This fool-proof salmon en papillote recipe yields perfectly moist, tender fish every time. By baking salmon in parchment paper packets, you create a self-steaming envelope that locks in flavor and makes cleanup effortless. It is a nourishing, elegant dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
Why This Baked Salmon en Papillote Recipe Works
The benefits of baking salmon en papillote fall along the same lines as a sheet pan dinner, with a bonus. Sheet pan dinners and en papillote cook a full meal in the oven at once, using one pan. In other words, an automatic victory.
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But cooking en papillote has an added benefit. Similar to braising, the flavors and aromas within the envelope circulate as the ingredients cook and steam, layering flavor in a more concentrated way. Cooking in this self-steaming environment also keeps the salmon moist and tender.
What Is Salmon in Parchment? (The Science of Steaming Food)
The French term “en papillote” means “in parchment.” That said, I firmly believe that “en papillote” should mean “to effortlessly impress friends and family for dinner by serving them a delicious, personally gift-wrapped dinner.” Baking this salmon en papillote recipe not only results in a fantastic dinner. It also yields some fun in the process.
Cooking en papillote (pronounced ehn-pa-pee-YOTE) may sound fancy, but technique is quite simple. It involves sealing food inside a folded pouch made of parchment paper (though sometimes foil can be used). As the fish bakes, the liquid inside the pouch turns to steam. Because the packet is sealed tightly, the steam circulates around the fish; this cooks it gently and keeps the fish incredibly moist.
Why Parchment and Not Foil
Though foil can be used to cook en papillote, parchment is much preferred. First, parchment looks better, especially for in-packet presentations for dinner. Secondly, aluminum foil can give the food a metallic taste, especially when acid is involved (as here with the lemon and tomato ingredients).
Ingredients for Salmon en Papillote
How to Make an en Papillote Parchment Envelope
This baked salmon en papillote looks more impressive and complex than it is. The main thing is to ensure a tight seal to keep the steam in. To make your parchment envelope:
- Fold a half-sheet (12″ x 16″ sheet) of baking parchment in half.
- Place your ingredients — here, salmon, tomatoes, shallots, and dill — in the middle of the left half. You should have a fairly wide border of parchment around the food.
- Fold the right half of the parchment over the left, covering the food like a blanket.
- Starting from the top right corner (the folded corner), fold a little corner of the parchment down, so it “points” toward the food. Crease the folded edge down to make it stronger.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat, working your way all the way around until you get to the bottom left corner of the parchment. You will have to adjust your triangle sizes a little as you go. That’s fine. Just be sure to make clean creases each time.
- When you reach the bottom, twist the last bit of parchment tightly and fold underneath the food.
Salmon and Tomatoes en Papillote: Recipe Notes
This recipe is very easy. The most complex part will be the parchment envelope if it’s your first time making one. And even then, I think it’s more fun than difficult. Just a few notes to make sure the dish really sings:
- Make sure the seal is tight on the parchment envelope. This holds all the moisture in.
- Layer the salmon, tomatoes, shallots, and other ingredients fairly compactly. Build high, not wide. This gives you plenty of margin space to fold your envelope.
- How to serve: I recommend serving each portion in the sealed packet, on top of a plate, letting each person slice into the top of the parchment with their knife to eat right out of the packet. This has a great reveal factor. But you may choose to transfer the salmon and tomatoes onto individual plates and then serve. That’s fine, too. Just make sure you pour all the good juices over the top.
Moist Salmon en Papillote (in Parchment) With Herbs and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 24 ounces salmon, skinned and cut into 4 fillets (6 oz. each)
- 2 lemons, cut into thin slices
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 shallots, sliced very thin
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 4 tablespoons loosely-packed fresh chopped dill, plus four fronds to garnish
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (1 tsp. for tomato-shallot mixture, 1/2 tsp. for salmon filets) (I use Diamond Crystal; use less for Morton's)
- Fresh-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare the vegetables by tossing the sliced shallots and grape tomatoes together in a mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 12 turns of fresh-ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble the parchment and salmon packet. Get four half-sheet rectangles of parchment (about 12" x 16" each). Working one at a time, crease the first parchment sheet in half lengthwise, so it creates a 12" x 8" rectangle. Open it back up. Place one salmon fillet in the center of the left half of the parchment, and tuck a few lemon slices underneath. Sprinkle the salmon with about 1/8 teaspoon salt (a generous pinch), a few twists of black pepper, a tablespoon of butter, and a tablespoon of fresh dill. Spoon a quarter of the tomato and shallot mixture on top.
- Seal the parchment envelopes. Fold the right half of the parchment over the fish, like a blanket. Start with the top right corner (the one with the crease), and fold about an inch of the corner down toward you and the fish, and crease it with your finger to make a clean fold. Continue to do overlapping pleats with the parchment all the way around the fish — fold, crease, fold, crease — until you reach the bottom. Twist the bottom corner tightly closed and tuck it underneath the fish. Repeat with the additional fillets.PRO TIP: Your folds will elongate a bit as you go around. That's normal. Just keep making clean, small folds and crease each. (See the photos in the text of the blog post for a helpful visual aid.)
- Divide the parchment envelopes on two baking sheets, top with a dill front garnish (optional), and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness. PRO TIP: If using a thermometer, the fish is done when it reaches 145°F (63°C).
- Let the fish rest for two minutes, then transfer to plates, slice open the top and serve with a little more lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt, if desired.PRO TIP: If you'd like to serve these sealed for each person to open at their place setting, caution guests to open the packet away from their face to avoid the hot steam!
Notes
- Prep Ahead: Assemble the packets completely (including the seal) up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerate them. Add 2-3 minutes to the bake time if cooking directly from the refrigerator.
- Substitutions: You can easily swap the butter for 1 tablespoon of olive oil to make the dish dairy-free. For a vegetable swap: Asparagus or thin slices of zucchini make nice substitutions for tomatoes. Remember to keep all vegetables sliced thin for quick, even cooking. (Thin asparagus spears can be left whole; just cut off the woody ends.)
- Fish Thickness: If your salmon fillets are very thick (over 1.5 inches at the thickest part), you may need to add 3 to 5 extra minutes of cooking time.
- Perfect Doneness: The fish is perfectly cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), or when it flakes easily with a fork.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
3 comments
D
400 degrees, 10 mins
Karis
hi there, could you do this with a packet of foil instead of paper?
Unpeeled
Hi, Karis! That will work. Foil is a little sticky, though, so make sure it is greased.