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
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I originally shared this recipe on July 26, 2018. While I updated some of the information, the recipe itself is the same.
I made this and it was very good. My husband is not a huge fan of fish but he commented that this was really good. I highly recommend this dish and it will become part of my repertoire of dinners.
Thanks so much for reporting back, Deborah! I’m happy you and your husband enjoyed the meal!
By far this is the Best fish recipe I have ever made. It has been a staple for company for the bast 2 years. Everyone loves it. Once you get all the ingredients you are good for a couple meal in a row. I can’t thank you enough for this tasty treasure. Well done! Btw I use rainbow trout as it is cheaper than salmon and always fresh at Costco.
I’m so thrilled you and your family enjoys it! Thanks so much for the sweet note!
I am one of those people who love fish but am intimidated to make it at home . I plan to try this recipe but have a couple of questions. What do you consider thick salmon and how do I know if it’s done if it’s wrapped in paper? I appreciate any help I can get with this. Thank you.
Hi Marla!
No worries, you’re in good hands! I would consider thick salmon to be anything over 1 inch thick. Salmon is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Simply stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the filet and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read. You can also tell it is fully cooked when all of the transparent brighter pink is gone and the fish is fully opaque and pale pink when you slice into it. Let me know if you have any other questions!! xoxox
Did you use sundries toms in oil or rehydrate dried ones ? And the artichokes, were they packed in oil or in a can with no oil ? I have it in the oven right now, just wondering how oily it might be ?
Hi Danielle!
I use sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts that are packed in oil and come in a jar. Before using them in the recipe, I allow the oil to drip off rather than pouring it on with the oil. Hope that helps! xo
The salmon dish was wonderful. I had some guests over and all of them wanted the recipe. It’s a recipe you should definitely try & keep.
Thanks so much for swinging back around to let me know! I’m so happy you and your guests enjoy it, Frankie! xoxo
Hi. This recipe sounds delicious! I was wondering why you’re using parchment paper? Does it bake differently than in foil?
Thanks.
Hi there!
I haven’t tested the recipe using foil but I bet the result will turn out very similar. I prefer parchment over foil just in general, but if you prefer using foil, it should work great! xoxox
I have made this four times now for different groups. Served with herbed rice. Amazing flavors!! Everyone wanted the recipe. Didn’t have the pesto and cooked at 375. So easy.
Amazing!! I’m so thrilled to hear it! Seems like there’s plenty of flavor without the pesto, so that’s awesome it’s been working out 🙂 xoxoxo
This is one of our favorite recipes and has become an easy dinner staple. Thank you!
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Amanda! xoxoxo
I made your mediterranean Salmon tonight and altho I was missing a couple pf items it was sooo good on our Alaska King Salmon. Most of the time I don’t use much on the King but I wanted something new tonight and you delivered. I cannot wait to pull together the missing couple of items in your recipe and make it exactly like yours !! Thanks so much! !
I’m so happy you liked it even without the missing ingredients! Thanks so much for the sweet note, Penny! xo
I am not even exaggerating. This is the best salmon recipe I ever made! I stopped cooking salmon for years because it would either turn out dry, unflavorful, or both. This is full of flavor and so tender! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re very welcome, Aileen! Thank you for the sweet note! I’m happy you enjoy the salmon so much! It’s one of my favorites, too! Much love! xoxox
Hi! I’ve made this amazing dish once before and it was a huge hit!
I would like to make it again but for someone who has a nut allergy. What substitute would you recommend for the pesto?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Ashley!
I’m happy to hear it was a hit! You can actually make pesto without nuts if you’d like, or you can omit it altogether. I think the salmon is very flavorful with all the other toppings so the pesto isn’t super necessary. As an alternative, you could try roasted red pepper sauce or tapenade. Let me know if you have any other questions! xoxo
This was absolutely delicious! Wonderful flavors. I’ve saved it to my favorite recipe folder and will be making it over and over. I forgot to include the pesto I made, but it was delicious. I served it on top of garlic herb “Right Rice”…yummy!
I’m so happy you like it, Jessie! The pesto is just an added bonus, but I’m happy you love it without! Thanks for the sweet note 😀 xoxo
Woah! This was crazy delicious! My husband and I did a staycation and I wanted something that made us feel like a really nice restaurant. Well, this was it! We both thank you for sharing and keeping it easy.
I love it! Thanks so much for letting me know, Rebecca! It warms my heart the recipe could be a positive experience for you and your husband! xoxo
Delicious Mediterranean flavor and beautiful as well! It was a hit with the entire family! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you like it, Billie! It’s a household favorite for us too! xo
Hey! I’m late to this party but Lisa is Here! I made your FANTASTIC fish en papillote Yum Yum! Since I forgot to buy artichoke For that FLAVOR I used Wegmans MARINATED Sundried Tomatoes. It’s got capers Wine Some Vinegar so it renders like artichoke. ALSO I used sweet and Hot Hungarian Paprika. The Kalamata Olives Capers Ginger & Dill are perfect. It makes it’s own stock. Between that and juice from the sockeye the BROTH situation was taken care of! It’s truly DELICIOUS! Definitely the right move!
I do a lot of plant based baking. I’d never tried using parchment apart from Baking. I was definitely intrigued. It’s DELICIOUS a fantastic way to Host. Years back I had the pleasure of a meal wrapped and tied in Corn Husks. The Host Her Mom and her had been up all night preparing. Wrapping delicious food like this is FANTASTIC!
Normally I use an opportunity like this to ADD crushed broccoli sprouts shiitake stems Ginger Tumeric for Virus Killing & Immune Strengthening too. But I found Apothékary and I achieve it like that! Stay well, Keep on!
Lisa
Only occasionally is a recipe just so amazing!! My husband must have raved about it at least 5 times while he ate it. I am SO impressed!! There are just 2 of us and we’re coping with coronavirus isolation so I got just 2 servings of steelhead trout and divided the other ingredients in half. I had a bit of dry seasonings left, but I know we’ll use it. We didn’t have artichokes so I added 2 tablespoons of preserved lemon and pimento stuffed olives. I only used 2 T. of the pesto, one drizzled on each filet portion. I put them closely side by side, wrapped them together and baked them 15 min. Perfection. Not overcooked. Such tenderness, moistness and flavor!! Thank you so much!
I’m so happy you and your husband love the recipe! Definitely going to try it with pimento-stuffed olives next time I make it! Thanks so much for the sweet note, and stay well!! xoxox
I’ve made this several times now and it’s one of our favorites. I’m going to make it for a crowd this weekend and thinking of trying it on the grill. I was wondering if you’ve done this. I was thinking I would put it in foil instead. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?
Hi Greer! I’m so sorry for the late reply. The largest batch I have made was about 2.5 lbs, and I haven’t tried it in foil, but I think it would work just fine. I imagine the bake time would be the same 😀 Hope it works out!!