Salmon Foil Packets with Asparagus and Corn
On June 08, 2020 (Updated September 27, 2024)
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These Salmon Foil Packets are the ultimate meal when you’re looking for a whole dinner wrapped up in one. It’s also a great option when you’re camping or away from home (but still hankerin’ for some good grilled food!). Cooked with asparagus and corn, the flavors in these packets are totally irresistible.
What are Foil Packets?
In a nutshell, foil packets are when you take a handful of meat and veggies and cook them all up wrapped in foil over heat. Whether you use beef, chicken, or in this case, salmon, foil packets are an easy way to cook dinner when you’re away from home (hello camping!).
Foil packets are also a great option on busy nights when you don’t have a lot of effort to commit to cooking, but you still want something that tastes great.
Everything cooks wrapped in the foil packet, so you can toss all your food in the packet, place it in the heat, and relax with your friends and family until dinner is ready.
Salmon Foil Packets
These packets came about when my family and I decided to spend the evening hanging out at one of the campgrounds a few minutes from our house. I needed something easy to take with us to the picnic area that still tasted amazing. These salmon foil packets totally fit the bill.
The foil packets were so easy to make, The Todd and I got to hang out and catch up while they cooked. If I could convey one thing to anyone reading this that thinks grilling is difficult, it would be that grilling is actually really easy. These packets required minimal prep work, and they didn’t require a lot of attention.
Each packet contained a portion of the pre-seasoned salmon, a half of an ear of corn, and a handful of asparagus. Most tin foil packets are completely sealed, but I really wanted the smoky goodness from the wood fire in the grill to reach the food, so I left the top open. This also made it much easier to tell exactly when everything was done and turn the corn so it didn’t burn on the bottom. These packets were done in under 30 minutes and had such amazing flavor! The corn was crisp and fresh and that asparagus was still just a little crunchy.
Tips for Making Salmon Foil Packets
Foil packets are pretty forgiving, but here are a few tips to help all the food cook well and come out tasting amazing:
- Prep your rubs in advance and take them with you in empty spice bottles. Next time you run out of any spice in your pantry, just rinse the bottle and set it aside for your next camping trip. This way you don’t have to worry about packing individual rub ingredients, you can just shake the finished rub on and grill!
- Prep saves the day! Before you head outside to start the grill, prep your asparagus, corn, and salmon. This can even be done a day or two in advance if you are taking this meal camping.
- Use heavy duty foil. Make sure that you use heavy duty aluminum foil to ensure it doesn’t rip while the packet is cooking.
- Use your heat source to your advantage. If you are cooking on a charcoal grill or smoker, leave the top foil off of your meal. The smoky goodness will infuse everything. If you are cooking over campfire coals or on a gas grill, seal up the pouches and flip the whole pouch once (carefully) during cooking. The sealed pouches will cook in less time, so keep that in mind.
- Don’t like cooking with foil? Use a cast iron skillet. You can also cook these in a 12″ cast iron skillet. They are heavier to pack on a camping trip, but you can cook pretty much anything in them and use them right in coals or on any grill.
Let me know what your favorite camping/tailgating foods are. We love adventures and I always love getting new ideas for meals!
More Foil Recipes
Foil is a handy tool when smoking or grilling food. Check out these other great recipes using foil to help you cook your food:
Salmon Foil Packets Recipe
Salmon Foil Packets with Asparagus and Corn
Ingredients
- 4 4-oz portions wild caught salmon skin on
- 2 ears corn shucked and broken in half
- 1 pound asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces
- olive oil to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Salmon Rub
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- zest of 1 lemon reserve the lemon for squeezing over the finished salmon, if desired
Instructions
- Make the salmon rub. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salmon rub. Season each salmon portion with the rub and set aside while your grill preheats.
- Preheat your grill. Heat your grill to 450 degrees F. Close the lid and let the grill preheat. This also works in a campfire over hot coals.
- Make the foil packets. While the grill is getting to temperature, assemble your packets. Lay out a 14-15 inch piece of foil for each of your food. Place a piece of the seasoned salmon in the middle. Set a half of a corn cob on one side and a pile of the chopped asparagus on the other side. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Seal the packets. If you are cooking on a grill, fold up the edges of the foil just to meet the asparagus and corn and crimp the corners so the sides stand up slightly. Repeat for all of the packets. If you are cooking in coals, use another sheet of foil to fully seal the packets
- Cook the salmon foil packets. Once your grill is preheated, transfer the salmon foil packets carefully to the grill and close the lid. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the salmon is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork. Stir the asparagus and turn the corn as needed during the cooking process.
- Serve hot. Use a large spatula to move the packets to plates and serve either directly out of the foil pouch or move everything over to a plate. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published May 2016. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
This is one of my familiy’s favorites – you can use a grill as well as a smoker (or do it over campfire coals, packet style). It doesn’t take a lot of prep or cook time and the rub is a good sweet rub that starts to carmelize toward the end of the cook.