Mediterranean-inspired salmon in parchment paper with sun-dried tomatoes, dill, capers, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and pesto sauce is a mouth-watering experience for a lovely evening in. PLUS, it’s easy! Let’s do this!
Have you ever made salmon in parchment paper (or fish en papillote, if you will)?
Holy mackerel, it’s a treat!
One of the astonishing facts I learned on my trip to Cordova, Alaska was that 80% of the fish and seafood that is consumed in the U.S. is consumed at restaurants.
Why? Because folks tend to be afraid of either preparing it improperly and getting sick, or preparing it in a way that isn’t palatable.
Completely understandable. No one loves a parasite, and good seafood is pricy, so why risk messing it up and having the whole thing go to waste?
While I understand the risk aversion, I’ve been wanting to dispel this fear ever since.
Making fish and seafood at home is no more complicated than preparing any other form of protein, and we don’t have to save our seafood experience for the occasional special night out!
I have shown you The Only Grilled Salmon Recipe You’ll Ever Need , My Go-To Crispy Salmon Recipe (which involves broiling), and my Crispy Skillet Salmon method,
I have yet to show you how I prepare salmon in parchment paper, also known as fish en papillote or salmon en papillote.
You guys, this is so dang easy.
AND FUN!
The reason I love cooking fish in parchment paper is you end up with this marvelously moist and beautifully textured result every time.
AND THE FLAVOR…holy mackerel, the flavor!
This particular recipe is chock full of big, bold Mediterranean-inspired ingredients, so you’re slated for that perfectly cooked salmon experience with all the flavor to back it up.
Here’s how we do this thing!
How to Make Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper:
Procure a large salmon fillet. I use wild salmon (wild-caught salmon, King salmon, Coho salmon, or sockeye salmon are all great. Mine was 1.75 pounds.
Simply lay a long sheet of parchment paper on top of a large baking sheet. Use a large rimmed baking sheet if you have one, but any sheet pan will work.
Place salmon fillet on top skin side down.
You can purchase smaller fillets and make individual packets, or cut the fillet into smaller pieces for individual portions. I like making it in one big parchment paper packet to save time (and parchment paper).
Drizzle the salmon with a light coat of avocado oil or a little olive oil.
Season salmon with sea salt and your choice of spices. I use paprika, dried dill, and ground ginger.
Cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder are also great choices!
After seasoning the fish, add whatever flavor-blaster ingredients you’d like on top.
I went with sun-dried tomatoes, capers, fresh dill, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and pesto sauce. Use toppings that sound great to you, like cherry tomatoes or slices of lemon.
You can use my Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe or my Low-FODMAP Pesto Sauce or any of your favorites!
Once your ingredients are nestled on top of the fish, you’re going to wrap up the parchment paper to make it all nice and snuggly in a parchment pouch. Gather edges of the parchment paper and fold them over, like you’re wrapping a little salmon gift.
The parchment paper will want to come apart, so I use three pieces of kitchen twine to keep it enclosed – one piece on either end and one for the middle.
Now that we officially have our salmon en papillote, we simply bake it in the preheated oven.
I bake mine for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. If you have a thicker piece of fish, you’ll be looking at the 25 to 30-minute time range to cook it all the way through.
Et voila!
Cut the twine, un-wrap your papillote, cut the filet into individual servings, and have yourself a glorious dinner!
Fish is considered fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. For the best result, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature to guarantee the salmon is neither undercooked or overcooked.
Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the fish and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read.
Recipe Adaptations:
- You can use any type of fish or seafood for this recipe Cod and halibut are amazing too!
- As an alternative to the Mediterranean theme, you can keep it simple and sprinkle the salmon with salt and black pepper and lay lemon slices and fresh herbs on top. Get creative with your toppings!
- Make individual packets by using smaller filets or cutting a large filet into smaller fillets. You can cook all of the parchment packets on the same baking sheet.
- If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, aluminum foil works too. You can also make this recipe leaving the salmon open (without wrapping it at all), although the parchment method results in the most tender fish.
Serving Options:
Now that the parchment paper salmon is cooked, you can cut it into individual portions and serve with your favorite side dishes. The following are some of my favorite side dishes to pair with the Mediterranean salmon.
- Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Vegetables
- Rosemary and Cumin Roasted Carrots
- Spicy Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic
- Pesto Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Kale
- The Best Broccoli Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
I’ve been using this as my favorite way to meal prep, since salmon is one of my favorite sources of animal protein.
The bold flavors make for such a delicious dinner. It’s truly a treat!
I simply make a big fillet at the beginning of the week, store it in an airtight container, and eat on it over the next 4 to 5 days.
The recipe is simple enough to make for any weeknight meal, yet fancy enough to serve at a dinner party for a special occasion.
There she be, folks!
Your newest obsession and favorite cooking method for preparing your fillet o’ fish every single time.
The next time you meal prep or entertain guests, you’ll have this goof-proof method at your disposal!
More Healthy Salmon Recipes:
- Crispy Skillet Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Caper Sauce
- Paleo Asian Baked Salmon
- Salmon Poke Recipe
- Mustard Baked Salmon
- Almond Crusted Salmon
- Pesto Salmon in Parchment Paper
Enjoy the most flavorful, best salmon recipe!
Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) salmon fillet
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
- 1/4 cup capers
- 3 sprigs fresh dill chopped
- 1/3 cup pesto sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lay a long sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
- Place salmon fillet on top of the parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt, paprika, ground ginger, and dried dill.
- Top salmon with the remaining ingredients, trying to get an even distribution over the full fillet.
- Fold the sides and ends of the parchment paper, creating a packet. Secure with kitchen twine.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. Thicker cuts of fish will require 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove fish from the oven, cut the twine and un-wrap the parchment paper. Salmon is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature by inserting it into the thickest part of the fish.
- Cut into individual-size portions and serve with your choice of side dishes.
Video
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I originally shared this recipe on July 26, 2018. While I updated some of the information, the recipe itself is the same.
Can I cook this using frozen salmon?
You can absolutely use frozen salmon! I would recommend thawing it first. Hope you enjoy!
What type of side dish would you serve with this?
Roasted veggies or a salad! Try these!: https://www.theroastedroot.net/crowd-pleasing-roasted-vegetables/ https://www.theroastedroot.net/spicy-kale-caesar-salad-with-roasted-garlic/ https://www.theroastedroot.net/mediterranean-quinoa-salad/ Enjoy!
Did the fish have skin on?
Hi Lisa,
Yes, I leave the skin on 😀 Hope you enjoy!
This was so good, even my husband liked it! Will definitely make again!
That’s so great to hear, Debbie! Thank you for the kind note! Cheers! xo
Made this tonight and it’s my new favorite salmon recipe. SO GOOD!!!
I do wish the salmon had been a little more moist though. Is that the salmon I bought? The high temp? Or cooked too long?
I used Atlantic salmon and cooked it at 400 for 20 min.
Hi Tanya,
My guess is it was the salmon.. Was it previously frozen? Do you know if it was sockeye salmon?
@Julia, I don’t believe any Atlantic Salmon can be Sockeye Salmon which is from the Northwest part of the Us and up to Alaska. Atlantic Salmon is 90 plus % farm raised and bears no resemblance to Sockeye, Coho or King Salmon.
This was delicious! As good as any fish served in a restaurant.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks, Joan! xo
This was so delicious! So easy to make for a big crowd and incredibly flavorful. I cook fish all the time and loved the spice combination in this – it is very different and helped me beat the boredom of what I normally do with salmon. Highly recommend this recipe!
This is great feedback, Allie, thank you!! I’m so happy it’s a hit in your household! I make it on rotation, too! xo
Hi Julia!
Quick question, what’s the best and easiest way to reheat this dish? I’m just getting started cooking and this seems like a manageable recipe haha
Hi Vig!
I reheat it in a small skillet on the stove top. I just put a portion of the salmon in the skillet, cover it with a lid, and heat over medium-low. I flip it after a few minutes and re-cover it to be sure it heats through. I hope you love it!! xoxo
@Vig,
Reheat? Mine is always gone as soon as I cook it! Best fish recipe for company ever.
How far in advance can you assemble this dish before cooking? It looks amazing!
I’d say up to 12 hours as long as the salmon you buy is super fresh and you’re storing it in an air-tight container. Generally, I recommend cooking fish and seafood as quickly as possible, unless you’re marinating it in an airtight container 😀 Hope you love this! xo
I eat a lot of salmon because I have an inflammatory autoimmune disease. I’ve gotten to the point I hate salmon. But this! THIS! I’ve never steamed it before and now I think I will always do it this way. This was stunning!
I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe, Emily! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! xoxo
Interesting that you cooked it at 400F and didn’t get protein oozing out. I find that cooking salmon at about 325F works best, but that’s my experience. I cook salmon at least twice a month in a variety of ways. I’ll try this with more Mediterranean spices.
This is delicious, Julia! Love the flavor combinations, and it looks great too!!
Followed the directions except for salt. Absolutely amazing.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks so much for the feedback! xo
My daughter made this for us: she made a parchment “boat” that was open on top and left off the pesto. This dish was one of the best recipes I’ve ever tasted for oven cooked salmon! We are making it tonight at another daughters and will follow the recipe more precisely just to compare (although leave out the pesto for those of us who don’t tolerate cheese)! Thank you for this wonderful way to bake salmon!
I’m so happy you like it, Barbara! I was surprised by how well it turned out, myself! I need to try a parchment boat the next time I make it…lol, it sounds so fun 😉 xo
I made this! So amzingly awesome! I used real sockeye salmon. So worth it! Thank you!
Yuuuuuuus I’m so happy to hear it, Madi! Thank you for letting me know! xoxo
haha yup that was totally me – I refused to cook fish at home for so long! With no really good reason either lol ANYWAY now that I got past that … it’s time to try this salmon! It sounds delicious!
Me parece espectacular la receta !! Muchas gracias.
Muchas gracias, Javi! 😀 xx