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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!
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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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This recipe is stellar! I have made it numerous times. The only tweak was to use the olive oil in the sun dried tomato jar in place of the 1/4 cup olive oil (why let the flavor go down the drain, right?). I have also added a handful of Kalamata olives to the food processor when making the sauce in later iterations and it was delicious as well.
Hey Caron,
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe so often, I am so glad it is always enjoyed:)
Made this for Father’s Day, and Dad and the whole fam loved it! Delicious flavors and a lot of fun to make.
Hey Julia,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xTieghan
Another amazing meal!!!! This one has leapt up to 2nd favorite SO far! The sauce is just as delicious as the comments indicated. We used it ALL, I had potatoes that needed to be used so I did extra. And we were not sorry, those leftover saucy potatoes are going to be served alongside an omelet tomorrow. Or your dads cheesy eggs, TBD. Thanks SO much, we love what you do girl!!! Keep it up.
Hey Linda,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend!☀️ xx
This was one of the best salmon recipes I’ve made! Normally I find salmon to be a bit boring, this had SO MUCH flavor and easy to put together. Definitely making this again!
Hey Paige,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your review and making this recipe. Love to hear that it was a winner! xxT
Making this again because it’s so amazing that my family craves it.
Hey Kiana,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed, we appreciate the feedback! xTieghan
A huge hit in my home! Great flavours and yet another easy to follow recipe.
Thank you, Tiegan
Hi Hannah,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review:) xxTieghan
Made this exactly as written. Super flavorful. Potatoes sliced extremely thin but stuck to the parchment. I would recommend oil under the potatoes. Lots of sauce but put a fourth per filet. It seemed a lot, but perfect. The second filet I wrapped in foil which I oiled first and should work fine.
Hey Gary,
That’s great!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xxT
OMG! I prepped the sauce for this today. That might have been a mistake as I am eating it by the spoonful right now. Since others suggested they had extra sauce I cut the recipe in half, also a potential mistake. Holy F! I just hope I have enough for tomorrow when I plan to make the salmon. I am going to bake the potatoes a bit before putting this together in the parchment. I think the chunky sauce might make a nice topping for crostini but would love some other ideas! I am going to serve the salmon with a Mediterranean inspired salad with Kalamata olives, chickpeas, feta, cherry tomatoes and parsley tossed in a bit of lemon.
Hey Cari,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!
Hi Mary Beth,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Yum! The flavors in this sauce are amazing. It reminds me a lot of a Romesco sauce, which is one of my favorites. We eat a lot of salmon in our house (even my four-year-old just recently started eating it, too!), and I am happy to add this into our recipe repertoire. Although I did slice the potatoes very thin, I found them to be slightly underdone. Still edible and yummy, just not quite as cooked through as I would like. I think if I used a mandolin to slice them next time for extra thin, even-thickness, that would solve the problem. Thanks again for another spectacular recipe. I just received your new cookbook in the mail, and I can’t wait to look through it and try so many more of your awesome recipes! 🙂
Hi Rachel,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Sorry about the potatoes! Have the best weekend!☀️ xx
I usually love everything! this was so fishy I couldn’t even eat it ? Did I do something wrong? Or, was it just the Salmon I bought?
Hi Maddy,
So sorry to hear this, that was definitely the salmon that was purchased. Your fish should absolutely not be fishy. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Loved this dish – somewhat picky 16 year old gobbled it up and it was incredibly easy to make. Delicious.
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing your review!? xT
I made this salmon and it was so flavorful. I used a sweet potato instead of the white potato and after I sliced cooked it a little bit in the microwave. I love the combination of the sundried tomatoes and the red pepper. I plan on making it again.
Hey Jill,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Loved the salmon and sauce! Cooking in the parchment is super easy and mess-free. The sauce makes a lot so I would quarter the recipe for next time cooking 2 servings for myself and my partner. I would also cook the potatoes separately, it was nice to cook them all together but I prefer mine crispier.
Hey Jackie,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try!! Have the best day:) xx
I made too much sauce but I just put it on eggs and toast the next day 🙂 can’t have too much of it, wow!
Love this idea Tom!
This is the second time this week I’m making this for dinner. The flavors are excellent ~ just the right amount of sweet and savory, and a nice little after-kick from the red pepper. The tzatziki sauce is the perfect compliment to the roasted red pepper/tomato mixture. Great addition to our list of favorites!
Hey Patti,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This was delicious! I struggled getting the parchment paper closed, but once I did and it got cooked, wow! I definitely ended up with way more sauce then was necessary but the thing that really made this was the tzatziki! It gave it such good flavor!
Thanks for such a good, and quick dinner!
Can I use foil instead of parchment paper? Or will it not be the same?
Making this tonight!
Hey Lauren,
You will want to use foil for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hey Sarah,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xx
This recipe is really good! The tzatziki is a must. I found the potatoes were just a touch underdone, so next time I’ll try to slice even thinner or pre-bake for a bit. The roasted red pepper sauce was amazing! I used the leftovers (only needed about half for salmon) on pasta – added grated parm & fresh basil- incredible! My 15 year old and I just love your recipes and basically talk about you regularly – “Mom, did you see Tiegan’s new post?” 🙂 Thanks for all of the cooking inspiration!
Hey Stefanie,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx