Salmon Baked in Parchment with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash

Salmon Baked in Parchment Paper with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash! A healthy salmon recipe that bakes up perfectly tender every single time. Swap out the veggies to whatever you love or whatever's in season!

Have you made a meal in a parchment packet before? I hadn’t. But now, consider me a convert to this cooking method. Here’s why:

Salmon Baked in Parchment Paper with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash! A healthy salmon recipe that bakes up perfectly tender every single time. Swap out the veggies to whatever you love or whatever's in season!

It takes 20 minutes and requires barely any clean up. All you need is a long sheet of parchment, one fillet of fish (I used salmon, but I’ve since used haddock with similarly good results), a drizzle of high quality olive oil (I love California Olive Ranch Everyday olive oil), thin slices of garlic, rounds of citrus for moisture and flavor (orange, lemon, lime…), and any quick-cooking veggies you like (anything other than root veggies, which will take a lot longer to cook than the fish).

Salmon Baked in Parchment Paper with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash! A healthy salmon recipe that bakes up perfectly tender every single time. Swap out the veggies to whatever you love or whatever's in season!

Here is a fantastic video tutorial on folding the packet in the proper, half moon-shaped way. I, however, can’t help myself and like to do most things on a wing and a prayer, so I chose to fold the parchment tightly into a rectangle. (Thankfully it worked.)

salmon baked in parchment

The packet went onto a cookie sheet and into the oven for about 18 minutes and when it emerged, lunch was self-contained and served. I ate it straight from the parchment. Classy as a box of wine.

I couldn’t tell which I liked more: the softness of the just-steamed fish or the light citrus sauce that was created inside my little pouch. I spooned it over the salmon while eating, but eventually resorted to upending the parchment into my mouth. I’ve been known to do worse, though. Want to know what else I do? Most times, when I steam broccoli (not using a steamer basket–just putting broccoli in a pot filled with about an inch or so of simmering water), I pour the small amount of water remaining in the pot into a cup and then…wait for it…drink it. Yes, I am the grossest. I tell myself it’s because some of the vitamins and minerals have seeped out of the broccoli and into the water and that it would be a shame to pour them down the drain. Then again, I tell myself a lot of wack-a-doo things. So.

Back to the salmon in parchment. It’s summery, healthy, and quick and easy to make. I think you’re going to love it.

Salmon Baked in Parchment Paper with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash! A healthy salmon recipe that bakes up perfectly tender every single time. Swap out the veggies to whatever you love or whatever's in season!

Salmon Baked in Parchment with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash

Quick, healthy, and easy! Bake salmon to tender perfection in a packet with all of your favorite seasonal vegetables!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time23 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked salmon recipe, easy salmon recipe, salmon baked in parchment, salmon with orange
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 380kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 "12"”x18” sheets of parchment paper
  • 2 medium zucchini thinly sliced
  • 2 medium summer squash thinly sliced
  • 4 six-ounce salmon fillets
  • .125 tsp salt
  • .125 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • 8 teaspoons olive oil (I like California Olive Ranch
  • 1 large orange skin removed and sliced into rounds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Lay a square of parchment paper on a clean work surface. Fold the parchment in half, creasing the paper, then open it like a book. Put a quarter of the sliced zucchini and a quarter of the summer squash in a mound on one side of the crease on the parchment paper and season with salt. Lay one fillet of salmon on top of the vegetables and season it with salt and pepper. Arrange a quarter of the garlic slices over the salmon. Sprinkle with a quarter of the parsley.
  • Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over the top of the salmon and vegetables and arrange a quarter of the orange slices over the top.
  • Fold the parchment over the salmon to close. Fold the unsecured edges inward and over one another until you have formed a half moon shape. Put the sealed parchment packet on a baking sheet and repeat the assembly process with the remaining salmon fillets.
  • Bake for about 18 minutes. Serve immediately in the packets or transfer the salmon and vegetables to serving plates and pour the sauce in each packet over the top.

Notes

Feel free to substitute other fish--halibut would work beautifully. Also, lemon can be used in place of the orange with similar results.
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
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18 thoughts on “Salmon Baked in Parchment with Orange, Zucchini, and Summer Squash

  1. Leah

    OMG, this looks like the perfect summer treat. I love how well presented your food is, I wish mine looked like that.

    Reply
  2. Hannah

    I love salmon and I love a speedy clean up in the kitchen, so this is right up my alley. I must point out that this is well-balanced, Mediterranean diet inspired dish too. Really too many reasons not to try it.

    Reply
  3. Aggie

    I love the easy prep & clean up of packets like this! I’ve made a couple, but not often and never with salmon. The addition of orange sounds amazing!

    Reply
  4. Judith

    At last! A great solution to my dilemma over salmon. My husband loves it; I don’t. I do love most other fish though. Now I can make one packet with salmon for him and one with a different fish for myself and the flavors won’t mingle as they do when I cook them next to each other.
    I’m off to the fish store…..thanks so much! Looks delish.

    Reply
  5. Hootie

    Winning!!!! This looks great and a lot less messy than laying lemons under salmon and cooking it stovetop!

    Question: Did you use fresh or frozen salmon? Do you think I could safely go from frozen? I love frozen foods as buying in bulk is how I roll :) thanks

    Reply
  6. Toni

    Love this! Quick question, i usually do the packet cooking with tin foil, is there a difference using parchment paper? Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Sara

    This is exactly what i was searching, am currently on a paleo diet and its hard to find some good recipes.

    Reply
  8. Linda K

    I love this method of cooking and use it often. I like the quick clean up and simplicity of it along with the flavourful sauce that it creates. I have included potatoes in mine – just cut them in thin disks a la scalloped style. Great post – yum!

    Reply
  9. Aimee Tucker

    Andie,
    Did I go wrong somewhere? The orange when I ate it was a little bit bitter to me. Otherwise I enjoyed this recipe a lot. And that is saying a lot since I don’t eat salmon if I don’t have to ;-)

    Reply
  10. Jessica

    Oh wow, just found your site and the food looks amazing. I’m going to have to do this next time I cook salmon. Never would have thought to use orange. I so need to get out of the meat and 3 veg thinking and your food really starts to get my creative juices flowing. I’m going to scourer your site now for receipts. thanks!

    Reply
  11. Lauren

    I just made this last night and it was AMAZING. So so good. I scaled it down for only two filets and with a side of tabbouleh it was enough for FOUR meals. I followed the recipe to a T :)

    Reply
  12. Breanne

    I just made this tonight with lemon instead. So good! I have trouble finding recipes for fish that aren’t crazy on ingredients and this was great. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
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