I just adore recipes that include the main and the side all in one. They really do make my life easier. This recipe or Parchment Baked Lemon Salmon and Potatoes with Dill Yogurt is one of the best I’ve found in my Pinterest wanderings. And it’s healthy! The name pretty much says it all, and—spoiler—it’s as good as it sounds. Maybe better!
If you’re looking for an easy, delicious and healthy dinner, this parchment baked salmon is the perfect recipe. Everything is cooked together in a parchment paper pouch creating an almost mess free dinner that’s not only easy, but yummy and good for you too! Best part? It’s ready in just about thirty minutes.
The Ingredients
Depending on the type of salmon you buy and how many you’re cooking for, this meal can be very budget-friendly. My local grocery store had a couple of farmed and wild varieties. I have a farmed salmon kind of budget and got 2 6-ounce fillets for just under $7.
The rest of the items weren’t too expensive, but you might want to do some strategic planning to make sure you use up the leftover arugula and dill. The basil is totally optional here because it’s strictly a garnish and doesn’t add any flavor. Skipping it will save you a couple of dollars, and you won’t miss it.
The Process
This recipe was quick to make and took a total of 36 minutes. That was 16 minutes of prep work and 20 minutes to cook. The prep work includes everything needed to get the salmon packets into the oven. I made the dill yogurt while the fish was cooking.
The prep work did include a couple of extra minutes to skin the salmon fillets. I completely forgot to ask for it to be done at the seafood counter. Have no fear if you do the same since the skin pretty much peels right off with a little help from a sharp knife to get things started.
Next tip is to make sure you have a mandoline to slice the potatoes and one of the lemons. It will speed up the prep work and ensure you get uniform slices. That’s not so important for the lemons, but it will help the potatoes to cook evenly.
Speaking of potatoes, I found I had to overlap them slightly to get them to fit onto the folded parchment. I used 9 slices per packet and found IÂ didn’t have enough room to fold over the edges without overlapping the potatoes just a little.
Lastly, make sure to fold the edges of your parchment packets in a half-moon shape. I completely missed that part and had trouble getting the packets to stay closed. Sealing the packets helps to trap the steam inside and keep the contents moist. This guide shows a few ways to form a parchment packet (Option 2: Pleated is the same as the half-moon/crescent shape needed for this recipe).
