This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
My husband asks for this meal at least twice a week, and honestly? I get it. Fish in parchment paper (or fish en papillote if you want to sound fancy) is one of those recipes that looks like you tried really hard when you absolutely did not. It takes 25 minutes, uses one piece of parchment paper, and leaves you with zero dishes.
Table of Contents
For this recipe, all you do is layer fish and vegetables onto a sheet of parchment, fold it into a sealed packet, slide it in the oven, and walk away. The fish steams in its own juices with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce tucked in alongside it. Everything comes out perfectly moist and deeply flavored, the kind of dinner that tastes like you put in way more effort than you did.
For more easy weeknight dinners with minimal cleanup, my Lazy BBQ Chicken, Sheet Pan Shrimp and Vegetable Dinner, and Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner are all in the same spirit.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Zero cleanup. The parchment is the pan, the steamer, and the serving vessel, straight in the trash when dinner is done.
- Nearly impossible to overcook the fish. The steam inside the packet does all the work to keep it nice and moist.
- Use any fish, any vegetables, any flavor profile you love so everyone’s happy.
- Ready in 25 minutes! Perfect for a busy weeknight.
- It’s a genuinely healthy dinner. Lean protein, a full serving of vegetables, and no heavy sauces or added fats.
The Ingredients
- Fish fillets: Whitefish, tilapia, sole, salmon, cod, or halibut all work. Keep the fillets no thicker than about an inch so everything cooks through evenly. Thinner fish like sole absorbs flavor intensely. Thicker fish like salmon stays meatier and incredibly moist. If salmon is your go-to, my Maple Soy Salmon uses a similar flavor profile and is just as easy on a weeknight.
- Fresh ginger: Please do not skip this or swap it for ground. Fresh ginger is the ingredient that makes the whole thing taste special.
- Shiitake mushrooms: Button mushrooms work in a pinch but shiitakes have a deeper, more savory flavor that really shines here.
- Baby bok choy: Napa cabbage or spinach are easy substitutes.
- Sesame oil: A little goes a long way. It adds a nutty, toasty richness that ties the whole packet together.
- Soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos: Both work great. Soy sauce is deeper and saltier, Bragg’s is slightly lighter and gluten free.
Flavor Variations
The Asian-inspired version is my household staple, but this method works with almost any flavor or protein you love. Thin cut chicken breasts, scallops, and shrimp all work beautifully using the exact same technique. Just adjust the cook time: shrimp needs about 12 to 15 minutes, scallops 12 to 15 minutes, and thin cut chicken breasts (~1/2 inch thick) 15 to 20 minutes. For chicken, use an instant-read thermometer to confirm it has reached 165°F before serving.
- Italian: Olive oil, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, lemon. Use zucchini and spinach as the base.
- Mediterranean. Olive oil, lemon slices, fresh thyme, olives, capers. Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and shallots underneath.
- Mexican. Mild salsa, fresh cilantro, jalapeño if you want heat, black beans and corn as the base.
- Lemon herb butter. Mix softened butter with garlic, fresh parsley, and lemon zest and spread it over the fish before sealing. It melts into the most incredible sauce.
How to Make Fish in Parchment Paper
- Preheat and prep your parchment. Get the oven to 400°F and cut four sheets of parchment paper, about 12 by 16 inches each. Fold each one in half and open it back up. That center crease is your guide for where to build the packet.
- Build your layers. Pile the vegetables on one half of the parchment first. Bok choy on the bottom, then mushrooms and snap peas, then bell pepper. Grate the garlic and ginger on top. This base layer keeps the fish elevated off the parchment so the steam can circulate underneath it, and all those juices from the fish drip down and soak into the vegetables as everything cooks. Place the fish fillet on top, then drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Seal it tight. Fold the parchment over the fish and work your way around the open edge, making small overlapping creases. You want a genuinely tight seal here. The steam building up inside is what cooks everything, so any gaps will let it escape. The finished packet should feel a little puffed and hold its shape.
- Bake. Place the packets on a baking sheet and slide them into the oven for 20 minutes. You will know they are done when the parchment has puffed up and you can see steam threatening to escape at the edges.
- Open carefully and serve. Use scissors to pierce the top of each packet and let the steam vent for a few seconds before opening fully. That first rush of steam is genuinely hot. Transfer to plates and serve straight from the parchment, or slide everything into a bowl. The fish is done when it flakes easily at the touch of a fork and is completely opaque throughout.
Recipe Video
Tips and Tricks
- Cut everything to a similar size. The vegetables and fish need to cook at the same rate. Keep your vegetables slices even so nothing comes out raw while the fish is already done.
- Foil works too. If you are out of parchment, aluminum foil gives you the same result. If you are using acidic ingredients like lemon or tomatoes, tuck a small piece of parchment between the food and the foil.
- Make it ahead. Assemble the sealed packets, refrigerate them on the baking sheet, and bake when you are ready. Great for dinner parties or busy weeknights when you want dinner waiting to go.
- Storage: This recipe is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers can keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently at 300°F rather than the microwave, which makes fish rubbery. This one is not ideal for freezing.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the packets right on dinner plates and let everyone open their own. That burst of steam when you cut into the parchment is genuinely the best part. The fish and vegetables are a complete meal on their own, but if you want something more filling, open up your packet and scoop in some Perfect Brown Rice, quinoa, or farro straight into the packet and let it soak up all the juices at the bottom. So good!
FAQs
Almost anything boneless and skinless. Thin, delicate fish like sole and tilapia absorb flavor beautifully and cook fast. Firmer fish like cod, halibut, and salmon stay moist and meaty. Just avoid fillets thicker than an inch. They may not cook through in the time given.
Yes. Assemble the sealed packets, refrigerate on the baking sheet, and bake when you are ready. Perfect for entertaining.
Yes, with one heads up. Open the packets for younger kids yourself and let cool a bit first. The steam is hot!
More Easy Fish Recipes
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment below! I love to hear how it turned out. Hopefully you’ll understand why my husband asks for this one twice a week!
Want more Weelicious? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for all the newest recipes!
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Fish in Parchment Paper (Fish En Papillote)
Ingredients
- 4 fish fillets, skinless and boneless (whitefish, tilapia, sole, salmon, or cod)
- 8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
- 4 baby bok choy, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-3 inches ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or braggs liquid aminos
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut four pieces of parchment paper approximately 12 by 16 inches. Fold each in half and open back up.
- On one half of each sheet, layer a quarter of the bok choy, mushrooms, snap peas, and bell pepper. Top with one minced garlic clove and a quarter of the grated ginger. Repeat for each packet.
- Place a fish fillet on top of each vegetable pile. Drizzle each with a quarter of the sesame oil and soy sauce, sprinkle with a quarter of the sesame seeds.
- Starting at one end of the parchment, fold the edges of the paper over several times continuing to make creases all around the fish until it’s completely enclosed and no air can escape.
- Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining packets.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Transfer to plates, cut open the top with scissors, let steam escape (be careful, it’s hot!), and serve. My family likes to add a scoop of rice to their packet and let it soak up all the juices!
Notes
- Fish: Any boneless, skinless fillet works. Thicker cuts like salmon may need 3 to 5 extra minutes.
- Foil: Can be used instead of parchment with identical results.
- Doneness: Fish should flake easily with a fork and be opaque throughout.
- Make ahead: Assemble and refrigerate on the baking sheet up to a few hours before baking.
- Storage: Up to 2 days in the fridge. Reheat at 300°F.
- Flavor variations: See post for Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and lemon herb butter versions.
This is a great one. Cannot WAIT to try it. Thank you!!
Yum – thank you.
Amazing recipe: so quick and absolutely delicious! One of our favorites now!
we make these ALL the time. REALLY REALLY good. You can use any veggies you want! I’ve tried with catfish and tilapia. Both excellent and so easy. Serve with brown rice and it looks like a four star meal!
Is there any difference in cooking time if it is w/ chicken?
this recipe was AHHH MAZING! and so so easy! and healthy! thanks so much!
courtney