There are about 1000 different ways to cook salmon. For our family, I like to keep it an easy weeknight option, so I throw it in foil and stick in on the grill or in the oven. The prep is simple, the cooking time is short, and my people just devour it… those facts make this a win-win recipe in my home!
Everyone has their favorite toppings for their salmon. When they are individually wrapped, I will sometimes cater to all of their choices if I have the ingredients around. My daughter likes her salmon “plain” with just salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, and a little Italian seasoning. Another house favorite is to top the fillet with basil, spinach, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. My husband likes his fish to have some heat, so I will just pour on a little teriyaki sauce with fresh jalapenos or coat the salmon with a bit of habanero raspberry jam to give it the sweet and spicy combo. I also sometimes flavor the fillets with rosemary and lemon or even rub them with a dry barbecue seasoning. You can get fancy and make your own marinades, but pre-bought teriyaki sauce (like our favorite Veri Veri Teriyaki) or jalapeno jam works just as well. Again, the options are endless so give yourself permission to play around with flavors that you and your family prefer!
I usually use fresh salmon fillets with the skin already off. Most cookbooks would agree that wild-caught salmon is preferred over farmed salmon but I often just get what looks best at the fish counter. After all, I live in Nebraska, nothing just got off the boat here people.
The nice thing about putting the salmon in individual packets is that clean up is super easy and the foil keeps the salmon extremely tender. So before you start, make small squares of foil large enough to cover the salmon filets. I drizzle a little olive oil on each piece of foil and then lay the fillet in the middle. I then season the salmon with the toppings of choice and bring the foil together in the middle and then up on each side to make a cute little packet.
To bake the fish, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the foil packets on a baking sheet and place on a middle oven rack for 10-12 minutes.
If you are grilling, pre-heat your gas grill to medium and place the packets directly on the grates. Cook fish for 10-12 minutes.
With either cooking option, you can tell the salmon is done when it is barely opaque in the thickest part of the fish when flaked with the tip of your knife. When you open the packets, be careful of the steam release. Serve with veggies and rice, and you have yourself a quick, healthy meal! Enjoy!
