Salmon en Papillote: Steamed Baked Salmon Wrapped in Parchment

Cooking salmon in individual paper parcels with fragrant ingredients is a simple way to create a quick, impressive dinner. The flavourful sauce inside the parcels is delicious spooned over rice or noodles.

Overhead of two salmon fillets cooked in individual baking parchment parcels with slices of chilli, peppers, babycorn, carrot and spring onion. Also topped with wedges of lime. The parcels are open, on a wooden board on a light background. There is a dish of sesame seeds and some lime wedges nearby.

Cooking en papillote is a tidy, hands-off method that steams the salmon and vegetables in their own juices and the sauce. It works equally well for a solo meal or for feeding four to six people.

📋 Ingredients

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Whisk a simple sauce of neutral oil, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce and honey.
Place salmon fillets on parchment circles and add thinly sliced vegetables around them.
Raise the parchment edges slightly so the sauce stays inside, then pour the sauce over the fish.
Seal each parcel and bake for 18 minutes until the salmon is tender.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP Bake an extra parcel for a ready-made lunch. Cool, refrigerate in an airtight container and serve with rice, couscous or a salad.

Close up overhead image of two salmon fillets cooked in individual baking parchment parcels with slices of chilli, peppers, babycorn, carrot and spring onion. Also topped with wedges of lime. The parcels are open.

🍽️ What to serve it with

Cooked rice or egg fried rice
Noodles
Garlic and coriander potatoes or crispy smashed potatoes
Baked sweet potato fries

The salmon becomes very tender as it steams in the parcel with the sauce and vegetables. Open the parcels carefully to avoid the escaping steam.

Two salmon fillets cooked in individual baking parchment parcels with slices of chilli, peppers, babycorn, carrot and spring onion. Also topped with wedges of lime. The parcels are open, on a dark baking tray. There are some lime wedges nearby.

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Square image of two salmon fillets cooked in individual baking parchment parcels with slices of chilli, peppers, babycorn, carrot and spring onion. Also topped with wedges of lime. The parcels are open, on a wooden board on a light background. There is a dish of sesame seeds nearby.

Salmon en Papillote Recipe

Cooking salmon in paper parcels with fragrant ingredients makes a quick, flavourful dinner. Spoon the parcel sauce over rice for the best result.

Prep Time:
10 mins

Cook Time:
18 mins

Total Time:
28 mins

Servings: 2

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: French

Ingredients

2 tsp neutral oil (avocado, rapeseed or sunflower)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 tbsp honey
2 skin-on salmon fillets
½ red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
100 g (3.5 oz) fresh baby corn, halved lengthways
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red chilli, sliced (deseed for less heat)
6 spring onions (scallions), sliced into thin strips
1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds

To Serve:

lime wedges
cooked rice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 (fan).
Whisk together the neutral oil, sesame oil, garlic, light soy sauce and honey in a small bowl.
Fold two large pieces of baking parchment in half, cut into a semi-circle, then unfold and place on a baking tray.
Place a salmon fillet skin-side down on the fold of each parchment circle.
Arrange the red pepper, baby corn and carrot around each fillet.
Raise the parchment edges slightly so the sauce stays inside. Spoon the soy mixture over the salmon and top with sliced chilli.
Bring the edges together, fold the corners several times and twist to seal each parcel tightly so no sauce can escape.
Bake on the tray for 18 minutes, until the salmon is tender.
Open the parcels carefully to avoid steam. Sprinkle over the sliced spring onions and sesame seeds, and add lime wedges. Serve the salmon in its parcel with rice, pouring the parcel juices over the rice for extra flavour.

Notes

Swaps and additions

Use another firm, chunky fish instead of salmon, such as cod or lemon sole.
Add sliced mange tout or asparagus if you like (green vegetables can lose colour when steamed but still taste good).
Stir in a tablespoon of sriracha for a spicier sauce.

Prep ahead

You can assemble the parcels and keep them covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours before baking. Use good-quality parchment so the sauce doesn’t soak through.

Nutritional information is approximate, per salmon parcel.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is approximate and provided as a guide only.

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