by Jaden | Main Course, Recipes, Seafood | 39 comments
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Here’s a meal that’s not just healthy, but also incredibly easy to make. This Baked Fish in Parchment recipe is a mix of flaky fish and fresh vegetables all wrapped up in a neat little parchment paper pouch. The fresh herbs add that little bit of pizazz, turning a few simple ingredients into a flavorful fish bake. It also makes a perfect dinner party dish for those of us with guests to impress. Got a busy weeknight ahead of you? This parchment packet recipe is an all-in-one meal that’s ready in less than 15 minutes. Get ready to learn one of my favorite ways to cook fish!
Why This Fish In Parchment Is So Good
- Quick and Effortless: This recipe is a convenient and easy way to get dinner on the table–FAST. In just 15 minutes, you’ll have a beautifully baked fish ready to enjoy. It’s the best way to whip up a meal in a hurry without compromising on taste.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just looking for a quick weeknight meal, this fish bake fits the bill. The individual parchment pouches are not only easy to serve but also make for a unique presentation.
- Healthy and Delicious: Flaky fish + fresh veggies + fresh herbs = a healthy meal that’ll leave you feeling satisfied without being weighed down. And cooking the fish in its own juices gives it SO much flavor!
- No Fuss, No Mess: One of the best parts about cooking fish in parchment paper is the minimal cleanup. The parchment paper acts as a self-contained cooking vessel, meaning you get to enjoy your meal without dreading the post-dinner plate cleanup.
- Versatile and Adaptable: Feel free to experiment with different types of white fish or throw in a variety of fresh veggies. Each sheet of parchment paper can be customized to suit individual tastes. It’s a flexible recipe. We encourage you to experiment!
Ingredients
- Two 16-inch parchment paper sheets (or tin foil)
- Rosemary sprigs (or cilantro or parsley or thyme)
- One 5-6 ounce skinless fish fillet
- Diced zucchini
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Artichoke hearts (canned) quartered
- Dry white wine
- Salt and pepper
- Slices of lemon
How To Make This Baked Fish In Parchment – Step by Step
- Lay one parchment paper over another, long side of the paper horizontal. Lay herb sprigs in middle of the parchment. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay fish on top of the herb sprigs.
- Spoon the zucchini, tomatoes and artichoke hearts over the fish. Season the vegetables with a pinch more of salt and pepper. Pour the white wine over everything.
- Seal the packet closed by rolling and crimping the long sides together over the fish and vegetables. Then roll and crimp the ends closed so no steam can escape. Place sealed parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until fish cooked through. Timing depends on thickness of your piece of fish. 10 minutes for 1/2-inch fillet; 15 minutes for 1-inch fillet.
- If you are cooking more than one packet, add another minute to cooking time for each additional packet. Just before serving, carefully open the packet (hot steam!) add just a squeeze slice of lemonover everything.
What Kind Of Fish Should I Bake?
You can use any type of fish that you want. I cooked with salmon, and the only thing you need to know about baking salmon is that you might find perfectly safe, but unsightly white protein specs once it’s cooked. It’s a natural occurrence when you bake salmon, so don’t worry if you see them! I’m giving you the recipe amounts for one, but this is a very flexible recipe. If you have 2 people, then make 2 packets.
Fish In Parchment – An Easy Weeknight Meal
Simple, flexible recipes with little clean-up are the type of recipes that I love most. This one is fromCooking Know Howcookbook by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough (they have a blog calledReal Food Has Curves). Baking fish in parchment paper packets is so incredibly easy, almost foolproof for cooking novices. Just chop some veg and put it in with the fish – done!
Clean up is as quick as crumpling the paper and tossing it away.
Can I Bake Frozen Fish?
Youcanskip the thawing process altogether andcook frozen fishstraight from the freezer. You’ll have to add a few minutes to thecooktime in your recipe to account for the lack of thawing, but youcanpoach, steam, bake, broil or grillfishstraight from the freezer!
Top Tips For This Baked Fish In Parchment
- Prepare your food. Before you prepare your parchment, get your fish seasoned; have any sauces you might be using ready; and have your veggies washed, cut, and ready to place.
- Prepare your parchment.Tear/cut parchment into segments — one segment per fish. The size of the parchment depends on the size of your fillets, but you should be fine with a piece of parchment that measures approx. 13 inches wide. Lay each segment down on a flat surface.
- Place your food in the center of a sheet of parchment. Set down your fish and top with your wet component (this might be a sauce, olive oil, knobs of butter, wine, or freshly squeezed citrus). Place any additional toppings you’re using (grape tomatoes, olives, capers, artichokes, etc.), and a slice or two of a citrus fruit (optional, but adds great flavor).
- Fold your packets. Once everything is in place, take one of the edges of the parchment paper and fold it over the fish. After that, grab the other side, and fold it over enclosing the fish. Twist the ends of the parchment one at a time, securing each one by tying butchers twine around it.
How to Bake Fish in Parchment Paper (Video)
Check Out These Other Delicious Fish Dishes
- Grilled Fish Tacos with Corn and Pepitas
- Thai Fish Soup
- Grilled Fish with Citrus Herb Crust
- Steamed Fish with Black Bean Sauce
Have you tried this Baked Fish in Parchment? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Baked Fish in Parchment Recipe
Jaden Hair
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 servings
Calories 151 kcal
Ingredients
- Two 16-inch parchment paper sheets or tin foil
- 2 rosemary sprigs or cilantro or parsley or thyme
- One 5-6 ounce skinless fish fillet
- 1/2 cup diced zucchini
- 3 cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 small artichoke hearts canned quartered
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- salt and pepper
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450F.
Lay one parchment paper over another, long side of the paper horizontal. Lay herb sprigs in middle of the parchment. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Lay fish on top of the herb sprigs. Spoon the zucchini, tomatoes and artichoke hears over the fish.
Season the vegetables with a pinch more of salt and pepper. Pour the white wine over everything.
Seal the packet closed by rolling and crimping the long sides together over the fish and vegetables. Then roll and crimp the ends closed so no steam can escape. Place on baking sheet.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until fish cooked through. Timing depends on thickness of fish. 10 minutes for 1/2-inch fillet; 15 minutes for 1-inch fillet.
If you are cooking more than one packet, add another minute to cooking time for each additional packet. Just before serving, carefully open the packet (hot steam!) add just a squeeze of lemon juice over everything.
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 18gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 359mgPotassium: 418mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 617IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baked cod, baked salmon recipe, fish in parchment
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
Stay in touch with me in our Facebook group, on Pinterest or follow me on Instagram! Sign up for my email list, too where we chat all things recipes, tips, giveaways, and more!
Patricia Waske on 1/27/23 at 6:57 pm
Made this with Red Snapper tonight. Substituted Scallions for the zucchini. Added a little freshly sliced ginger & minced garlic. Used Chardonnay for the liquid. Served with fresh sautéed asparagus. It was delicious!!! Thank you for this recipe! Amazing!Reply
Tim on 7/22/15 at 2:52 pm
This is similar to how I used to wrap trout in sassafras leaves and roast them over a fire while out camping up in the mountains. The trout would kinda sorta steam inside the packet and absorb the lemony flavor of the sassafras leaves. Upon opening the cooked package, the skin of the trout would stick to the leaves and the cooked meat could be easily lifted up off the bones. Yum…
Reply
Julia on 8/3/10 at 3:36 pm
Jaden, I tought my own bachelor brother Jay this exact same recipe. When he went off to college, this was what he wanted me to teach him. And now he has fixed it a half dozen (probably more) times for dorm room dates! Keep cooking:) Julia
Reply
Chefs Resources on 7/6/10 at 3:19 pm
Love the video presentation/tutorial. Fish in parchment is so delicious. I have never seen the rectangular fold used here–it looks much easier than the mutilple-fold method I have used. As a note, I use egg white on the edges before making the final fold. This helps create an air tight seal. Thanks for sharing, very nicely done.
Reply
Mandie on 6/10/10 at 2:30 am
this is gonna be so exciting! i am going to make this dish for my family this weekend. it’s going to be my first time cooking in parchment paper. i hope all goes well. 🙂 thank you Jaden! i love your blogs!
Reply
Paula on 5/29/10 at 3:19 pm
This recipe just put me out of a bind. Because I didn’t have all of the ingredients, I used artichoke, asparagus and regular tomatoes cut into chunks. It was delicious and loved not having much to clean up.
Reply
Maura on 4/30/10 at 11:34 am
oooow wow – that looks amazing! I have been looking for a recipe to cook for my crew team – some of them are vegetarians – and this is PERFECT! I think I may use grouper instead of salmon…
Reply
Courtney on 3/28/10 at 10:14 am
Perfect way to make a meal! 🙂 Ah.. the colors and flavors of spring/summer!
Reply
Miri of Laura|Carmen on 3/23/10 at 1:15 pm
I love fish in parchment… such a simple way to retain flavor and moisture, plus it gives such an elegant presentation!
Reply
Cara on 3/18/10 at 1:45 pm
How is it that I always forget this simple, yet absolutely perfect way of cooking fish when I’m trying to figure out what to make? Noted. Again. Maybe I will actually remember one of these days!
Reply
Jeremy on 3/9/10 at 4:38 pm
I’ve never tried to cook fish in paper before, although my parents say it’s really good. Maybe I’ll experiment with this recipe and give it a go. Thanks for sharing!!
Reply
Terri on 3/2/10 at 12:26 am
Made this tonight and it was fantastic!! A little heavy on the rosemary for me though, I can already think of many combinations I will be trying out.
Thanks!
Reply
alexis on 3/1/10 at 11:42 am
wow this look and sounds delicious! I’m looking forward to treating myself to the bright, clean and vibrant flavors! thanks.
Reply
Josue Diaz on 2/28/10 at 11:55 am
This is excellent. I’ve prepared fish this way, but it’s been several months. Must do it again…..soon!
Thanks for the great post. 🙂
Reply
Delicateflavors on 2/28/10 at 11:06 am
This looks so simple, healthy and delish. Thank you for reminding me to eat more fish and it is definitely on my grocery list for today. Gotta get those Omega 3! 🙂
Reply
Carolyn Jung on 2/27/10 at 3:35 pm
Love those guys. They make cooking such fun. Plus, their recipes are just awesome.
Reply
Stella on 2/27/10 at 12:44 pm
This looks delicious and very healthy-nice photos. I love baking fish with thinly sliced potatoes, veggies, and herbs in parchment paper-the result is always so good and satisfying. It’s easy too!
Reply
Sinful Southern Sweets on 2/27/10 at 7:50 am
Absolutely Stunning. I love how fresh this looks.
And, I agree, I don’t think any of us want to think about our brothers romping in the supply closet.LOL!
Have a great weekend!Reply
Murasaki Shikibu on 2/26/10 at 2:08 pm
This is not only a great dish for professionals like your brother, but… *giggle*
Sorry it was that comment you made about the supply closet… *cough* *cough*
…it’s also great for people who have to avoid oils and eat lean!
Reply
The Duo Dishes on 2/25/10 at 9:53 pm
So easy. We did this en papillote method last year, and it was too easy. Thanks for mentioning that it works with any seafood. Had no idea you could do this with scallops too!
Reply
SKIP TO MALOU on 2/25/10 at 8:54 pm
We had Fresh Chilean Sea Bass – Ca Sea Bass Hap Dac Biet in a fine Vietnamese Restaurant and it was cooked En Papillote.. with the French term that they used I thought it was something complicated…but here you are showing us how… thanks for sharing. And showing it in video helped a lot!
Reply
wmw on 2/25/10 at 1:53 pm
Gong Xi Fa Chai! Haven’t dropped by for awhile…. :o)
Reply
Alta on 2/25/10 at 12:04 pm
I haven’t cooked fish in parchment paper in a long time! I have some salmon in the freezer, I think it’s destined for this recipe!
Reply
Sasa on 2/25/10 at 6:47 am
Looks like summer! I need a bit of that in my life, thank you.
Reply
maggie on 2/25/10 at 12:43 am
Hi, I am a Chinese customer,I saw your website, Do you know the vegetable parchment paper? I want to buy the vegetable parchment paper,but I don’t find it where to buy it,Can you tell me the vegetable parchment poper’s company website?thanks very much!Happy New years !
Reply
the cosmic cowgirl on 2/25/10 at 12:00 am
this is just gorgeous! i need to eat more fish and this looks like just the ticket. looking forward to seeing you in austin in a few weeks, too!
Reply
Mark Scarbrough on 2/24/10 at 10:15 pm
Jaden: Thanks so much for featuring one of the recipes from our book! How nice to see it on your fabulous site. And such gorgeous pictures, to boot!
Reply
the lacquer spoon on 2/24/10 at 10:12 pm
The Italian hue shows us spring is upon us soon!
Reply
Tracey on 2/24/10 at 9:14 pm
I’ve never cooked fish like this. What could be better than an easy clean up?!? Love it!
My dad used to make fish in Foil on the grill when we would go camping. Seems like the same kind of deal.
Reply
Dave -nibbleanibble on 2/24/10 at 7:19 pm
What a colorful blend of ingredients. And it looks very clean.
Reply
AmyLynn on 2/24/10 at 7:01 pm
This is perfect for my lunches when the hubby is at school on my days off. Something he would hate but I would love and it’s small enough to make just for me! I am going to omit the zucchini (YUK) and put in avacado instead tho…
Reply
Dawn (KitchenTravels) on 2/24/10 at 7:00 pm
We do different versions of this in foil packets when we go on camping trips. So easy on the grill, or even right over hot coals of the campfire, and it’s great having no dishes to wash afterward. Great photos! I’m coveting your EGO lights. 🙂
Reply
Amy on 2/24/10 at 5:57 pm
yum!! this is so healthy and easy to do! thanks!
Reply
clive on 2/24/10 at 6:45 pm
the problem with this recipe is that once you make it going to back to other fish preparation methods is really hard as this is so easy and so tasty
Reply
Lynn on 2/24/10 at 6:34 pm
I need to work more fish into the diet. Definitely the easy clean-up is the deal closer for me!
Reply
megan on 2/24/10 at 6:31 pm
Looks so fresh and delicious. It’s the clean up that is selling me on the whole parchment idea. I’m going to have to give it a try!
Reply
Elizabeth on 2/24/10 at 6:17 pm
This recipe looks fantastic, I’m going to try it this week!
I have to say also that I love love love that its sized for one dinner for one person! It can be so hard to find one person meals, so this is great. Thank you!
Reply
Marysol on 2/24/10 at 6:16 pm
That is certainly a lovely and healthy dish! I particularly love the addition of artichokes.
J and I were newlyweds the first time I baked fish in parchment paper. I was preening my feathers proudly when J asked what was in the “bag.”
With a pseudo French accent, and a sexy pout, I replied, “Actually, it is fish en papillote.”
Dinner interrupted.Reply
Bob on 2/24/10 at 5:27 pm
I’m just starting to get into eating fish, this is something I definitely need to try.
Reply
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- illumne - […] steamykitchen.com […]
- April 2013 Monthly Menu « Cooking with Pizzazz - [...] Salad, Garlic Bread 17: Beef Stroganoff, Peas, Salad 18: Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo, Salad 19: Baked Fish in…
- Baked Salmon in Parchment Paper » Delicious Happens - [...] closed. If you’d like to see a step-by-step guide on folding the parchment…just check here for a short video…
- Fish en Papillote (Fish Baked in Parchment Paper) « a little saffron would make this! - [...] serves 2, adapted from Steamy Kitchen [...]
- April 2012 Monthly Menu « Cooking with Pizzazz - [...] Baked Fish in Parchment Paper, [...]
- Parchment Baked Grouper - [...] As part of our attempt to eat healthier, I decided to bake everything. I ran across a recipe from…
- Asian Fish en Papillote | Life As A Plate - [...] in foil on the grill. If it’s not, feel free to use parchment in the oven. Here’s a great…
- Pike » Blog Archive » Baked fish pictures - [...] Baked Fish in Parchment (video) | Steamy Kitchen Recipes Simple recipe for baked fish in parchment paper – very…
- Dr. Rodney Ford, The Gluten File (and a Menu Plan) | Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom - [...] Lemon-Dill Halibut en Papillote (Halibut baked in Parchment Paper. To see a video tutorial, visit Steamy Kitchen), Roasted Sweet…
- April 2011 Monthly Menu « Cooking with Pizzazz - [...] Baked Fish in Parchment Paper, Salad [...]
- Dear Blog with the Not-So-Good Pictures (aka this one), « the things we ate for dinner - [...] the main, I took inspiration from Steamy Kitchen (but eschewedthe veggies she uses) to make Fish en Papillote. I…
- Dinner from a Package « Big Scary Kitchen - [...] tightly. Tightly roll and flatten the other two sides of the parchment paper. (I got this tip from Steamy…
- no counterspace » Blog Archive » Persimmons & Fish - ceviche, pan seared striped bass, persimmon and arugula salad - [...] recipes for striped bass, calling my mother for advice, and seriously pondering the fail-proof parchment method, which showed up…
