Cooking in parchment paper packets is a delightful and effortless way to create tender, juicy meals! Toss your favorite ingredients into the center of a sheet of parchment paper, then follow these simple steps to enjoy a savory and delicious dish.
Have you ever tried cooking with parchment paper packets? They're perfect for lighter proteins like fish, shellfish, thinly sliced chicken, and a medley of veggies. You'll have flavor-packed, custom, single-serve meals in no time with just a bit of butter or oil, a sprinkle of herbs, and your favorite ingredients. The packet seals in all of your ingredients, and is a healthy cooking method that requires barely any fat, keeping your meals light and delicious. And the cherry on top? They keep your baking sheets nearly “squeaky” clean. Say goodbye to scrubbing and hello to effortless, nutritious meals!
4 Simple Steps to Make Parchment Packets
Creating single-serve parchment packets for cooking is a cinch! With these easy steps, you'll learn how to make parchment packets for delicious hassle-free meals. Simply fold and seal the parchment paper so they create individual parchment paper bags to steam your tasty oven meals.
Tear a 15” by 12” sheet of parchment paper and lay it flat. Place your ingredients in the center of the sheet. Gather the longer edges together at the top.
Fold down the paper from the top of the parchment until you reach about an inch from the ingredients. Leave this amount of space to allow the food to steam properly.
Tightly fold in the sides of the packet.
Crease and twist the edges tightly to ensure the packet closes fully. Place the packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
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Each packet contains one serving that can be adjusted to match everyone’s unique tastes and ingredient preferences.
It's tempting to fill your packet with delicious meat and veggies, but if it's overflowing, either remove some ingredients or put them in a new packet.
How to Make a Parchment Paper Pouch Using the Heart-Shaped Method
Another way to create parchment packets is to use a heart-shaped option. It looks a little more elegant, but it’s critical that you don’t overfill and crease each fold to keep it closed, so your packet has room to breathe and build up steam.
Step 1: Tear a 15” by 12” sheet of parchment paper. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise and crease it in the center. Cut the paper into a half-heart shape. When unfolded, it should look like a heart.
Step 2: Place your ingredients on half of the unfolded parchment paper, about one inch away from the center crease.
Step 3: Fold over the other half of the sheet to enclose the ingredients, leaving ample space for them to steam. Don’t overfill.
Step 4: Starting at the top of the heart, make small overlapping folds down the edge of the entire length of the parchment, creasing each fold to secure the edges together. Twist the last fold several times to create a tight seal. Transfer to a large baking sheet with a 1-inch rim and bake.1
How to Seal Parchment Paper
Brush beaten egg whites along the edges of your heart-shaped parchment packet to ensure a tighter seal.
What are the Main Ingredients for Parchment Packet Meals?
Parchment packets are versatile choices for creating many delicious dishes. Packet meals typically include a light protein, a small amount of butter or oil, aromatic seasonings, vegetables, and you can even add a splash of juice, or both. What’s so great about packet meals? You can customize each single-serve packet for the person eating it. The packets can be cooked in the oven at 425°F or lower if your recipe or type of protein requires a different temperature. To check for doneness, always use a cooking thermometer and cook until it reaches the safe minimum internal cooking temperature for the protein in your packet.
Proteins:
Fish: Because they can be overcooked when roasted or seared, tender white fish fillets, such as cod, halibut, or tilapia, are ideal for parchment cooking. Packets are also perfect for cooking heartier fish, like salmon, snapper, or flounder, too.
Shellfish: Steaming shrimp, scallops, and crab meat in parchment packets with butter and seasonings makes them soft and tender while infusing them with a buttery flavor.2
Chicken: Thin-cut chicken breasts are a fantastic choice for cooking en papillote. You can marinate the chicken before cooking or add sauce to the packet for an extra burst of flavor. The chicken will stay tender, juicy, and flavorful.
Vegetables: Asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini, peas, broccoli, tomatoes, and mushrooms steam beautifully in these packets, retaining their vibrant colors and flavors. If you want to include thicker veggies, like carrots, potatoes, or beets, always cut in small bite-sized pieces. They will take much longer to cook than fish, chicken, or shellfish. The goal is to have all ingredients finish cooking at the same time.3, 4
Fats:
For each serving, you need only a pat of butter or a teaspoon or two of your favorite oil (drizzled over your meat and vegetables).
Aromatics and seasonings:
To season your packets, you can use lemon slices, minced garlic, finely chopped fresh herbs, or your favorite bottled seasoning. Feel free to get creative and use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Don’t forget the salt and pepper!
A liquid or two:
Cooking the proteins and vegetables releases water to create steam, but adding a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of broth or white wine enhances the flavor. You can also experiment with coconut milk, a citrus marinade, pesto, or sauce of your choice.
The endless possibilities make parchment packets fantastic for healthy, delicious, and easy-to-clean meals.
Simple and Delectable En Papillote Recipes
Not sure you’re ready to wing it? We think you'll love these flavorful and easy en papillote recipes. Don’t worry about needing chef-level skills. En papillote simply means cooking meals in parchment packets.5
As the package heats up, the extra liquid combined with the food’s natural juices starts to steam. This process allows the food to create its own sauce while cooking, bursting with rich and delicious flavor. With these recipes, you can make weeknight meals a mouthwatering experience!
Salmon En Papillote
Indulge in the elegance of this Salmon en Papillote, where tender, flaky salmon steams with asparagus, lemon, and seasonings for the ultimate gourmet meal made easy.
“En papillote” is a French phrase that means “in paper” and refers to the cooking method of wrapping food in a folded parchment paper pouch and baking it. The packet works like a mini steam chamber, gently cooking and infusing incredible flavor into the ingredients.3, 5
Yes. Parchment paper is made of paper with a food-safe silicone coating that makes it heat-resistant and nonstick. Reynolds Kitchens® Parchment Paper is the perfect option for baking or cooking because it can handle temperatures up to 425°F. Our cooking papers guide explores more ways to use parchment paper, aluminum foil, and other papers in the kitchen and beyond.
Reynolds Kitchens has a variety of parchment papers you can use to create parchment paper packets.
Parchment Paper with Stay Flat™ Dispensing Roll is our most popular and versatile product. It features Stay Flat dispensing to keep the paper flat and SmartGrid® for easy measuring and cutting.
Parchment Paper Pop-Up Sheets are made to size for easy packet-making. Just pull out a sheet, fold it, fill it, and bake.
Unbleached Parchment Paper Rolls—do you prefer unbleached parchment that is chlorine-free and certified home compostable? This parchment is for you.
We suggest keeping the temperature at 425°F or lower. This is because parchment paper should not be heated above that temperature. It's always best to follow the preheating temperature recommended in your recipe.
Yes, cooking in parchment paper packets or parchment paper bags creates a steam chamber. It’s ideal for steaming vegetables, proteins, and even complete meals.
