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GET IT NOWMy Sweet, Flaky Salmon En Papillote Is Next Level
With its French name, salmon en papillote sounds fancy, but it’s actually so simple: just salmon in parchment paper. I’ve loved it in France and cooked it this way many times since, but more recently I made it with a new sauce and it’s a whole new level of delicious. Here’s why it’s amazing:
- This sauce is everything – The garlic honey butter with lemon and fresh herbs is what I did differently this time, which I haven’t seen before in other recipes. It’s rich, sweet, bright, and contrasts with the flavor of the salmon beautifully.
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture – Cooking salmon in parchment makes the fish ultra delicate and flaky, a lot like my poached salmon and salmon in foil. It’s one of the best ways to avoid dry fish.
- One pan meal with easy cleanup – The ingredients are super simple, and with the vegetables, your entire meal is in its own little pouch… all in half an hour. And unlike my sheet pan fish dinners, the pan is virtually spotless.
When I need a quick weeknight dinner or an easy dish that will impress people coming over, I can’t think of anything better than this salmon en papillote. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my salmon en papillote recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Salmon Fillets – I usually buy a whole fillet at my local warehouse club and cut into fillets, but you can buy them already cut, too. Thaw your fish if it’s frozen. Since we’re wrapping it in parchment, I prefer skinless salmon; skin-on is better for recipes where the skin gets crispy, like my pan seared salmon.
- Lemon Honey Butter – Just 4 ingredients: butter, honey (I use my natural Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey), fresh minced garlic, and lemon juice. For dairy-free options, I recommend butter-flavored coconut oil over something like olive oil, so you get that buttery flavor. You’ll need half the lemon for the sauce. Slice the other half to lay over the salmon en papillote.
- Vegetables – I used zucchini, red onions, and carrots. You can also use yellow squash, other types of onions, or asparagus.
- Fresh Chives – I love sprinkling fresh chives on top for a burst of color and a mild onion flavor. If you don’t have chives, green onions are a great substitute!
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Cook Salmon In Parchment Paper
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the fish. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels, and sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Make the honey butter. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup (I use one of these for easy pouring later), whisk together the melted butter, honey, juice from half the lemon, and minced garlic.
- Coat the veggies. Toss them in a big bowl with 1/3 of the honey butter, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble the packets. Arrange the veggies on large pieces of parchment paper and place the salmon on top. Brush the fish with honey butter, sprinkle with chives, and top with a lemon slice. I brush the sauce on first to scoop up the garlic, and pour the rest on at the end. Fold the paper over, then fold or roll to seal all the edges to make a packet.
- Bake. Place the salmon en papillote packets on a baking sheet, and bake until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Since it’s sealed, see my tips below for how I know it’s done.
My Recipe Tips
- Slice half the lemon for the topping before cutting it in half. You’ll need a whole half juiced into the sauce and half sliced thinly, but I find it’s much easier to cut the lemon slices from the whole lemon first.
- Make sure to slice your carrots very thin. Otherwise, they won’t cook through by the time the fish and other veggies are done.
- Cut the parchment paper large enough. I find 12×12 inch squares are the sweet spot. Then, when you place the salmon fillets over the veggies, arrange them vertically and fold the paper over sideways.
- Note that the butter mixture solidifies as it cools. If it’s not pourable by the time you need to add it to the salmon, you can microwave it for 15 seconds to melt again.
- For moist and flaky salmon, aim for an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F. And yes, you can use a meat thermometer even with salmon en papilotte! I just insert it right through the paper, and if I need to check multiple times, use the same hole to avoid letting much steam escape. You can check if it flakes with a fork if you don’t have a thermometer, but this is not ideal because it lets the steam out.
Salmon En Papillote (With Honey Lemon Butter)
My salmon en papillote bakes veggies and salmon in parchment paper with honey lemon butter. Easy, flavorful, and cleanup is a breeze!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Salmon:
Honey Butter:
Vegetables:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
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In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, honey, lemon juice from half the lemon (~1 tablespoon), and minced garlic. (Reserve the sliced lemon half for later.)
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In a large bowl, combine the vegetables. Pour about 1/3 of the honey butter mixture over them, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
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Cut 4 squares of parchment paper, large enough to fold around a piece of salmon with veggies. (I cut mine about 12×12 inches in size.)
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Divide the vegetables into 4 even piles on the 4 pieces of parchment paper, placing them on just one half of the paper (so that you can fold the other half over later). Place a salmon fillet on top of each pile of vegetables.
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Brush the remaining honey butter mixture evenly over the fish fillets (about 2 tablespoons each). (I brush first to get the garlic evenly on all 4 fillets, but you can pour the rest on at the end.) Sprinkle fresh chives over the salmon and vegetables. Place a lemon slice over each piece of salmon.
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Fold each piece of parchment paper over the fish and veggies, and fold over all the edges to seal shut.
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Place the salmon packets onto a large baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. For moist, flaky fish, I recommend an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F (57-60 degrees C)
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 parchment paper packet with 1 salmon filllet and veggies
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you to help you slice your lemon more easily, ensure the vegetables cook evenly, notes on the butter and parchment paper, and most importantly, ensure that you get moist, flaky fish.
- Storage and reheating: I was pleasantly surprised at how well this dish reheats, as long as you keep the salmon in parchment paper. Keep the packets in the fridge for up to 1-3 days. To reheat, ensure they’re sealed and bake again at 350 degrees F. My favorite method is the air fryer for 1-2 minutes, right in the paper.
- Meal prep: You can mix the sauce and cut the veggies in advance. I wouldn’t assemble the packets ahead, because the lemon juice will “cook” the salmon, similar to what happens with fish ceviche.
- Note on nutrition info: I calculated the nutrition using my Wholesome Yum Zero Sugar Honey. If you use regular honey, the sugar and carbohydrates will be higher.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Salmon En Papillote
9 Comments
Robyn
0Can’t wait to try this! Can you use salmon with skin on?
Robyn
0Never mind, I just read your tips!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yep, you can!
Deborah
0The above recipe sounds great! Will have to try it out soon. The Salmon, is it cooked from frozen or thawed… just curious? Thanks so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Deborah, Thaw your fish first if it’s frozen. Please let me know how it turns out!
Jessica Beach
0This recipe was delicious and looked “fancy” in the parchment paper. Super easy too!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked it, Jessica! Thank you.
Michelle Y. Green
0I love this dish!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Michelle!