This easy, all-in-one salmon foil packet with potatoes, snow peas, and tomatoes gets its tangy flavor from harissa paste, a North African spice blend. Baking in foil makes the salmon super tender and cleanup is a breeze! This dinner is designed for two, but easily scales up or down.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
This little menu-in-a-package highlights the method of steaming fish in the oven and is outrageously simple.
What is a foil pack?
Foil packets are a great way to cook salmon (and many other things) for a tender and juicy texture.
A foil pack is a ruffled foil wrapper that encloses fish and vegetables in layers. The ingredients steam in their own moisture in the oven or on the grill. Not only is this method foolproof, it is a very healthy alternative to frying and good for delicate fish, including salmon.
They’re easier to make than the French “en papillote” (cooked in parchment paper) because sealing the foil doesn’t require any special technique, but the end result is the same.
In addition to great taste The real kick in favor of foil packaging is the minimal cleaning!
Food can stick to the foil. To avoid this I either oil the foil or cut out a piece of parchment to place on the foil and then layer the ingredients. If you have non-stick film or oil the film well, you can skip the parchment layer.
What is Harissa?
Harissa paste is a North African spice blend made from hot red chilies, garlic, caraway, cumin and coriander. It’s usually very spicy, so use a little less if you overheat easily, or add more if you love spicy food.
Harissa usually comes in a Insert (tube or glass) or powdered (similar to dried spices).
I prefer the paste that comes in a tube. As I live close to several middle eastern groceries it is easy to find. You can also find it online.
If you can’t find the paste, you may be able to find the dried powder in the spice section of your supermarket. To use dried harissa powder, start by mixing 1/2 teaspoon into the mayonnaise, taste and adjust to your liking.
If those two options fail, add some hot sauce, garlic, coriander, and cumin to the mayo to taste.
How I Make Harissa Salmon
For this recipe, I borrowed the old New England trick of grilling blue fish with Russian dressing, but I swapped out the Russian dressing for harissa-infused mayonnaise. The results are in!
My better half loved how the flavorful sauce infused the fish and veggies and how juicy and tender the salmon was. I also loved how easy it was to get dinner ready in a hurry!
The best salmon for foil packs
There are many types of salmon to choose from – Scottish, Norwegian, Icelandic, US Atlantic and Canadian to name a few.
The best salmon for this dish is actually the one that’s available to you the day you buy it! My local store usually stocks Atlantic Salmon (which I used for this recipe) and maybe another choice.
For the foil packs, I asked for the skin to be removed so there would be no barrier between the fish and the flavors in the pack.
What to serve with salmon foil packets
Vegetables are already included in these packets of salmon, but you can never have too many vegetables on your plate. So feel free to add a Fattoush salad, coconut rice and a nice chilled Bee’s Knees cocktail.
Tips for getting ahead and freezing foil packs
I don’t recommend making the packets ahead of time and freezing them as the veggies and salmon would lose a lot of their texture and fresh flavor. This is such a simple dish; Freezing just isn’t a good compromise.
However, you can compose the packages up to a day in advance. Take them straight from the fridge to the oven and add a few minutes to the baking time.
More recipes with harissa
- Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken with Carrots and Cauliflower
- Seared harissa salmon in a skillet with vegetables
- Hearty roasted vegetables and chicken stew
- Couscous with pistachios and apricots
Simple salmon foil packets with vegetables
ingredients
For the harissa mayonnaise:
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1/4 Cup mayonnaise
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1 teaspoon Harissa Paste
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1 teaspoon honey
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1 tablespoon lime juice
For the salmon parcels:
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2 to 4 teaspoon olive oil
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1 yellow potato (6 ounces) Potatocut very thin
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1/4 teaspoon Salt
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1/8 teaspoon pepper
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2 handfuls (4 ounces) fresh sugar snaptrimmed ends
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12 to 16 cherry tomatoeshalved
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2 teaspoon lime juice
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2 (6 ounces) skinless salmon fillets
For garnish:
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1 limethinly sliced
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Chopped Parsely
method
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Preheat the oven:
up to 375°F
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Make the Harissa Mayonnaise:
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, harissa paste, honey, and lime juice.
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Assemble package:
On a work surface, place an 18-inch piece of foil, preferably nonstick, with the long side parallel to the countertop. Brush the front of the foil with 1 teaspoon oil. (Optional: Instead of oiling the foil, cut a piece of parchment that is 9″ x 12″ and place it over one half of the foil.)
Arrange half the potatoes on the oiled side of the foil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Place half of the snow peas over the potatoes, followed by half of the cherry tomatoes. Lightly salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tsp oil. Drizzle with 1 tbsp lime juice. Place a salmon fillet on top of the vegetables and spread with half of the harissa mayonnaise.
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Fold and seal the package:
Fold the foil over the fish so the ends meet. Fold all three open sides to leave about a 1 inch border and crimp to seal the package tightly. Place on a baking sheet.
Repeat with the second sheet of foil, vegetables and salmon.
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Bake packet:
Bake the packets for 20 to 22 minutes or until the salmon and vegetables are cooked through.
Carefully open one of the packages to take a look. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the fish should read 140oF on an instant read thermometer.
(Note that the fish will continue to cook for a few minutes after it is removed from the oven.)
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Serve the salmon:
Carefully open the packets (expect hot steam to escape). Place a large spatula under the potatoes and transfer the vegetables and fish to plates. Garnish with the lime wedges and a few sprinkles of chopped parsley. Serve with rice if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 755 | calories |
| 47g | Fat |
| 42g | carbohydrates |
| 43g | protein |
