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Busy weeknights call for something delicious but easy. This recipe is super easy, so fresh, and incredibly flavorful! Everything is cooked together in a parchment paper pouch creating an almost mess-free dinner. Flavorful roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomato sauce is spooned over each fillet before being wrapped up and roasted in parchment paper. Thinly sliced potatoes sit underneath the salmon, catch all the yummy flavor, and create an all-in-one dinner. It’s fresh, cozy, and basically dishes-free. Add a little tzatziki and herbs on top and this dinner feels special with very little work!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Fast prep, minimal cleanup, super juicy salmon
- An all-in-one meal – thinly sliced potatoes, healthy salmon, and flavorful roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomato sauce
Ingredient Notes
- Jarred roasted red peppers: drain well and blot so the sauce isn’t watery
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes: keeps a little of that flavorful oil in the sauce
- Potatoes: slice paper thin so they cook with the salmon; a mandoline on the thinnest setting helps
- Spices: smoked paprika + a pinch of cumin = warmth without overpowering
- Herby Finish: dill + basil brighten the rich sauce; tzatziki adds cool creaminess
The Story behind this recipe
Slowly my family is warming up to the idea of fish for dinner. Yes, we may have a couple of stragglers that are still having a hard time (mom and Asher). But even my brothers are now on board for a good poke bowl or piece of salmon…Creighton included. I LOVE this!
In the past, it was really just my dad who enjoyed any kind of fish, so having more of the family requesting fish for dinner has been a welcomed change.
Red is for sure the big fish guy. He inspired last week’s poke bowl and this week’s parchment baked salmon.
The Process
Using a parchment paper packet is an Italian way of cooking fish. To put it simply, you’re creating a packet out of parchment paper for your food to cook inside of. Not only does this save on mess and dishes, but cooking your food in parchment steams the food and cooks everything in their own juices.
Cooking food this way preserves nutrients and creates and insane amount of flavor. All of the aromas are trapped inside the parchment paper. Meaning you can get away with using less ingredients, and still come away with a delicious dinner.
Everything cooks really fast this way too.
Step-by-Step: Parchment Paper Packets
- Make the roasted red pepper sauce: All you need is jarred roasted red peppers and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Mix them up in a blender with olive oil, honey, garlic, lemon, paprika, cumin, chili flakes, salt, and pepper until mostly smooth with a little texture.
- Fold the parchment: Start with a large sheet, fold in half. Pinch the seams together to enclose everything inside.
- Layer: Arrange the thinly-sliced potatoes in a single layer to one side of the parchment paper, season, place the salmon on top; spoon 1-2 spoonfuls of red pepper sauce over each filet
- Seal: Fold parchment over and crimp along the curve with tight, overlapping folds so the steam stays trapped
- Bake on the bottom rack until the potatoes are tender and salmon is steamed
How to tell your meal is ready
The packets will puff and you will hear a sizzle, the salmon will flake easily with a fork, the potatoes will be tender when pierced through the packet with a fork or thin knife.
Reader-Tested Swaps and Variations
- Sweet potatoes for a sweeter base, texture is slightly softer
- Greens: add a handful of arugula on top after baking for peppery freshness, or serve with roasted broccolini on the side
- One big fillet: Build one large parchment packet on a sheet pan (same method)
- Spicier: Add chili flakes or a pinch of pepper in the sauce
- Dairy-free: Skip the tzatziki and finish with lemon zest and more herbs
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheat
- Sauce: make ahead and refrigerate; flavors deepen as it rests
- Packets: assemble in the morning; keep chilled and bake before serving
- Leftovers: cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers; salmon can go into salads or grain bowls. It would be great to pair with orzo or a simple cucumber-tomato salad for a Mediterranean plate
- Reheat: warm gently, covered, just heated through to keep the salmon moist
Can I make one large salmon fillet instead of individual packets?
Yes, build one big parchment packet and crimp it well so the steam is trapped. Bake and check the oven for these cues: puffed packet, soft sizzle, salmon flakes and blush center.
My potatoes finished before the salmon (or vice versa). How do I fix that?
Slice potatoes paper-thin and lay in a single layer. If they’re thicker, start them in the oven briefly before assembling or cook the potatoes separately for extra crisp edges.
Can I make the red pepper sauce ahead? What about leftovers?
The sauce can be made ahead and chilled. It only gets tastier! Leftover sauce is great on pasta, in rice bowls, or spread on sandwiches or wraps.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Cool completely, then refrigerate salmon and potatoes in airtight containers. Reheat, covered, just until warm or enjoy cold salmon on bagels, salad or sandwiches.
Looking for more simple, seafood recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Red’s Favorite Spicy Tuna Poke Bowls
Garlic Butter Creamed Spinach Salmon
Honey Garlic Salmon Soba Noodle Bowls
Parchment Baked Lemon Salmon and Potatoes with Dill Yogurt
Lastly, if you make this Parchment Baked Roasted Red Pepper Salmon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Parchment Baked Roasted Red Pepper Salmon
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 544 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (16 ounce) roasted red peppers, drained
- 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 small potatoes, very thinly sliced
- 4 (6-8 ounce) salmon fillets
- tzatziki, for serving
- fresh dill and basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Fold 4 large pieces of parchment paper (about 15×16 inches) in half. 2. In a blender, combine the red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, honey, garlic, lemon, paprika, cumin, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. 3. Working on one side of the creased parchment, layer the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Place the salmon over the potatoes and spoon over 1-2 spoonfuls of the red pepper sauce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 4 packets. 4. To close, fold the parchment over salmon, pinching to seal the open sides and create a half-moon-shaped packet. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.5. Serve the salmon topped with tzatziki and fresh herbs.
This post was originally published on March 3, 2022
So great! Will make again. Made an extra serving with a thin boneless chicken filet for the non-fish eater. Red pepper/ SDT Sauce was awesome. Read a comment that someone used the rest with baked goat cheese – great idea !
Hi Angela,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Delicious!! I was very happy to have extra sauce to use as a spread for sandwiches or wraps or with pasta later this week. It was a win win!
Hey Lisa,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
This was really tasty and felt healthy! The tzatziki sauce was definitely a very nice complementary addition!
I agree with another review that it made sooo much red pepper sauce.
Any ideas for what I could do with the left over red pepper sauce?
Hi Bonny,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! I would put it on a sandwich or over pasta. Have a great week:) xx
Can I do this with Frozen salmon or should I thaw first?
Hi Dominique,
You will want thaw the salmon first. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This was great! Thank you for sharing! I made the Greek sauce from the lemon and orzo chicken dish instead of taziki and it paired well!
Hi Traci,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
This was excellent.
Hi Pam,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
I enjoyed this for dinner for dinner last night. It was really good. Then with some of the extra sauce I put it on some goat cheese and baked it for a treat to enjoy with cocktails.
Hi Karen,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
The topping is so delicious. Followed recipe exactly. Definitely a keeper.
Hi Stephanie,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Delicious and very simple! Easy cleanup. Only callout is there was a tremendous amount of the red pepper sauce leftover. I would cut that part of the recipe in half. Great overall!
Hi Alex,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
This looks fantastic is there another type of fish you think would work well in this recipe?
Hi Amanda,
Totally, a mild white fish like halibut would be great! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I’m not a huge salmon fan typically but this recipe looked too good not to try. It was SO good, everyone loved it! My boyfriend made sure to have me put it in the rotation. Super quick and easy with not a big mess too, so that’s a big plus! Im so happy there was left over sauce too so I can use it later this week!
Hi Ashley,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Perfect for a fancy dinner party, and I think you can set up the packets in advance and keep them in fridge. So, so good!
Hi Maria,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
This looks absolutely amazing Tieghan. I’m looking forward to trying it soon!
I hope you love the recipe Kim!!
Are you able to tell me whether or not the same it still has the skin on it?
Hi Kristen,
Yes, I used skin on salmon. I hope you love the recipe!! xx
My first ever fail of a HBH recipe. How much olive oil is there supposed to be? The first ingredient is 1/3 cup then 2 lines down is 1/4 cup. Next the red pepper sauce was amazing but made cups worth- was I supposed to use it all? I did and it was way too much. If I wasn’t supposed to use that much why make so much? I cooked mine for double the time and the very thin potatoes were still raw and the salmon was overcooked.
I’m sure the pepper spread would be good on a sandwich, mixed with pasta, or roasted veggies.
This was soooo good! I halved the recipe. Roasted one medium sized bell pepper and left out the sun dried tomatoes because I am not the biggest fan. Deliciously unique.. will definitely be making again!
Hi Hope,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Hi Alison,
So sorry to hear the recipe was not enjoyed. You only want to use 1/4 cup of olive oil. The directions in step 3 state to spoon over 1-2 spoonfuls of the sauce to your liking:) My guess on the potatoes is that they were not sliced thin enough. I hope this helps for next time! xT
Loved this dish! So quick and easy to prepare with an easy breezy clean up. The flavors were bright and complimented the salmon very nicely. The addition of the tzatziki is perfection. Going into my recipe rotation!
Hi Leona,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) xT
Great recipe! Loved the sauce! We tried sun chokes instead of potatoes. We will use the extra sauce on chicken breasts and omelets this week.
Hi Andrea,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
What other protein recommendation would you make for this recipe if one does not eat fish. Looks amazing
Hey Kylie,
You could also use chicken, you will just need to increase your bake time until your chicken reaches an internal temp of 160F. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xx