Effortless Baked Salmon in Foil with Zesty Chimichurri: Your Ultimate Healthy Meal Prep Solution
Discover an incredibly easy baked salmon in foil recipe that’s perfect for meal prepping and weeknight dinners! Crowned with a vibrant, homemade chimichurri-style sauce, this dish is a flavor powerhouse.
Fuel your body and brain with this outstandingly simple yet sophisticated meal! This recipe for baked salmon in foil isn’t just delicious; it’s a testament to healthy eating made effortless. It requires minimal hands-on time, yet delivers a gourmet experience without the guilt of excessive calories. Get ready to fall in love with the sheer goodness of perfectly baked salmon, elevated by a fresh, tangy, and herbaceous chimichurri sauce.
Why Baked Salmon in Foil is Your New Weeknight Hero
Preparing salmon in foil is truly a game-changer for busy individuals. This method locks in moisture, ensuring your salmon comes out incredibly tender and flaky every single time. It also infuses the fish with all the delightful seasonings, creating a harmonious blend of flavors. And let’s not forget the cleanup – simply discard the foil, and you’re done! It’s efficient, effective, and results in a meal that tastes like it took hours, not minutes.
Our star ingredient, salmon, is renowned for its incredible health benefits. Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, it’s a fantastic “brain food” that supports cognitive function and overall well-being. Beyond its nutritional profile, salmon is an excellent source of lean protein, making it ideal for muscle repair and keeping you feeling full and satisfied. This recipe ensures you get all these benefits in a delicious and easy-to-digest package.
The Star of the Show: Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
What truly elevates this baked salmon is the vibrant, homemade chimichurri-style sauce. While the classic chimichurri hails from Argentina and Uruguay, our version captures its essence – a fresh, olive oil and herb-based condiment that brightens any dish. We quickly pulse together a handful of fresh ingredients in a food processor while the salmon bakes. The aroma alone is enough to get your taste buds tingling!
This sauce is a blend of fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, scallions, red wine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, and a touch of red pepper flakes for a subtle kick. Its zesty, garlicky, and herbaceous notes cut through the richness of the salmon beautifully, adding an explosion of fresh flavor that transforms a simple fish fillet into a culinary delight. A generous dollop on top of the almost-finished salmon, followed by a quick broil, creates a delectable crust and allows the flavors to meld perfectly.
Meal Prepping Made Simple: Your Key to Healthy Eating
Life can be incredibly hectic, and staying on track with healthy eating often feels like a monumental task. This baked salmon in foil with chimichurri is your perfect ally for meal prepping. Its simplicity means you can whip up multiple portions in one go, setting yourself up for nutritious meals throughout the week. Imagine having a delicious, protein-packed option ready to go for lunch or a quick dinner after a long day – no fuss, just wholesome goodness.
For me, easy and nutritious meals like this become essential during busy periods. Currently, I’m knee-deep in packing for a multi-stop trip down the West Coast, and the thought of planning elaborate meals is simply overwhelming. The temperature swings from Seattle to Los Angeles, and then to San Francisco, are making layering a crucial (and challenging!) strategy for my wardrobe. It’s a logistical puzzle trying to fit everything into a manageable luggage situation while maintaining my “wannabe minimalist traveler” vibe – spoiler alert, it’s not quite working out!
During such times, having a go-to recipe that fuels my brain with plenty of protein and good fats, without adding to my stress, is invaluable. This baked salmon checks all those boxes, providing the energy and nourishment needed to tackle any packing conundrum or travel itinerary.
Choosing the Right Salmon for Optimal Flavor and Texture
The foundation of any great salmon dish is, of course, the salmon itself. Just like with most of my baked salmon in foil recipes, I highly encourage you to invest in good quality, wild-caught salmon. Varieties like Sockeye or Coho salmon offer phenomenal flavor and a beautiful texture that stands up well to baking. Their natural oils and firm flesh prevent the fish from becoming watery or mushy, a common issue with lower-quality or farmed pink salmon.
Quality truly does matter here. Wild-caught salmon typically has a richer flavor profile and a firmer texture compared to farmed salmon, which can sometimes be fattier and less flavorful. By starting with a superior ingredient, you ensure a superior outcome. This simple choice makes all the difference in achieving that perfectly flaky, tender filet that you’ll absolutely love.
Simple Steps to a Delicious Meal
This recipe truly is low maintenance, embodying the philosophy of quick and delicious cooking. It begins with minimal seasoning for the salmon: a tablespoon of quality olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and one minced clove of garlic. This simple blend enhances the salmon’s natural flavor without overpowering it. Once seasoned, the salmon goes into the oven, wrapped snugly in foil, allowing it to gently steam and cook to perfection while you prepare the vibrant chimichurri sauce.
For the chimichurri, gather your ingredients: fresh parsley and cilantro, garlic cloves, scallions, red wine vinegar, lime juice, a hint of red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss them into a food processor and pulse until you achieve a chunky, bright green sauce. The beauty of this method is its speed and how it preserves the fresh, lively flavors of the herbs. As the salmon nears completion, carefully unwrap the foil, spread a generous spoonful of the freshly made chimichurri over the top, and place it under the broiler for just 2-3 minutes. This final step gives the salmon a lovely, slightly caramelized exterior and allows the chimichurri to truly bloom, creating an irresistible finish.
Versatile Serving Suggestions & Meal Prep Ideas
What you’re left with is an incredibly tender, flaky filet of fish, bursting with flavor. This versatile dish is perfect for a myriad of serving options. Dice it up and add it to your favorite green salad for a power-packed lunch, or serve it alongside steamed or roasted vegetables for a light yet satisfying dinner. You won’t even need extra salad dressing, as the vibrant chimichurri doubles as a fantastic, healthy dressing, drizzled liberally over your feel-good bowls!
Beyond salads and veggies, consider flaking the salmon into tacos for a fresh seafood twist, adding it to whole-grain bowls with quinoa or brown rice, or even using it in healthy sandwiches or wraps. Its robust flavor means it pairs well with almost anything. This baked salmon recipe is truly a midweek dinner dilemma solver, offering an easy, 10-ingredient solution that brings fresh, herby flavors straight from your oven to your table.
P.S. For those interested in following my travel adventures, I’ll be sharing lots of pictures from our West Coast trip on my second Instagram account. Be sure to give it a follow to come along on our little adventure! Stay tuned for more easy recipes that make navigating a busy life (and unpredictable weather) a delicious journey!
Super Easy Baked Salmon in Foil with Chimichurri Sauce
5 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
A super easy baked salmon in foil recipe that’s perfect for meal prepping! Topped with a fresh homemade chimichurri style sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds salmon (preferably wild-caught)
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and black pepper
- 2 scallions, roughly chopped
- ½ cup parsley (leaves and stems)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Remove the salmon from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to cooking. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Place the salmon filet in a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. Using a brush or spoon, brush the salmon with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper and 1 minced clove of garlic. Cover with foil and seal so that all sides are properly closed.
- Bake the salmon for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Prepare the sauce while the salmon bakes. Depending on the thickness of the filet, it may require additional baking time.
- To prepare the sauce: Add ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, scallions, parsley, cilantro, red wine vinegar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to a food processor and pulse until a thick sauce forms.
- When the salmon is done baking, remove from the oven, spread 1 tablespoon of sauce over the filet and broil under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, keeping an eye on it so the fish does not burn. Remove from oven and serve immediately with additional chimichurri sauce on the side.
Notes
- I suggest using a good quality salmon for this recipe. Try to avoid using ‘pink salmon’ as this type of salmon is quite watery and will release lots of water in the baking process causing the fish to be wet and not flakey.
- PLEASE NOTE: baking time may vary slightly due to thickness of fish. Feel for firmness on the thickest part of the filet to make sure your fish is cooked through.
- The salmon can also be wrapped in foil and barbecued at 375ªF for about the same amount of time give or take a minute or two. Allow the salmon to ‘broil’ the same way you would in the oven, by opening the foil and allow the fish to dry out for just 1-2 minutes.
Have you made this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I’d love to see what you made!
Is this a good choice for you?
Nutritional facts include ALL of the chimichurri sauce for 4 servings. If you use less sauce, your fat count/calories will be a lot less.
