Salmon In Parchment Paper with Veggies

Salmon in parchment paper is a unique way to cook fish because the cooking process steams the seafood, resulting in tender, moist salmon. Include your choice of veggies for an easy and delicious meal in one.

I love sharing different methods for cooking one of my family’s favorite fish, salmon. It can be intimidating if you’ve never cooked fish before, but salmon’s high fat content and mild flavor allows for a variety of preparations and seasonings to work out well. See my poached salmon, slow roasted salmon and even sheet pan salmon!

This salmon in parchment with vegetables is a quick and easy dish that is loaded with protein, good for you omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals. Of course it’s also delicious, and the fish turns out flaky and moist every time!

Jump to:

• Why you’ll love Salmon en Papillote (salmon in parchment paper)
• Salmon en papillote
• Ingredients for Parchment Paper Salmon
• How to Bake Salmon in Parchment Paper
• Can I Use Aluminum Foil Instead of Parchment Paper?
• Can I Use Different Veggies in This Recipe?
• Want a FREE Protein Guide?
• Tips for Making Salmon in Parchment Paper
• More Easy Seafood Dinner Recipes
• Baked Salmon in Parchment Paper

Why you’ll love Salmon en Papillote (salmon in parchment paper)

• Easy to make, with minimal prep and clean up, thanks to the cooked ingredients being kept neatly in the paper envelope.
• Healthy and nutritious ingredients and cooking technique allows for the flavors and moisture to be trapped and maintained, without the need for lots of added fats during the cooking process.
• Produces flaky, tender and moist fish, and crisp vegetables.

Ingredients for Parchment Paper Salmon

Of course you will need parchment paper to make these salmon in parchment packets. I find pre-cut parchment sheets the most convenient and provide a uniform sized packet. But feel free to cut off individual sheets from a roll.

• 4 salmon filets, preferably skin off. Feel free to use wild caught or farmed, they both will work great.
• Soft skin vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus and red onions. We want vegetables that will steam cook at a moderate temperature in less than 20 minutes. Denser vegetables will not work as well because they will remain under-cooked in the required cooking time for the salmon.
• Optional flavor boost ingredients like kalamata olives or castelvetrano olives, roasted garlic or red peppers just to add a bit more flavor.
• Olive oil, salt and pepper.

How to Bake Salmon in Parchment Paper

Begin by prepping your veggies, cutting them into small slices and pieces as pictured.

Add the veggies to a large bowl and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat well.

Lay out a piece of parchment paper and spoon a small layer of veggies onto the parchment paper, then place the salmon on top. Coat the salmon with a light coat of olive oil cooking spray, or brush with a small amount. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, then spoon on another small serving of the veggie mix.

Make sure to not overload the salmon with too many veggies. About ½ cup of vegetables should be sufficient. Once veggies are in place, feel free to drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and a small pinch of salt and pepper.

An added flavor bonus to get a bit of acidic zing going with this dish is to add some marinated olives or other produce items like mushrooms, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.

How to assemble your parchment packets

Once the salmon and veggies are in place and seasoned, it’s time to prepare the packets for baking.

There are a couple of different ways I’ve experimented with folding parchment packets, but I have personally found that the half moon trick is quickest and easiest.

With your fish in the center lengthwise piece of paper, begin on the left hand side and bring both pieces up and together, and then start to roll the pieces together, working from the left, to the top, all the way down to the lower right side. The trick is to roll as you go.

And you’ll end up with a half-moon packet as pictured.

Baking salmon in parchment & testing for doneness

Add salmon packets to a 350 degrees f preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon filets. Because it can be a bit trickier to test for doneness one in the packets, I prefer the lower cooking time to ensure the fish does not get overcooked.

The parchment paper packets should puff up in a dramatic fashion when they are close to being done.

You can carefully remove one of the packets from the oven and gently open a corner of the parchment envelope. Take a fork to a salmon filet and test if it is semi-firm and easily flakes off along the white lines. The flesh should appear translucent pink in the center, and not appear raw.

Additionally, you can take an instant read thermometer and if the internal temperature is 135-140 degrees f, it is done. The veggies should be cooked but still crisp.

Can I Use Different Veggies in This Recipe?

Choose lower density veggies that will cook up quickly along with the salmon. Zucchini, other types of summer squash, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and asparagus are all good choices.

I don’t recommend dense produce. Potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or winter squashes will be way undercooked compared to the salmon.

Tips for Making Salmon in Parchment Paper

• Soaking the salmon in a brine for a short time will help remove much of the album. This is the white white specks that are often released when cooking salmon.
• Tuck fresh herbs and lemon slices into the parchment paper salmon packets. Dill or parsley are nice aromatics that would complement the salmon.
• Don’t forget to season both the salmon itself and the veggies piled on top. Every layer of this dish should be seasoned for best results.

More Easy Seafood Dinner Recipes