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Salmon en papillote (salmon in parchment) is about to become your new favorite cooking method! Buttery salmon filets are layered with fennel and orange slices and baked in a parchment paper packet with a full serving of veggies.
If you love no-mess, oven-baked salmon recipes like my lemon pepper salmon and maple mustard salmon in foil, you’ll love this fresh, summer-inspired recipe!
Back in my early post-college days, I felt like I was going to be a future Food Network star, juggling between my garlic butter salmon and chicken in foil recipes. In all seriousness, I was convinced I was the next Giada! One of my go-to dinners was this fantastic and easy salmon en papillote recipe, which I’ve perfected over the years.
If you’re just starting to include salmon on your dinner rotation, this en papillote technique is PERFECT. I love it because parchment paper keeps all the ingredients tucked together in a neat little packet, for easy clean up and easy cooking. My salmon en papillote recipe combines juicy filets with a pile of tender summer veggies, including fennel, onions, and fresh zucchini from the garden. A few easy seasonings, like rosemary and orange slices, take the flavors over the top.
This salmon bakes up moist and flaky in about 30 minutes, and there’s no mess! Just add a side of fluffy lemon rice or a salad.
What Is Salmon en Papillote? (And Why You Should Make It)
- The easiest cooking method. Salmon cooked en papillote is a French technique for salmon cooked in a pouch. The pouch can be parchment paper or foil (like my salmon piccata). Some recipes, like this one, layer in a portion of vegetables, herbs, and seasonings for an extra flavor-filled, meal-in-one.
- Perfectly cooked. Baking en papillote is a quick and easy trick for perfectly cooked salmon! Sealing salmon inside parchment paper lets it steam while it bakes, for the most tender, ultra-moist, and flaky salmon I’ve ever tasted.
- Packed with flavor. I’m a big fan of fennel’s licorice-like flavor with the citrus and rosemary in this recipe. It all pairs so well with the salmon! And since everything cooks together, those yummy aromatics infuse right into the fish.
Recipe Ingredients
Maybe the best part about cooking salmon en papillote is that you can customize the recipe pretty much any way you’d like. These are my notes on the ingredients I use. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the list of ingredients and amounts.
- Veggies – You can really use any quick-cooking vegetable you’d like (see below). For this recipe, I sliced up red onion, fresh zucchini, and fennel bulb from my latest farmer’s market haul. Since asparagus is one of my favorite things to eat with salmon, I threw some fresh spears in there, too.
- Olive Oil – Choose a nice quality extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- Salmon Filets – You can buy your filets already cut, or slice a larger side of salmon into filets, about 6 ounces each. Most salmon you’ll find in stores is Atlantic farmed salmon, but I like to use wild-caught sockeye salmon when I can get my hands on some.
- Rosemary – I like fresh rosemary, but you can also use thyme sprigs.
- Oranges – You’ll need one orange cut into wedges, and a second orange, sliced thinly, for garnish.
What Vegetables are Good for Cooking en Papillote?
Salmon en papillote is quick-cooking, so when choosing vegetables to cook inside your parchment packets, opt for tender veggies like asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, and mushrooms. You can also blanch (pre-boil) vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and peppers and include those, too. Make sure to finely slice, dice, or julienne the vegetables so that they cook through.
How to Cook Salmon en Papillote (Step by Step)
Don’t let the ritzy-sounding name fool you– salmon en papillote is actually one of the most foolproof ways to cook salmon. The secret is the steam that gets trapped inside the packet while it bakes, keeping the salmon moist and infusing the ingredients with flavor. Here’s how it’s done:
- Cut the parchment paper. First, take out two baking sheets and cut your parchment paper into eight 6×4” rectangles. Half will be the base of the packets and you’ll use the other half to seal them closed.
- Assemble. Start with four pieces of parchment (two per baking sheet). Add a portion of vegetables to the center of each rectangle and nestle a salmon filet over the top. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil along the way.
- Finishing touches. Squeeze an orange wedge over each portion of salmon. Top with orange slices and rosemary before covering the packets with the remaining parchment rectangles.
- Seal. To seal, twist the edges of the top and bottom parchment sheets together as pictured. Repeat with the other parchment packets, and you’re ready to bake!
- Bake. Bake the parchment packets on the baking sheets for 15 minutes at 375ºF, or until the salmon and veggies are cooked.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Can I use foil for en papillote? Yes! If you don’t have parchment paper, foil is a good substitute. I recommend giving the bottom layer of foil a light spritz with non-stick spray before assembling the packets.
- Don’t overcook. Cooking salmon en papillote makes it harder to overcook and become dry, but not impossible. Salmon is done cooking when it flakes easily with a fork and looks pale pink, not raw, in the middle.
- Open the packets shortly after baking. On the subject of overcooking… don’t let the baked salmon rest inside the closed parchment packets for long. The fish will continue to cook in the hot steam.
- Different vegetables. As mentioned in the Ingredients section earlier, you can customize your parchment packets with any veggies that are in season. Remember to pay attention to cooking times. Vegetables that take longer in the oven, like potatoes, will need to be pre-cooked.
- Herbs. Instead of rosemary, try thyme, dill, basil, parsley, or any mix of fresh herbs that pair well with your other ingredients.
- Get it to the grill. If you’d like to grill salmon en papillote instead, I recommend assembling the ingredients in foil packets. Follow the grilling instructions for my lemon butter grilled salmon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. You can use the en papillote technique to cook just about any type of seafood, from salmon to white fish like tilapia and halibut, and shellfish like scallops and shrimp. Keep in mind that different fish may need different cooking times, but they should all reach a cooked internal temp of 145˚F.
That slimy white stuff is albumin, a harmless protein that solidifies in salmon while it cooks. It might not look appetizing, but it’s totally normal and fine to eat!
What to Serve With Salmon en Papillote
Each parchment packet has a serving of protein and vegetables, so this salmon en papillote recipe is already well on its way to a complete meal. I’ll usually add a side of grains, like jasmine rice or quinoa, when I make this for family dinner. For something heartier, serve it with pasta, like this orzo mushroom pilaf or tortellini alfredo.
Otherwise, all this salmon needs is a fresh zucchini salad or leafy green salad on the side, and a glass of white wine to wash it down! And don’t forget a slice of olive oil cake for dessert.
Storing and Reheating Salmon
- Refrigerate. Remove the leftover salmon and veggies from the packets and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat within 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm your salmon over gentle heat in a covered skillet or in the microwave. You can also reheat it covered in the oven.
- Freeze. You can freeze the leftover salmon, but I don’t recommend freezing the vegetables. Wrap the salmon tightly and keep it frozen for up to 4 months.
More Ways to Cook Salmon
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Salmon en Papillote
Ingredients
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 16 asparagus spears
- 4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 salmon filets, ~6 ounces each
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- ½ orange, cut into 4 wedges
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F and cut 8 rectangles of parchment paper (roughly 6×4 inches each). Arrange 2 of the pieces on a baking sheet and 2 on another. Save the rest (4) for later.
- Arrange the veggies. Arrange ¼ of the red onion, ¼ of the fennel, ¼ of the zucchini, and 4 spears of asparagus artfully in the center of each piece of parchment. Season each packet of veggies with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Then, drizzle ½ tablespoon of olive oil over each set of veggies.
- Add the salmon. Gently place a piece of salmon over each portion of veggies.
- Finishing touches. Season the fillets with the remaining salt, pepper, and olive oil and squeeze 1 orange wedge over each. Fan 2 orange slices out on top of each fillet and top with a spring of rosemary.
- Seal. Place 1 sheet of the remaining parchment paper over a salmon fillet. Gently bring the edges of the top piece together with the edges of the bottom piece. Twist the ends of the parchment sheets together to close the salmon and veggies inside. Repeat with the remaining packets.
- Bake. Bake for 15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking and the veggies have softened.
Nutrition
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.
We love salmon and canโt wait to try it like this!! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes, Katerina!!
Hi!
Thank you so much for your kind words! โค๏ธ I hope you’ll love this salmon recipe as much as we do!