If you struggle with cooking fish that’s tender, you will love making lemony vegetable and fish foil packets! They turn out perfect every time and the flavors of garlic, lemon and seasonings are incredible. And there’s that wonderful little part about easy cooking and clean up. Plus, who doesn’t like opening little packages? Make sure to take a look at more Quick Healthy Recipes.
The first time I made fish foil packets I was so surprised how wonderful the fish turned out. To be honest, I didn’t try cooking fish this way for the longest time because I thought it was such a waste of foil. It seemed to me that foil meals were only for camping (like this yummy chicken foil dinner) or things like that. If you could just cook it regularly (grill, oven or pan), why add a whole other layer?
Oh, but here’s why: perfectly moist fish that’s cooked in seasonings right along with veggies. There are no overdone or underdone areas and the flavors always seem to mingle just right.
There are a few other reasons I’ve come to love cooking fish in foil, too:
- You can make them in advance and keep them in the fridge until they’re ready to grill or bake. This is great for those days when you have time in the morning, but the afternoon will be busy.
- Cooking the vegetables along with the fish makes for almost a one-dish meal. I usually add a salad or cut up vegetables and bread, but you don’t have to.
- The clean up is a breeze!
So while I don’t do it all the time, it’s become a go-to for days I need an easy, healthy meal that can be ready when we are. If you haven’t tried cooking fish foil packets before, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, too!
Lemon Vegetable and Fish Foil Packets
Fish foil packets are just so easy to make, taking about 10 minutes of preparation. Slice onion and trim green beans, then tear off four pieces of heavy duty foil (I aim for about 15 inch long pieces). Or how ever many packets you want.
Layer the onion and green beans, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Lay a fish fillet on top of each pile of vegetables (TIP: if there are thin edges, tuck them under the fillet to prevent overcooking). Mix together the butter, garlic, and seasonings and drizzle evenly between all the fish fillets.
Add lemon slices to each fillet and wrap vegetables and fish with foil, sealing the edges.
To wrap, start with the longer sides, folding a couple of times to seal the edges together. Then fold and wrap the short sides, making a square-ish packet.
These grill for 15 minutes (no need to turn!) or bake for 20 minutes. And that’s it – see how easy simple whole food recipes can be? These are so delicious, my whole family loves them – even my kids when they were in their “picky years” liked them.
Oh, and it’s easy to substitute the vegetables your family likes as well as other kinds of fish – salmon, tilapia, or cod, to name a few. You simply increase the cooking time for fillets that are thicker than the 1/2-inch tilapia fillets pictured.
How about lemony vegetable & fish foil packets for dinner tonight?
Healthy Lemon Vegetable & Fish Foil Packets (Grill or Oven Bake)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1/2 pound green beans trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 fish fillets tilapia, salmon, cod, etc.
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 lemon thinly sliced into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Cut four pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil, about 15 inches long (if using regular aluminum foil, double it).
- Divide onions and green beans between the foil pieces, layering onions on top and green beans next.
- Drizzle olive oil on vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Layer a fish fillet on top of each vegetable pile. Combine butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes and spoon over fish, dividing evenly.
- Top each pile of fish and vegetables with two thin slices of lemon and wrap foil around ingredients, folding edges to seal well.
- To Grill: Preheat grill to medium high and place packets directly on grill. Close cover and cook 1/2-inch fillets about 15 minutes (until fish flakes easily with a fork). Cook thicker fillets longer as needed.
- To Bake: Place packets on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until done.
- Carefully unwrap packets, being careful of steam and serve in the packets on individual plates.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Easy Dinners You May Like:
Sriracha Beef and Vegetable Rice Bowls
Baked White Fish with Parmesan-Herb Crust (ready in 20 minutes)
Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Tacos with Chipotle-Yogurt Sauce
Chicken-Spinach Frittata with Feta & Tomatoes
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Dorothy says
This was a great recipe. Had all ingredients on hand oh, and nothing I had never heard of. Will be making this again.
Jami says
Wonderful, Dorothy. I love the flavors yet such a simple recipe. 🙂