooms on a tray or plate. Now, cut 2 lemon slices from 2 lemon slices. Mince 1 small bunch chives and set aside for garnish.
    Three-panel image: left panel shows sliced carrots, mushrooms, and onions in a metal tray; middle panel shows a hand slicing a lemon; right panel shows a hand finely chopping chives on a wooden cutting board.

To Assemble the Foil Packets

  • Prepare 2 sheets of aluminum foil, each 12 x 12 inches (30 x 30 cm); use a larger piece if your salmon is bigger than mine. Thinly coat the centers using ½ Tbsp butter, spreading it into a rectangle that's the same length as a fillet and 2–3 times as wide. (Reserve the remaining 1 Tbsp butter for later.) In the buttered section of each foil, place a bed of sliced onion that's about the same size as a fillet.
    Nami's Tip: To make the packet with parchment paper instead, see the end of this recipe.
    Two photos side by side: one shows hands spreading butter on foil; the other shows hands arranging sliced onions on the buttered foil.
  • Lay a salmon fillet, skin side down, on the onions. Then, place small piles of julienned carrot on the left and right sections of the fillet, keeping the middle open.
    Two side-by-side images: hands wrapping a raw salmon fillet with grated carrots and onions in foil on the left, and the unwrapped salmon with vegetables on foil on the right.
  • Pile the shimeji and shiitake mushrooms on top of the carrots. Next, lay a lemon slice in the middle of each fillet and top with ½ Tbsp butter.
    Two side-by-side images show uncooked salmon fillets on foil with onions, mushrooms, and julienned carrots; the right image adds a lemon slice and a pat of butter on top of the salmon.
  • Raise up the foil sides and drizzle ½ Tbsp sake on each fillet. To close the packet, bring the top and bottom edges of the foil together above the salmon. Fold it over a few times to seal, keeping the foil snug against the ingredients so they stay in place.
    A person prepares foil-baked salmon with vegetables, pouring liquid over the fish in one image and folding the foil to seal the packet in the other, all on a wooden surface.
  • Then, fold up the left and right sides a few times to seal.
    Two side-by-side images: on the left, hands wrap food in aluminum foil; on the right, two foil-wrapped packages rest on a wooden surface.

To Cook

  • You can cook the salmon one of two ways:
    Stovetop – Place the packets in a dry frying pan (I use stainless steel or carbon steel) and cover with a lid. Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Then, reduce to medium low and gently cook 15 minutes for center-cut fillets (1 to 1½ inches thick) or 10 minutes for thinner fillets.
    Nami's Tip: If you're using a non-stick pan, you may want to add water. If you're cooking four packets, use two pans.
    Two images: left shows two foil-wrapped ears of corn in a stainless steel pan on a stove; right shows the same pan covered with a metal lid, also positioned on the stove.
  • Oven – Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Place the packets on a baking sheet in the oven and cook 15–18 minutes for center-cut fillets (1 to 1½ inches thick) or 10 minutes for thinner fillets.
    Two foil-wrapped items are baking on a baking sheet in an oven. The left image shows the oven door open with no hands, while the right image shows a hand with a green oven mitt reaching in.
  • It's done when the thickest part of the fillet registers an internal temperature of 125–130°F (52–54ºC). If you prefer medium rare, stop cooking at 120ºF (49ºC). 

To Serve

  • Open the packets carefully to avoid burning your hands with the hot steam. Sprinkle with minced chives. Place the opened foil pouches on individual plates and serve immediately. At the table, drizzle each fillet with 1 Tbsp ponzu (or lemon juice + soy sauce mixture) and enjoy.
    Two images show a baked salmon fillet in foil topped with lemon slices and herbs. In the first, a hand adds garnishes. In the second, a hand pours sauce over the salmon. Rice and side dishes are visible in the background.

To Store

  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 weeks.

To Make Packets with Parchment Paper

  • Alternatively, you can make the packets using parchment paper. Prepare 2 large parchment sheets that are big enough to fold over the food with ample space left on the three open sides for folding and steaming; see my image below.
    Fold the paper in half, crease, then open flat. On one half of each sheet, spread a bed of sliced onions about an inch from the fold line (no need to coat with butter). Place the salmon fillet skin side down on the onions.
    Two images side by side: on the left, a hand arranges sliced onions on parchment paper; on the right, a raw salmon fillet is placed on top of the onion slices, also on parchment paper.
  • Add the julienned carrots in small piles on the right and left sections of each fillet, leaving the middle open. Add the shimeji and shiitake mushrooms on top of the carrots. For each fillet, place a lemon slice in the middle, top with ½ tablespoon butter, and drizzle with ½ Tbsp sake.
    Two photos: Left, hands arranging julienned carrots on a raw salmon fillet placed on sliced onions; right, the salmon is topped with mushrooms, a lemon slice, and a pat of butter, all on parchment paper.
  • Make the packet: Fold the paper in half over the salmon. Starting on a left side, fold the edges together 3 times, creasing each fold well. Next, fold and crease the front side 3 times.
    Two images show hands folding parchment paper around pieces of salmon and pats of butter on a wooden surface, preparing fish en papillote for cooking.
  • Repeat on the right side.
    Two side-by-side images show hands folding parchment paper around seasoned food, preparing it for baking on a wooden surface. The food, including butter, is partially visible through the translucent paper.
  • Fold back the corners twice (at least) in the opposite direction and press well. This helps to secure the seal.
    Two images side by side: both show food wrapped in parchment paper. The left image is on a wooden surface, and the right image is on a metal baking tray. Visible through the paper are slices of butter and vegetables.
  • Cook using either method described above. When it's done, cut open the top with kitchen shears, taking care to avoid the hot steam. Sprinkle with minced chives, then serve each packet at the table with 1 Tbsp ponzu (or a mixture of lemon juice + soy sauce) on the side.
    Two side-by-side images: on the left, hands use scissors to cut open a parchment paper packet; on the right, the packet is open to reveal cooked salmon with lemon, carrots, mushrooms, and herbs on a baking tray.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 430mg, Potassium: 960mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 7459IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg
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