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Easy Steamed Fish en Papillote

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This easy steamed fish is a twist on classic fish en papillote, which is often served in individual parchment packets. This one-pot method delivers simple yet utterly delicious and tender seafood in minutes with all the flavors of the traditional French method. Perfect for busy weeknight meals.

Top view of steamed fish on a white scalloped platter.

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What to Love About Steamed Fish

It’s one of the simplest ways to cook fish perfectly. We love seafood, and so do our readers. Our sheet pan fish recipe is also deliciously simple and made with fresh fish and vegetables.

This steamed fish method is equally simple and so tender and moist that it’s irresistible. Quick and easy in one pan that’s ready in minutes!

Top view of steamed fish ingredients on a marble background.

Steamed Fish Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this simple dish!

  • Fish: This method works well with any firm-bodied fish, such as salmon, floundertrout, cod, or halibut. In this post, I’m using Icelandic Cod.
  • Leeks: Halved and then thinly sliced into half-moons
  • Aromatics: salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and fresh herbs like parsley, dill, basil, or a combination, as I’ve done here.
  • Cherry tomatoes, whole
  • Zucchini, thinly sliced. A small mandolin works very quickly and gives you nice evenly thin slices.
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh lemons, thinly sliced

How to Make Steamed Fish

This method is so simple yet delivers the most moist, tender, and deliciously flavored fish. Here’s how to make this easy one-pot steamed fish recipe.

Begin by cutting a 2-foot length of parchment paper and centering it in a 10-inch heavy-bottom skillet, braiser, or Dutch oven with a lid.

Step 1: Toss ingredients together

Add the cod, onion, garlic, herbs, halved cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss to combine.

Top view of uncooked cod, zucchini, tomatoes, leeks, and herbs in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Transfer ingredients to the parchment-lined pot

Transfer to the parchment-lined pan, arrange sliced lemon over the top, and drizzle with remaining olive oil and 1/4 cup water. Then, fold the paper over to cover the fish and crimp the edges together to seal.

Top view of uncooked steamed fish ingredients in a parchment lined Dutch oven with sliced lemons on top.
Top view of fish encased on parchment paper inside a Dutch oven and ready for steaming.

Step 3: Steam fish

Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Without lifting the lid, reduce heat to medium and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, carefully open the paper, and serve from the pot over steamed grains (like white rice).

What to Serve with Fish en Papillote

The beauty of this dish is that the entire meal is steamed in parchment, in one pot. The zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs are a perfect complement to the soft and tender fish. I like to serve this meal with steamed white rice or Mediterranean Israeli Couscous (Pearl Couscous). It’s also nice with a fresh chopped salad or my favorite summer salad of Smashed Cucumber Watermelon Salad or a creamy cucumber salad with yogurt dressing.

More Seafood Recipes to Try

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Horizontal closeup top view of steamed cod on a white serving platter.

Easy Steamed Fish en Papillote Recipe

This is an easy and delicious way to cook fish perfectly. It's a twist on classic steamed fish en papillote, ready in minutes!
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ lbs cod fillet skin on salmon cut into 4 equal sized pieces cut into 4 equal pieces (or another firm-bodied fish, such as salmon, flounder, trout, or halibut)
  • 1 small leek white and light green parts, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 medium zucchini thinly sliced
  • 12 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup chopped herbs roughly chopped (use your favorite herbs like parsley, dill, basil, or a combination)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 lemons sliced thinly

Instructions

  • Cut a 2 foot length of parchment paper and center it in a 10-inch heavy bottom skillet, braiser or Dutch oven with a lid.
  • Add the cod, onion, garlic, herbs, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to combine.
  • Transfer to the parchment-lined pan and arrange sliced lemon over the top. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and 1/4 cup water. Fold the paper over to cover the fish and crimp the edges together to seal.
  • Cover and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Without lifting the lid, reduce heat to medium and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the lid, carefully open the paper, and serve from the pot over steamed rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 727mg | Potassium: 1058mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1388IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Course: Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: steamed fish, fish en papillote, mediterranean cod recipe

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