This Sheet Pan Salmon with Potatoes and Asparagus is the perfect low-point dinner for those busy days when you need something quick and simple. Bonus points for easy cleanup!
If you’ve read through my recipes, then you know I have a soft spot for one-pot meals, like One-Pot Baked Ziti and Mac and Cheese. I’m happy any time I can avoid washing an extra dish, and most one-pot dishes are pretty easy to put together. So why not try a one pan meal?
I wanted to try this with salmon because it’s totally delicious but often times hard to cook well. I either over cook or under cook it when I try it in a skillet, and it often times falls apart when I grill it. But I LOVE the flavor and texture of salmon, so I needed a foolproof way to get the right consistency every time!
I played around with various combos and found that salmon, potatoes, and asparagus is my favorite! Maybe I’m just a little too antsy for spring because these ingredients totally give me farmer’s market vibes. I cannot wait for winter to be over!
I mean, look at this rainbow of food colors!
You could consider this Sheet Pan Salmon as a base recipe for various flavor and protein/vegetable combos. It’s really about the technique of cooking everything on one pan.
How to make thIS complete meal in about 30 minutes
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. While your oven is coming to temperature, cut your potatoes in half. If you have larger baby potatoes, cut them in quarters. You want them all to be about the same size so that they cook evenly.
On a lined baking sheet, toss your potatoes with the olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning blend. Lay them out in a single layer.
While the potatoes cook, cut the woody, tough ends off the asparagus bottom. Wash them and set aside.
As for the salmon, I like to buy mine by the pound, whole, to keep it cheaper. Sprouts usually has deals on whole salmon for $8-$10. I’ll cut these whole tails into fourths to get four 4-ounce fillets.
You could buy the salmon already cut into 4-ounce fillets, either fresh or frozen. However, I find these to be more expensive and, typically, less fresh. But do whatever works for you!
Once you have your fillets ready, brush them lightly with dijon mustard. This will allow the seasoning blend to stick without adding extra butter or oil. Just about every sheet pan salmon recipe I’ve found online had loads of butter and oil. But salmon is already so fatty and rich, why add MORE fat? The dijon will add some tanginess and texture without adding points.
Season the fillets liberally with the seasoning blend. I love the combo of a little bit of sweetness from coconut sugar or honey, herbs from the Italian seasoning, and a tinge of spice from just a pinch of cayenne.
When the potatoes are done, push them to one side. Add the salmon down the middle and the asparagus to the other side. Try to get everything into a single layer.
It’s okay if the asparagus overlaps a bit, but you definitely want the salmon and potatoes to be in a single layer. Put the sheet back in the oven and let the magic happen!
THe perfect Meal Prep
Let’s say your family won’t eat salmon, or you’re cooking for just one. All of the elements of this recipe reheat nicely throughout the week. Since it makes 4 servings, you can purchase some meal prep containers and portion the entire sheet into 4 different meals.
Keep them in the refrigerator and reheat for a hearty lunch or a quick dinner. I’ve kept leftovers for up to 4 days and reheated in the microwave. Cook your Sheet Pan Salmon on Sunday and eat like a queen/king all week!
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!
Sheet Pan Salmon
Ingredients
FOR THE POTATOES
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
FOR THE SALMON
- 1 lb salmon, cut into 4 filets (or four 4-ounces pre-cut filets)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic seasoning
- 2 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
FOR THE ASPARAGUS
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F degrees. While oven comes to temp, wash your potatoes and cut them in half. The bigger ones can be cut in quarters to make sure they are all about the same size.
- On a lined baking sheet greased with cooking spray, toss the potatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasoning together so potatoes are completely covered with the mixture.
- Spread potatoes in an even layer on the sheet and place on the upper rack of your oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary depending on how small you cut your potatoes.
- While potatoes are cooking, prep your salmon. Cut into fillets (if needed). Evenly spread dijon mustard over all 4 fillets. Combine all seasoning together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the dijon on top of the fillets. Season very liberally to impart tons of flavor into the salmon.
- When potatoes are done, remove sheet pan from oven. Push potatoes to one side. Add salmon down the middle, then asparagus on the opposite side of the sheet. Spray asparagus with cooking spray, then season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Place sheet back into the oven on the upper rack and cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your salmon fillets. If you want to be particular, the salmon should reach an internal temp of 145F.
- (Optional) Broil for the last minute or two for extra browned bits on top. Serve with extra lemon.
Holy moly! This was melt in your mouth good! My 4 year old even devoured it as he said he didn’t like salmon 🤣. We had to cook the salmon longer, maybe double the time noted but our salmon was pretty thick and it turned out PERFECTLY. We will be using this recipe again!
That is great to hear!! It’s a total favorite around here now as well. I always have to adjust the cooking time since salmon thickness varies so much. I”m glad you were able to adjust it to your tastes.
This is SO good, easy, and low points!