A sheet pan salmon dinner that's BIG on flavor! The salmon is caramelized, moist, and perfectly cooked with a lemon herb butter on top. Served with roasted potatoes and asparagus!
Sheet Pan Dinner:
I love an easy meal and a sheet pan dinner is just that - easy! I added a few extra steps, like caramelizing the salmon, that are 100% worth the extra effort.
The real magic comes from the lemon herb butter! It adds pop of citrus, rosemary, and basil. Don't skip it!
This salmon meal is truly delicious - perfectly cooked salmon, golden brown potatoes, and tender asparagus. Yum! I know you'll love it as much as I do.
Key Ingredients:
- Salmon fillets: I bought mine from Trader Joe's. Fresh salmon fillets should be bright pinkish orange with little to no fishy smell.
- Asparagus: Look for asparagus spears on the thinner side. Thick asparagus spears may not cook in time. You don't want the salmon to overcook.
- Red potatoes: Red potatoes hold their shape well during roasting.
- Unsalted butter: I always cook with unsalted butter so I control the amount of salt. If you only have salted butter, omit the salt from the herb butter.
- Lemon: Zest and juice!
- Basil & rosemary: These herbs belong together! Rosemary is loud and basil is sweet. A match made in heaven.
- Salt and pepper: Salt enhances flavor. Don't forget to season the salmon.
How to Make this Salmon Dinner:
It's very simple! I've broken it down into 4 easy steps.
Before you start, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and trim the asparagus. You want to cut at least an inch off the ends. The ends are tough and stringy!
1. Make the herb butter
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, lemon zest & juice, minced herbs, garlic, and seasoning.
- Use a spoon or mini spatula to mash the butter and incorporate the ingredients. Set it aside.
Expert tip: Make sure to use softened butter! If your butter is hard, microwave it in 5-second increments until soft.
2. Roast the potatoes
Potatoes take longer to cook than salmon or asparagus so they will go in first.
- In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, parmesan, and seasoning.
- Dump the potatoes onto a sheet pan and use a spatula to separate them.
- Roast for 15 minutes while you caramelize the salmon.
3. Caramelize the salmon
A good sear adds SO much flavor to salmon!
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a large drizzle of olive oil.
- While the pan gets hot, use the same bowl you used for the potatoes to toss the asparagus in olive oil and salt. Set it aside.
- Season the top of each salmon fillet with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Place the salmon, flesh side down, into the hot skillet and sear for 3 minutes. Don't move them.
- Carefully flip the fillets over and sear, skin side down, for 1 minute.
4. Assemble and roast the salmon
- Remove the sheet pan of potatoes from the oven. Use a spatula to scoot the potatoes to the left side of the pan.
- Arrange the seared salmon in the center of the pan. Arrange the asparagus spears on the right side of the pan.
- Roast for 15 minutes.
- Top each salmon fillet plus the asparagus with 1 ½ teaspoons of herb butter. Roast 5 more minutes.
- Add more butter to the salmon and enjoy warm!
How long should I cook salmon?
The length of cooking time depends on a couple of factors:
- The thickness of the fillets.
- How well-done you like it!
The USDA recommends you cook salmon to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, salmon is considered well done. Some people consider this to be overcooked. If you like your salmon cooked medium, you should cook it to 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
Adjust the time as necessary based on how you like it.
Storage Tips:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Although some would speak against it, I reheat my salmon in the microwave. It's quick, easy, and FAST. The key is to NOT overheat it. Don't just set it and forget it. Reheat in 20-second increments until hot throughout.
Easy Dinner Recipes:
- Lemon Pepper Salmon
- Blackened Swordfish with Cajun Butter
- Juicy Pan-Seared Shrimp
- Juicy 1-Pound Meatloaf Recipe
- Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner
Equipment
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
For the salmon dinner:
- 4 salmon fillets 1 ½ inch thick
- 8 ounces thin asparagus
- 1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- cracked pepper
For the herb butter:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ lemon zested and juiced
- 1½ teaspoons minced basil
- 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim at least 1 inch off the ends of the asparagus stalks. Set aside.
- Make the herb butter: In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced basil, minced rosemary, minced garlic, kosher salt, and pepper. Use a spoon or mini spatula to mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with one tablespoon of olive oil, parmesan, onion powder, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and cracked pepper. Toss to combine.
- Dump the potatoes onto a sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, transfer the asparagus to the same bowl and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet. Season the top of each salmon fillet with kosher salt and pepper.
- Sear the salmon fillets, skin side up, for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets over and sear for 1 more minute.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and use a spatula to scoot the potatoes to the left side of the pan. Arrange the salmon fillets in the center. On the left side, arrange the asparagus.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully, remove the sheet pan from the oven and top each salmon fillet plus the asparagus with 1 ½ teaspoons of herb butter.
- Place the sheet pan back in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and immediately top with more butter. Serve warm!
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