Parchment Paper Baked Salmon with Asparagus Lemon and Dill
Up until recently, I’d never even been tempted to give this parchment paper salmon baking thing a try… I know it’s a thing, and a very popular one at that, but “poached” fish has never really been my cup of tea, you know. And in my mind’s eye, the fish that would come out of that parchment paper once it had been baked would be extremely similar to poached salmon.
Still, I eventually got curious and decided to give it a try. Boy oh boy, was I in for a surprise! To say that I was totally happy and impressed with the fish that emerged from that paper pouch would be an understatement.
This Parchment Paper Baked Salmon with Asparagus Lemon and Dill has got to be the moistest and juiciest piece of salmon I’ve ever eaten. And the easiest one I’ve ever prepared, too.
Honestly, I’m a total convert!
My only wish is that I’d actually tried it years ago…. for seriously, can you get a sense of how incredibly moist this is?
Oh yeah! It’s THAT moist…
This time I chose to lay my fish on a bed of asparagus, but if they weren’t in season or if you weren’t a fan, you could just as well use green beans, sugar snap peas, or sliced zucchinis, why not?
Same goes for the dill: any kind of fresh herb would work, so feel free to sub your favorite one!
When using this technique, make sure you choose salmon fillets that come from the thickest part of the fish, otherwise the flesh will cook too quickly and won’t be nearly as moist…
Also, you should ideally remove the skin or have it removed by your skin monger. Salmon skin is really yummy and a terrible thing to waste when seared at high temperatures as it becomes super crispy, but when baked this way, it’ll only turn chewy and slimy on you. If you like it that way, then by all means, leave it on.
Personally, I’m not a fan and much prefer to remove it before it even hits my plate.
Make sure to preheat your oven to 400°F and have all your ingredients ready before you start working on the pouches.
Place a large rectangular piece of parchment paper on your work surface; Place about 8 to 10 asparagus spears in the center but slightly off to one side of the parchment paper.
Place a salmon fillet over the asparagus, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper then top with 3 slices of lemon and a couple of dill fronds.
Next, fold the parchment paper over the salmon and seal the edges by making overlapping folds all around the edge.
At the end, tuck the final crease under the pouch to secure the seal. If you need a good visual to help you get this done, check out this video. Note that I didn’t use any egg whites or oil or water to seal the paper, and didn’t find that it was necessary at all…
Repeat all the steps 3 more times with remaining ingredients and then place the finished pouches onto a large baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes and then carefully cut open the parchment paper.
Really, do use caution when you rip that paper open: a lot of hot steam will escape and you wouldn’t want to burn yourself!
The first thing you will notice is upon opening that packet is that baked dill doesn’t look all that appealing… as such, you might want to replace it with a few fresh fronds.
As soon as that’s been done, your fish is ready to serve. Simply transfer it to a plate, and enjoy without delay, as this dish is at its best when eaten warm and fresh out of the oven.
Parchment Paper Baked Salmon with Asparagus Lemon and Dill
Ingredients
- 36-40 asparagus spears, ends removed
- 4- 6 oz thick salmon fillets, skin removed
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 fresh dill sprigs, plus more for garnish if desired
- 1 large lemon, sliced thinly
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and place a large rectangular piece of parchment paper on your work surface.
- Place about 8 to 10 asparagus spears in the center but slightly off to one side of the parchment paper.
- Place a salmon fillet over the asparagus, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper then top with 3 slices of lemon and a couple of dill fronds.
- Fold parchment paper over the salmon and seal the edges by making overlapping folds all around the edge. At the end, tuck the final crease under the pouch to secure the seal. Repeat 3 more times with remaining ingredients. Place pouches on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes and then carefully cut open the parchment paper.
- Garnish with additional fresh dill and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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20 Comments on “Parchment Paper Baked Salmon with Asparagus Lemon and Dill”
This looks great! Have you tried this as a foil wrap? I am wondering if it cooks about the same.
I haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing that the cook time would be just about the same. Do let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it! 🙂
The parchment paper makes a nice wrap to lay on the plate and eat out of…the foil wrap – not so much.
Foil may be cancer causing.
Could this be done with Tuna?
Thanks
I really wouldn’t see why not!
I made this last night using mahi mahi instead of salmon. I used all fresh ingredients and while it was good, I found the fish to be very bland. Possibly the sauce is too mild for mahi mani.
easy to prepare
salmon moist
excellent meal
Thank you Keith! Happy to hear! 🙂
Could this same recipe be done with salmon that still has its skin? And that was previously frozen?
I really wouldn’t see why not, Caitlin!
Yummy, lemony, moist and super easy to prepare! Had the fish skin removed at the market.
Very moist. Will make again. May add thinly sliced onions too.
I had to cook this for at least 20 minutes at 400 degrees and finally took it out of pouch and cooked it until it was done. Other than that, it was worth waiting for!
Disaster, but almost certainly my fault for not taking time to watch video for rolling and sealing parchment paper. My fish came out just barely cooked, almost raw. Poor roll = steam not trapped = fish not cooked. BUT … why go to trouble of rolling parchment paper at all? This is just a trendy take on *steaming* fish. Save the trouble by instead using a good old-fashion steaming pan (or basket). I steam salmon often (other fish as well, orange roughy etc), comes out perfect each time, easiest way to cook fish. I steam for the same time for a good-sized fillet, 10 minutes.
This is my fourth time making this recipe. My whole family loves it!
Super happy to hear, Patty! Thanks much for taking the time to let me know, I greatly appreciate that!
Delish! Moist and so full of flavor. Very easy prep and fast cook time. Great for those nights when you need something quick for dinner. I often use thinly sliced red potato in place of the asparagus.
One of the easiest dishes I’ve ever made. Delicious, quick and no clean-up!
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen? I want to make several for a sick friend.