This salmon and rice recipe is a simple and flavorful, 30-minute dinner with juicy salmon baked in foil with fluffy rice and sun-dried tomato pesto.
I really like all-in-one recipes like my favourite sheet pan salmon and maple teriyaki salmon with veggies, which make nice weeknight dinners. These salmon and rice foil packets are additionally excessive on my record!

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I don’t learn about you, however we eat A LOT of salmon on this home. And by we, I imply largely me, whereas my husband and children would gladly survive off pasta (and solely pasta) if that they had the selection. However, that simply means extra of this wonderful pesto salmon and rice on my plate! This recipe is a spin on my baked pesto salmon, which I really like. Like my lemon pepper salmon, it’s baked in foil, and I’ve thrown in a beneficiant serving of rice for a simple, mess-free meal in a single.
Why I Love This Salmon and Rice Recipe
- Straightforward methodology. This salmon and rice recipe is easy to make and full of taste. It’s good for a busy weeknight or perhaps a romantic dinner, and there’s little or no cleansing as much as do afterward.Â
- Baked in foil. The salmon filet and rice cook dinner multi functional neat little foil packet. It’s much like cooking salmon en papillote, which makes use of parchment paper packets to lock within the taste and moisture. The beauty of foil is that it may go from the oven to the grill!Â
- Vibrant tomato taste. Solar-dried tomatoes are synonymous with scrumptious in my books. I take advantage of them in my marry me rooster, rooster Bryan, and pasta recipes, they usually carry Mediterranean aptitude to this salmon and rice.Â

Elements You’ll Want
Apart from the sun-dried tomato pesto, you want only a handful of elements to make this juicy baked salmon with rice. I’ve included some notes under. You’ll discover the whole printable recipe card, together with step-by-step images exhibiting the right way to make this salmon recipe, under the submit.
- On the spot Rice – Be certain that it’s white or brown instantaneous rice (additionally referred to as minute rice). On the spot rice is pre-cooked and softens within the time it takes to bake the salmon, whereas common rice received’t cook dinner in time. Except, after all, you employ pre-cooked jasmine rice or comparable.
- Salmon – You should utilize pre-cut salmon filets or purchase an entire aspect of salmon, slice it into filets, and take away the skins at residence. You’ll discover completely different sorts of salmon in shops, from farm-raised Atlantic salmon, which tends to be fattier, to wild-caught or sockeye salmon, which is leaner.Â
- Olive Oil – Further virgin olive oil, plus salt and pepper to season the salmon.
- Solar-dried Tomato Pesto – My favourite! You can too make this recipe with do-it-yourself or store-bought basil pesto, spinach pesto, or any kind you favor.Â
- Garlic – Recent cloves, minced.
- Recent Thyme – You’ll want one sprig per filet.

Suggestions and Variations
- How one can inform when salmon is completed: Salmon is cooked when the flesh flakes simply with a fork, and the interior temperature reads 145ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Don’t overcook. Whereas baking in foil helps forestall overcooking, it’s vital to open the packets shortly after cooking. Don’t depart the salmon and rice sealed within the foil for too lengthy, as they may proceed to cook dinner and turn into dry.Â
- Totally different toppings. You possibly can gown your salmon filets any means you’d like. As a substitute of pesto, brush the fish with honey mustard sauce, teriyaki sauce, or barbecue sauce.
- Add veggies. Add quick-cooking greens like asparagus spears, sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or tomatoes to your foil packets for an entire meal in a single. I like to recommend layering the veggies in between the salmon and the rice.

Serving Ideas
This baked salmon and rice is a scrumptious meal that’s able to serve straight from the foil packet. I’ll typically add some roasted greens or steamed broccoli to the plate as a simple veggie aspect, and a Mediterranean salad at all times freshens issues up. This Mediterranean seven-layer dip is a enjoyable, simple appetizer, or I’ll kick issues off with a bowl of caponata and crusty bread. After dinner, this espresso crème brûlée makes a light-weight, irresistible dessert for any event.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate any leftover salmon and rice inside 2 hours of cooking. I like to recommend transferring the contents of the foil packets to hermetic containers. Leftovers final within the fridge for as much as 2 days.
- Reheat. Heat the fish and rice in a skillet over medium-low warmth, with a little bit water sprinkled over prime to assist it steam. You can too reheat the salmon within the oven at 350ºF till it’s scorching all through.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
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Soak the rice. Place rice and water in a small bowl and stir to mix.
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Add rice to the foil. Lay out the foil sheets and divide the rice combination evenly over every foil, squeezing the water out as a lot as attainable. (I simply spoon out some rice, then maintain the spoon to the aspect of the bowl and tilt the spoon a bit to empty out the surplus water.)
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Assemble. Prime the rice with salmon filets, season with salt and pepper, and rub with a drizzle of olive oil. Add a tablespoon of tomato pesto on prime and unfold it over every filet. Sprinkle garlic over the filets, and prime every with a sprig of contemporary thyme.
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Seal the packets. Fold the edges of the foil over the fish, masking fully, and seal the packets closed.
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Bake. Switch the fillets to a jelly roll pan or massive baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or till the salmon is cooked by way of.
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Serve. Switch the foil packets to plates. Fastidiously open up the foil packets and serve.
Energy: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 37g | Fats: 13g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4g | Ldl cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 851mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in response to the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
How one can Bake Salmon and Rice in Foil
Earlier than you start, minimize 6 even-sized sheets from a roll of professional quality foil. Emphasis on heavy-duty, as common foil tends to be a bit flimsy. As soon as these are set to go, observe the steps right here to make the juiciest salmon and rice all on one:
- Soak the rice. First, add the rice to a bowl of water and provides {that a} stir. Wetting the rice permits it to steam contained in the foil packets. Don’t skip this step!


- Portion the rice. Lay out your foil sheets. Spoon the rice from the bowl, drain off the water, and add a portion to the middle of every foil sheet.
- Assemble. Subsequent, nestle a salmon filet over every mattress of rice. Season the fish to style with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Unfold every filet with a spoonful of tomato pesto, and end with minced garlic and a contemporary thyme sprig.


- Seal the foil packets. Fold the foil over the salmon in order that it’s coated, and wrap or fold the ends closed to seal fully. Place the foil packets onto a baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the salmon and rice at 400ºF for 20-22 minutes till the salmon is cooked by way of and flakes simply.Â
- Serve. Afterward, switch the packets to plates and CAREFULLY peel open the foil. Be careful for the recent steam. Get pleasure from!
Grill It As a substitute
I really like taking these salmon and rice foil packs to the grill within the summertime. It’s tremendous simple. Simply assemble as typical and observe the cooking instructions for my lemon butter grilled salmon. Throw just a few ears of corn on the cob on the grill alongside the salmon, and also you’re able to dine al fresco!
