Ginger Salmon in Foil Packets
This Asian Ginger Salmon in Foil Packets is a healthy and delicious meal, featuring juicy salmon, vegetables and fresh herbs. It takes only 30 minutes to cook and cleaning up is like a breeze.
The idea behind this ginger salmon foil packet recipe stems from how we make Vietnamese steamed fish. Ingredients are almost the same, but using foil packs makes it easier to clean up. In addition, it allows us to choose between baking the fish in the oven or steaming on the stovetop. It turns out great either way.
All the aromas released from ginger, garlic, and herbs are contained inside the foil and infuse the fish, making it smell amazing. When you open the foil packet, the fragrant steam coming out is irresistible.
Main Ingredients
To make this Asian salmon in foil recipe, you will need the following main ingredients:
- Salmon fillet: it’s best to use the ones that are around 1-inch thick and 6-8 oz in weight. I avoid pieces that are over 1 1/2-inch thick when I make this dish because it will take much longer to cook.
- Baby bok choy (optional): this Asian vegetable is very nutritious. It’s one of the veggies we eat on a regular basis.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: they add an earthiness aroma to the dish. Asian grocery stores are the best place to find them. If that isn’t an option, you can substitute with fresh shiitake mushrooms.
- Onion, lots of ginger, garlic, scallion, and dill: these ingredients make the dish smell amazing. Ginger goes very well with both salmon and baby bok choy.
- Soy sauce: just a small amount of soy sauce is enough to add savory and umami to the dish. I use Kikkoman soy sauce.
Other Types of Fish You Can Cook in Foil
Salmon is not the only fish you can bake in foil or steam. You can also use white-fleshed fish such as cod, halibut or grouper instead of salmon for this recipe. Different types of fish will result in some slight differences in taste and texture.
How to Cook Salmon in Foil Packets
The first step is to wrap all ingredients in foil. Lay a large piece of foil on a clean surface and add onion and baby bok choy as the bottom layer. Then put the salmon on that bed of veggies. Top it with all the remaining aromatic ingredients. Seal the foil packet, and bake or steam until salmon is cooked to your desired doneness.
You can choose to bake the packets in the oven or steam it on the stovetop. I sometimes like the baking method more because it doesn’t heat up the kitchen or creates cooking odors as much as cooking on the stovetop. The advantage of steaming is it is faster, so if you have a really thick salmon fillet, you may want to go with the steaming route.
It’s possible to put all ingredients directly on a plate and steam the whole thing instead of wrapping in foil. However, I find that when wrapped in foil, the fish will be cooked more gently and as a result, will be more juicy and moist.
Make It A Meal
It’s best to serve this ginger salmon in foil with steamed rice. The veggies and the fish will release delicious juice which will combine with the soy sauce to create a yummy sauce. You will want to have some rice to soak up that sauce.
On the side, you can add some light salads or soups, such as the following:
- Easy Asian Carrot Salad
- Tofu Cucumber Salad
- Green Salad with Sesame Dressing
- Lotus Root Soup with Goji Berries
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Ginger Salmon in Foil Packets
Ingredients
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons peeled and julienned ginger
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2-2/3 cup sliced)
- 2 scallion stalks, cut into 2-inch long sections
- 1/4 cup chopped dill, about 2-inch long sections
- 4 oz baby bok choy, quartered and cut into 3-inch long sections (optional)
- 2 salmon fillets (6-8 oz each, about 1-inch thick)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (plus more for greasing)
- salt
- black pepper
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400โ (or 200โ).
- Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in plenty of hot water for 2-3 minutes. Once they are plump, slice thinly. Mince garlic, julienne ginger, slice onion, chop scallions and dills into 2-inch long pieces, quarter and cut baby bok choy into 3-inch long sections. Divide all these ingredients into two equal parts.
- Place a large piece of foil on a clean surface. Lightly grease the center area with olive oil. Scatter half of the onions and baby bok choy in the center area. Then place a salmon fillet on top of the veggies. Sprinkle salt and black pepper on top and then drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the salmon.
- Continue to arrange half of the sliced dried shiitake mushrooms, julienned ginger and minced garlic evenly on top of the salmon. Finally top with half of the scallions and dills. Sprinkle more black pepper on top and then drizzle 2 teaspoons of soy sauce evenly over everything.
- Fold and seal the packet. Wrap the second salmon fillet with all remaining ingredients in the same way.
- Bake the foil packets in the oven for 15-18 minutes (internal temperature should be about 125-130โ), or until desired doneness. Cooking time will depend on thickness of the salmon. You can also set up a steamer and steam the foil packets, which will be slightly faster than baking.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
Nutrition
