Tender, flavor-packed fish en papillote, prepared Mediterranean -style with green peppers, tomatoes, and a light lemony sauce, all cooked together in parchment parcels. Comes together in 25 minutes!
En papillote, pronounced ahn-pa-pee-yawt, may sound like something complicated, but it is truly an easy way to cook lean proteins like fish.
When baked en papillote (or in paper), fish fillets like cod, halibut, snapper, trout, or even salmon, cook very quickly and come out tender, moist, and flavorful.
This fish en papillote recipe comes together in 25 minutes start-to-finish. And you’ll love the added veggies and Mediterranean flavors!
Whether you’re a pro at baked cod or a fish newbie, this fish cooked in parchment is a snap to make!
What is Fish en Papillote?
En papillote is a French term that means “enveloped in paper.” And it basically describes a way of cooking in which the food or fish, in this case, is placed in paper pouches of parchment and baked with herbs or seasonings of your choice.
Mediterranean-Style Fish in Parchment
Here’s the gist of this recipe. Parchment parcels of cod fillet (or any thin fish fillet of your choice) covered in a light and lemony Mediterranean sauce with garlic, oregano and cumin, and topped with slices of green pepper and tomatoes. And if you like olives, throw in a couple!
The idea here is that the heat trapped in the sealed parchment paper (or baking paper) will steam the food, producing tender, moist, and flaky fish in no time.
The beautiful aroma and site of the slightly saucy fish and veggies as you split open the parchment is simply irresistible!
How to make baked fish en papillote
- Season the fish with kosher salt on both sides. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare the sauce. In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO), juice of ½ lemon, 1 finely chopped shallot, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dry oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ tsp cumin.
- Prepare the parchment paper. Make sure you have 4 large pieces of parchment paper that are large enough to hold the fish and vegetables with at least a couple of inches of extra paper so that you’re able to seal the parchment well. Mine were 12-inch pieces or so.
- Arrange the fish and veggies. You’ll want to put the fish on one half of the parchment paper (you will fold the other half of the paper over). Add a couple tablespoons of the sauce and arrange the veggies and a slice of lemon on top.
- Fold and seal the parchment pouches. Fold the other half of the parchment on top of the stacked fish and veggies. Touch the two sides of the parchment to each other and tightly roll, going around the edges and folding to secure each piece of parchment around the fish and veggies creating a well-wrapped pouch.
- Bake. Arrange the 4 sealed pouches of fish on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack of your heated oven. Cook for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through (it should flake easily when you test it with a fork).
How to Serve it
How do you serve fish enpapillote? That’s the best part! You cook and serve this baked fish right in the parchment paper parcels.
I use a spatula to transfer the sealed parchment parcels or packets to dinner plates, allowing each person to open their own packet. Easy peasy!
What to serve along
Since we have our protein and veggies, this is already and all-in-one meal.
If you like, add a side of lemon rice or plain couscous to help use up that tasty sauce!
To start the meal, I recommend something like eggplant caponata or big and bright Mediterranean salad such as: panzanella, three bean salad, or mini sweet bell pepper salad.
Make ahead and storage tips
- To make ahead: You can arrange the fish and vegetables and prepare the parchment packets or pouches up to 3 hours in advance. Arrange the sealed pouches on a baking sheet and be sure to refrigerate them until you are ready to bake.
- Leftover storage: You can store leftover cooked fish enpapillote in the fridge for up to 2 days. I typically remove it from the parchment and keep it in a tight-lid container. You can warm it through in a medium-heated oven, if you need to.
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Fish en Papillote, Mediterrnanean-style
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb cod fish fillet (1-inch thick) cut into 4 pieces
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 tomato thinly sliced into 4 rounds
- ½ green bell pepper cored, thinly sliced into 4 rounds
- ½ lemon thinly sliced into rings
- Handful pitted green olives optional
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 shallot chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season the fish with kosher salt and pepper on both sides.
- Prepare the sauce. Place the olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic and spices in a small mixing bowl or measuring cup and whisk to combine.
- Prepare 4 large pieces of parchment paper (about 12 inches or so on each side). Fold the parchment pieces down the middle to mark two halves.
- Assemble the pouches. Place each fish fillet on the bottom half of a parchment piece. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce over the fish. Add 1 lemon slice, 1 tomato slice, and 1 bell pepper slice on top.
- Fold the top half of the parchment paper over the fish and veggies and go around to fold and secure each piece of parchment around the fish and veggies creating a well-wrapped pouch.
- Place the fish pouches on a large baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of your heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked and flakes easily.
- To serve, leave the fish and veggies in their own closed parchment pouches and transfer each pouch to a serving plate.
Notes
- Serve with a side of lemon rice or plain couscous to help use up that tasty sauce!
- To make ahead: You can arrange the fish and vegetables and prepare the parchment packets or pouches up to 3 hours in advance. Arrange the sealed pouches on a baking sheet and be sure to refrigerate them until you are ready to bake.
- Leftover storage: You can store leftover cooked fish enpapillote in the fridge for up to 2 days. I typically remove it from the parchment and keep it in a tight-lid container. You can warm it through in a medium-heated oven, if you need to.
- Visit our Online Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices used in this recipe.
Delicious! I’ve made this with both cod and haddock. Both were so good, but I actually preferred how it tasted and was so tender/flaky with the haddock. I think it would also be wonderful with halibut. 😋
Thank you for another 5+ ⭐ recipe, Suzy!
One of the best ways of cooking fish the smell that erupts when you open the packet at the table wonderful.
Cooking w/parchment is always a nice way to knock out a meal, I made tonight using a thick cut of snapper and added some shrimp and bay scallops. Overall a big winner however, I would suggest only 8 to10 minutes oven time then, another 5 to 7 minutes carry over time out of the oven heat to finish. Overall outstanding dish, thank you Suzy.
Thanks so much for the kind review, Hank!
Hey Suzy, this recipe is another winner! I used salmon and mad it with your lemon rice. Fantastic!
So glad you enjoyed it, Glenn!
Suzy! Another great recipe! Thank you! I used hot spiced green olives I found and the result was amazing ! Thank youuuuu for sharing
I liked this so much I made twice in a week. I’m only making a single serving some my proportions are approximate. Today I used a half tablespoon instead a a half teaspoon and had to adjust the whole sauce, but it was fine. I usually use recipes as ideas rather than making them as written. This one is a winner as is.
Awesome! Thanks, Benita!
I catch lingcod every year on a chartered fishing trip out of Westport (Washington, USA). I love lingcod and have experimented with many recipes. Your en papillote recipe is an instant favorite! I substituted with orange bell pepper, Mexican oregano, and smoked paprika because that’s what I had on hand, and also kalamata olives. When fresh basil is not in season, I prefer your preparation to all others. If the fillets are fully thawed, 12 minutes at 425 F is plenty. Let the fish rest a few minutes, then serve on a hot plate.
Thank you for sharing your adaptions here, Eric. Glad you enjoy this recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome! My hubby could not believe it was compliment with the Mediterranean diet!
So glad you enjoyed it, Shirley!
This was my first time cooking fish, and it was so easy and delicious! I overcooked my fish a bit (new cook panicking about it being raw and kept it in for 20 minutes…), but my husband still loved it and went back for another packet. Definitely will make this again!!
I’m learning so much through your website, and am so grateful for your resources! In fact, this recipe was a lot of firsts for me — first time using shallot, first time chopping garlic… my culinary skills are severely lacking, but improving with your videos and recipes! Thank you!
Keep at it, Morgan! Cooking really does get easier the more you do it :). It’s so great that you’re trying new things!!
This was fantastic! My husband was slurping the sauce off his plate!
Haha! So glad you both enjoyed it!
SO GOOD! What an easy and delicious way to have cod. Will definitely be a regular lunch for me from now on.
Thanks, Lama! So glad you enjoyed it!
Made it today for dinner. Delicious! The whole family loved it.
Yay! Thanks, Irina!
SO delicious! This fish baked up beautifully and I love the presentation. It makes a simple dinner feel so elegant!