For Tender Salmon With Unbeatable Flavor, Wrap It In This Deliciousness

Salmon's popularity speaks for itself. It has plenty to offer — it's not only healthy, but also incredibly delicious, extremely versatile, and easy to cook in any number of ways. And then there's one of the culinary world's fan favorites: bacon. On their own, they are both delicious. Marry the two by wrapping salmon in bacon, however, and you've got a match made in heaven. The bacon will bring a smokiness that will pair beautifully with the buttery richness of the salmon. And while it cooks, the fat from the bacon will seep into the salmon, keeping the fish moist and tender so each bite is melt-in-your-mouth good.

To make this heavenly meal, you'll want to season your salmon fillets based on your preference — salt, pepper, dill, and garlic powder are all great choices that not only pair well with each other but are all great with seafood. Choose skin-on salmon for this dish. That way you will get a nice tender fillet that includes the quintessential crispy salmon skin. 

Pick the type of bacon you like, especially since you've got so many great choices. Take the bacon strips and lay them over the top of the salmon from edge to edge — you don't want to go all the way around the fillet, or you'll keep that beautiful skin from getting nice and crispy. You don't want to overcrowd the pan when you cook the fillets on the stove or in the oven either. Both of these mistakes will make it hard for the bacon and the salmon to cook evenly and thoroughly. Keeping that in mind, choose a bacon that isn't overly thick, ensuring that it cooks through and doesn't overpower the delicate flavor of the salmon.

Wrapping salmon in bacon doesn't just work for an incredible surf and turf entree. It can also double as a genius appetizer. Instead of using full-size salmon fillets, cut your fish into cubes and wrap them in bacon that is cut to size. You can skewer them on sticks and serve them up like a forgotten retro-inspired bacon appetizer, the bite-size treat rumaki that was once popular at cocktail parties.

Whether you choose fillets or cubes, cook the bacon-wrapped salmon skin side down. If you're cooking in the oven, finish things off on broil for the last minute or two to give the bacon a nice crispy finish. This way you'll end up with a dish that has that beautiful crispy salmon skin as well as equally crackly bacon.

Bacon-wrapped salmon has tons of rich flavor, but it also is something of a blank canvas. You can take the basic seasonings of salt, pepper, dill, and garlic and use that as a jumping off point to explore other flavors that suit your palate. Both salmon and bacon pair well with tons of flavors, from red chili flakes or chili powder, a smoky paprika, or even a splash of lemon. And if you want to up your texture game, you can also prepare a sauce to go with it, like a creamy dill sauce or a rich lemon butter one — these not only work great with a plated salmon-bacon dinner, but they also give you the perfect dip for a bite-sized bacon-wrapped salmon treat.