Salmon Al Cartoccio is also known as “Salmon in a Bag” and it’s a traditional Italian method of cooking salmon! Simply wrap your salmon fillet in a parchment paper packet, drizzle with some olive oil, and put it in the oven. In less than 15 minutes, it steams into the most beautifully moist and flaky fish.
Cartoccio means “paper bag” in Italian. By wrapping the salmon in paper being baking, it combines the best of baking and steaming by allowing the fish to cook delicately in its own juices.
If you’ve heard of Salmon en Papillote, this is the same thing. En Papillote is just the French term for the same cooking technique.
Not only does the paper seal in moisture leading to tender and flavourful salmon, it also keeps the smell trapped inside until it’s ready to eat. No fishy smelling oven!
Jump To...
Ingredients + Substitutions
The ingredients for Salmon al Cartoccio are quite simple:
Salmon Fillet: Use a big meaty piece of salmon, around 8 ounces (227 grams). This ensures the fish stays moist. (If you've got smaller fillets, try our Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Salmon recipe instead. If your salmon is bone-in, go for these Pan-Seared Salmon Steaks.)
Orange or Lemon: Used as a bedding to keep the bottom of the salmon from drying out. Plus it adds a fresh floral flavour to the fish. You can also freeze a little fresh lemon juice on the salmon at the end of cooking.
Baby Spinach: Optional but it’s a great way to get in some veggies. A bite of spinach and salmon together is heaven!
Olive Oil: We use our extra virgin olive oil sparingly in this household. We reserve it for dishes with delicate flavours that allow the subtle flavours of olive oil to shine through. This recipe is one of them!
Salt, Pepper, and Minced Garlic: We’re going light on the seasonings for this recipe, just salt and pepper and good ol’ garlic to complement the pure taste of the salmon.
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
Step 1. Preheat the oven or air fryer to 400 °F. On your kitchen counter, spread out a large sheet of parchment paper, big enough to easily envelop the entire piece of salmon.
Step 2. Thinly slice the orange or lemon and lay it on the top half of the parchment paper.
Step 3. Layer the baby spinach over the orange/lemon slices.
Step 4. Rub salt and pepper over the salmon. Lay it atop the spinach and sprinkle over minced garlic.
Step 5. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.
Step 6. Take the bottom half of the parchment sheet and fold it up to the top half so that it fully covers the salmon. Starting at one of the bottom corners, crease the paper together and continue all the way up the seam so that it forms a dumpling-shaped packet that securely holds the salmon inside.
Step 7. Bake or air fry the salmon for 10 to 14 minutes.
Step 8. Transfer the paper packet to a plate and serve.
Tip: Carefully unwrap the salmon al cartoccio at the dining table to enjoy the beautiful aroma as you open it up.
Equipment
You can make this either in a conventional oven or an air fryer. If you're cooking for several people, an oven would work best, but for a single serving the air fryer is the most efficient.
A 6-quart air fryer is perfect for one serving of Salmon al Cartoccio. We've tested this recipe with the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia air fryers.
Storage Tips
We recommend serving salmon al cartoccio fresh for the best flavour. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.
What to Serve with Salmon al Cartoccio
Here are our favorite sides to pair with Salmon al Cartoccio:
More Seafood Recipes
Looking for other garlicky seafood recipes?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Salmon Al Cartoccio (Oven Steamed Salmon)
Equipment
- Oven or air fryer
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 large salmon fillet 8 ounces
- 1 orange or lemon
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 400 °F. On your kitchen counter, spread out a large sheet of parchment paper, big enough to easily envelop the entire piece of salmon.
- Thinly slice 1 orange or lemon and lay it on the top half of the parchment paper.
- Layer 2 cups baby spinach over the slices.
- Rub Salt and pepper over 1 large salmon fillet on all sides. Lay the salmon on top of the spinach and sprinkle 4 cloves minced garlic over it.
- Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Take the bottom half of the parchment sheet and fold it up to the top half so that it fully covers the salmon. Starting at one corner, crease the paper together and continue all the way up the seam so that it forms a dumpling-shaped packet that securely holds the salmon inside. (See step-by-step photos in the post above.)
- Bake or air fry the salmon for 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer the paper packet to a plate and unwrap it at the dining table to enjoy the beautiful aroma as you open it up.
Notes
- Salt & Pepper: Season according to your preference. For 8 ounces of salmon, I usually use ⅓ teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper.
Jeanine says
Soo happy I found this recipe! I'd been looking for a salmon recipe that isn't fried or baked because salmon is already such a fatty fish and I don't want to drench it in more oil/butter. This recipe proved to my husband that steamed food actually tastes good. 😆 This will be a weekly staple for us!
Kelly Zhang says
I'm really glad you loved the recipe, thanks for the review Jeanine!
Marianne Perry says
Tried this recipe with the orange and it was first rate. Perfectly cooked and moist with wonderful garlicky spinach. Served it with cilantro rice and it’s a meal that is quick but special enough for company. Thanks!
Kelly Zhang says
Thanks for the lovely review Marianne, and I agree it's a great easy meal for impressing guests!