Bacon Wrapped Salmon in a Skillet
Two strips of bacon do the work of butter, foil does the work of a lid, and dinner is done in eight minutes.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 70
- protein
- 30 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 8 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 18 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Liquid fuel
- Canister stove
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Salmon fillets | 2, about 3 oz each | cut into blocks at home, skin off |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon strips | 4, uncooked | |
| Lemon zest | 1 tsp | zest at home into the spice jar; a whole lemon is dead weight |
| Maple syrup | 2 tbsp | a small squeeze bottle |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Blot the fillets dry with a bandana or paper towel. Wet fish steams instead of browning.
- Season both sides with salt, pepper, and the lemon zest.
- Wrap each fillet in two strips of bacon, overlapping so no salmon shows. Tuck the ends underneath so they hold.
- Set the skillet over medium coals or a low flame. No oil. The bacon renders its own.
- Lay the fillets seam side down and cook 2-3 minutes, until the bacon browns.
- Flip and cook 2 more minutes.
- Cover the skillet with a sheet of foil and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the fish flakes and the bacon is done through.
- Pull it off the heat and spoon the maple syrup over the top.
This is a cooler meal, not a pack meal, so it belongs to night one at a car site or the first camp of a paddle trip. Everything else about it is trail-friendly: one skillet, no added water, no oil, no dish beyond the pan.
The bacon is structural. It bastes the salmon as it renders, which keeps a lean fillet from drying out over an uneven fire, and the fat left in the pan is why you skip oil entirely. Foil over the top traps enough heat to finish the inside without scorching the outside — a lid you already carry. The syrup goes on off the heat, because sugar in a hot skillet burns before the fish is done. Lemon zest gets grated at home into the spice jar; carrying a whole lemon for one teaspoon is not worth the weight.
Packing
Fillets and bacon go in the cooler in a leakproof container, on ice, and get eaten the first night out. Zest, salt, and pepper premixed in one small jar. Syrup in a dropper or squeeze bottle.
Variations
- Lime or orange zest instead of lemon.
- Brown sugar melted in the pan drippings if you would rather not carry syrup.
- Build the same thing as a foil packet and bury it in coals for 12 minutes.
https://campfirefoodie.com/skillet-bacon-wrapped-salmon-recipe-2