This salmon and rice recipe is an easy and flavorful, 30-minute dinner with juicy salmon baked in foil with fluffy rice and sun-dried tomato pesto.
I love all-in-one recipes like my favorite sheet pan salmon and maple teriyaki salmon with veggies, which make great weeknight dinners. These salmon and rice foil packets are also high on my list!
I don’t know about you, but we eat A LOT of salmon in this house. And by we, I mean mostly me, while my husband and kids would gladly survive off pasta (and only pasta) if they had the choice. But, that just means more of this amazing pesto salmon and rice on my plate! This recipe is a spin on my baked pesto salmon, which I love. Like my lemon pepper salmon, it’s baked in foil, and I’ve thrown in a generous serving of rice for an easy, mess-free meal in one.
Why I Love This Salmon and Rice Recipe
- Easy method. This salmon and rice recipe is simple to make and packed with flavor. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight or even a romantic dinner, and there’s very little cleaning up to do afterward.
- Baked in foil. The salmon filet and rice cook all in one neat little foil packet. It’s similar to cooking salmon en papillote, which uses parchment paper packets to lock in the flavor and moisture. The great thing about foil is that it can go from the oven to the grill!
- Bright tomato flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes are synonymous with delicious in my books. I use them in my marry me chicken, chicken Bryan, and pasta recipes, and they bring Mediterranean flair to this salmon and rice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Aside from the sun-dried tomato pesto, you need just a handful of ingredients to make this juicy baked salmon with rice. I’ve included some notes below. You’ll find the complete printable recipe card, along with step-by-step photos showing how to make this salmon recipe, below the post.
- Instant Rice – Make sure it’s white or brown instant rice (also called minute rice). Instant rice is pre-cooked and softens in the time it takes to bake the salmon, while regular rice won’t cook in time. Unless, of course, you use pre-cooked jasmine rice or similar.
- Salmon – You can use pre-cut salmon filets or buy a whole side of salmon, slice it into filets, and remove the skins at home. You’ll find different kinds of salmon in stores, from farm-raised Atlantic salmon, which tends to be fattier, to wild-caught or sockeye salmon, which is leaner.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil, plus salt and pepper to season the salmon.
- Sun-dried Tomato Pesto – My favorite! You can also make this recipe with homemade or store-bought basil pesto, spinach pesto, or any type you prefer.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves, minced.
- Fresh Thyme – You’ll need one sprig per filet.
Tips and Variations
- How to tell when salmon is done: Salmon is cooked when the flesh flakes easily with a fork, and the internal temperature reads 145ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Don’t overcook. While baking in foil helps prevent overcooking, it’s important to open the packets shortly after cooking. Don’t leave the salmon and rice sealed in the foil for too long, as they will continue to cook and become dry.
- Different toppings. You can dress your salmon filets any way you’d like. Instead of pesto, brush the fish with honey mustard sauce, teriyaki sauce, or barbecue sauce.
- Add veggies. Add quick-cooking vegetables like asparagus spears, sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or tomatoes to your foil packets for a complete meal in one. I recommend layering the veggies in between the salmon and the rice.
Serving Suggestions
This baked salmon and rice is a delicious meal that’s ready to serve straight from the foil packet. I’ll often add some roasted vegetables or steamed broccoli to the plate as an easy veggie side, and a Mediterranean salad always freshens things up. This Mediterranean seven-layer dip is a fun, easy appetizer, or I’ll kick things off with a bowl of caponata and crusty bread. After dinner, this coffee crème brûlée makes a light, irresistible dessert for any occasion.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate any leftover salmon and rice within 2 hours of cooking. I recommend transferring the contents of the foil packets to airtight containers. Leftovers last in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat. Warm the fish and rice in a skillet over medium-low heat, with a little water sprinkled over top to help it steam. You can also reheat the salmon in the oven at 350ºF until it’s hot throughout.
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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 combine.
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Add rice to the foil. Lay out the foil sheets and divide the rice mixture evenly over each foil, squeezing the water out as much as possible. (I just spoon out some rice, then hold the spoon to the side of the bowl and tilt the spoon a bit to drain out the excess water.)
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Assemble. Top 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 top and spread it over each filet. Sprinkle garlic over the filets, and top each with a sprig of fresh thyme.
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Seal the packets. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish, covering completely, and seal the packets closed.
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Bake. Transfer the fillets to a jelly roll pan or large baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
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Serve. Transfer the foil packets to plates. Carefully open up the foil packets and serve.
Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 851mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Bake Salmon and Rice in Foil
Before you begin, cut 6 even-sized sheets from a roll of heavy-duty foil. Emphasis on heavy-duty, as regular foil tends to be a bit flimsy. Once those are set to go, follow the steps here to make the juiciest salmon and rice all on one:
- Soak the rice. First, add the rice to a bowl of water and give that a stir. Wetting the rice allows it to steam inside 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 center of each foil sheet.
- Assemble. Next, nestle a salmon filet over each bed of rice. Season the fish to taste with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Spread each filet with a spoonful of tomato pesto, and finish with minced garlic and a fresh thyme sprig.
- Seal the foil packets. Fold the foil over the salmon so that it’s covered, and wrap or fold the ends closed to seal completely. Place the foil packets onto a baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the salmon and rice at 400ºF for 20-22 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily.
- Serve. Afterward, transfer the packets to plates and CAREFULLY peel open the foil. Watch out for the hot steam. Enjoy!
Grill It Instead
I love taking these salmon and rice foil packs to the grill in the summertime. It’s super easy. Just assemble as usual and follow the cooking directions for my lemon butter grilled salmon. Throw a few ears of corn on the cob on the grill alongside the salmon, and you’re ready to dine al fresco!
