15 Minute Super Easy Foil Packet Fish Dinners
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Ready for grilling season… or simply looking for a quick-fix oven-baked dinner? Consider 15-Minute Foil Packet Fish Dinners as a go-to meal, individually customized and assembled.
One of my favorite easiest and fastest ways to get dinner on the table in mere minutes is Foil Packet Fish Dinners.
Here’s the beauty. Everyone in the family has their own preferences. And most of the time, they eat what is served. But when they can choose, smorgasbord-style, exactly what they want… the stress is off the cook, which is usually me, and it’s just plain fun. Benefit #2, they are scalable, up or down, and are as easy to fix for 1 as it is for many.
These Foil Packet Fish Dinners can easily be baked in an oven as well as a grill. And… they’re just as tasty.
When you visit your fishmonger, choose a variety of fish, depending on preferences. I usually choose a main dish fish like; salmon, cod, or whatever is freshest in the case, and then add some shellfish, like large shrimp, as an extra. I cut up an assortment of vegetables ahead of time and have it ready to go in the refrigerator. A perfect way to use vegetables you already have and make it fresh using seasonal choices. Frozen vegetables work great as well.
RELATED: More Dinner ideas here…
My Favorite Foil Packet Fish Dinner:
Right now, for me, my personal favorite Foil Packet Fish Dinner consists of a white fish (whatever is in season and fresh), 1 extra-small red potato sliced as thinly as possible, 2-inch pieces of asparagus, sliced diagonally, fresh thinly sliced lemons and green onions, and seasoned with a dash of dried thyme and dill (fresh if I have it), and salt and pepper. I put the potatoes on the bottom, a quick salt and pepper seasoning, vegetables on top, fish fillet on top of that, layered with lemon slices and green onion and topped with seasoning. Super, super simple. My guys… they get pretty crazy with their combinations.
What will you put in yours?
Food Network has come up with a variety of combinations that work well together… in case you need some inspiration.
Foil Packet Fish Dinner Ideas
Seafood Ideas: Makes 4 packets
- Salmon, four 6-ounce skinless fillets
- Large shrimp, 1 1/2 pounds (peeled and deveined; tails intact)
- Striped bass, four 6-ounce skinless fillets
- Halibut, four 6-ounce skinless fillets
- Cod, four 6-ounce skinless fillets
- Mussels, 3 pounds (scrubbed and debearded)
Vegetable Ideas: 1 cup per packet
- Bell peppers, thinly sliced
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Corn kernels, thawed if frozen
- Carrots, thinly sliced
- Artichoke hearts, thawed if frozen
- Fennel, thinly sliced
- Leeks, thinly sliced
- Scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Canned chickpeas or other beans, drained and rinsed
- Potatoes, cut into small pieces and boiled
- Mushrooms, thinly sliced
- Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- Zucchini or yellow squash, thinly sliced
- Baby greens (use just 1 cup per packet)
How to Assemble Foil Packets
Lay out 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil (use a double layer of foil for mussels). Mound 1 cup vegetables in the center of each, season with salt and pepper and top with a sprig of parsley, basil, thyme, oregano or rosemary. Put the fish or seafood on top of the vegetables; season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Add a splash of white wine or water. Bring the short ends of the foil together and fold twice to seal; fold in the sides to seal, leaving room for steam.
Cooking the Foil Packets
Grill or campfire:
Preheat a grill to medium-high or light a campfire and put a cooking grate in place. Grill the foil packets until the fish is just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (While the packets are cooking, make your topping, if desired.) Let the packets sit 5 minutes, then carefully open and add your topping.
Oven:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the foil packets on a baking sheet; bake until the fish is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. (While the packets are cooking, make your topping, if desired.) Let the packets sit 5 minutes, then carefully open and add your topping.
Topping Ideas
Lemon-Coriander Seasoning: Toast 1 tablespoon each coriander seeds and mustard seeds in a dry skillet. Coarsely grind in a spice grinder (or crush with a skillet). Mix with 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper.
Ginger-Scallion Butter: Pulse 1/2 stick softened butter, 3 sliced scallions, 2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a mini food processor until smooth.
Smoky Red Pepper Oil: Puree 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers (or piquillo peppers) with 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 grated garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and ground cumin until smooth.
