This sheet pan lemon salmon is the perfect quick and easy weeknight meal. It combines delicious salmon cooked up with asparagus, brushed with a garlic lemon butter sauce, and seasoned with fresh thyme. This recipe is light, bright, and delicious!
Are you looking for a healthy, quick, and flavorful weeknight meal?
Well, look no further than this sheet pan lemon salmon!
This meal feeds a family of 4 and is made on just one sheet pan! It also pairs great with white rice.
Trust me, if you’re tired at the end of the day and don’t feel like cooking this is the recipe for you! The part I love best is that I have easy and fast cleanup.
Seriously, who doesn’t love fast cleanup?
Craving salmon but also pasta? Try this delicious salmon pesto pasta!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for sheet pan lemon salmon
- Salmon filets – Center-cut salmon filets are preferred for this recipe but you could use a whole filet if you’d like. Just make sure the salmon is a uniform thickness so it cooks evenly.
- Asparagus – I love asparagus with salmon but you could also use green beans if that’s what you have on hand.
- Olive oil and butter – The combination of olive oil and butter helps crisp the salmon and asparagus without it burning. It also adds delicious flavor!
- Lemon – Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference in this recipe. I much prefer it over the bottled lemon juice.
- Garlic – Garlic is a classic flavor with salmon and asparagus. If you don’t have fresh garlic, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder will work as well.
- Thyme – Adds freshness and herbaceousness to the salmon. Parsley would also be delicious!
Different types of salmon
There are 6 main types of salmon.
- King – Often considered the best of the best when it comes to salmon.
- Coho – More delicate in texture than King salmon but tastes are similar.
- Pink – Regularly used in canned salmon but sometimes found smoked.
- Sockeye – A beautiful red-fleshed salmon regularly found at markets.
- Atlantic – This is a farmed salmon but still delicious and affordable.
- Chum – You won’t find this salmon in stores to purchase as fillets because it’s mostly sold overseas, used in pet food, or frozen.
Wild and farm-raised salmon is a big discussion found in a lot of food groups but my personal opinion is this – Eating salmon is not always in the budget for every household. Buy whatever you can afford so you and your family can enjoy a nice meal.
There is no shame in buying farm-raised over wild-caught.
The best salmon to use
For your cut of salmon, I really like to use center cut.
That’s because the slice of salmon is fairly uniform in size so all the pieces of salmon will cook evenly.
Temperature to cook salmon
Wild-caught salmon should be cooked to 120 degrees F.
Farmed salmon should be cooked to 125 degrees F.
The difference in cooking temperatures is because the fat content can be slightly different from wild to farmed.
Storing leftover sheet pan salmon and asparagus
Story any leftover salmon and asparagus in an airtight container and use it within 3 days.
Any leftover salmon can be flaked and mixed with rice and veggies for a quick and easy leftover meal.
Want even more flavor in your salmon? Try this 20-minute blackened salmon!
More sheet pan meals
- Looking for a light and easy dinner? Try my Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken.
- Need a showstopper of a summer meal? Try my Sheet Pan Spatchcocked Cornish Hens with Summer Vegetables.
- Craving flavorful lemon chicken? Try my Sheet Pan Garlic Lemon Chicken and Mushrooms.
- Want a super easy dinner? Try my Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Vegetables.
Sheet Pan Lemon Salmon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. This will help keep the salmon from sticking and make for easy cleanup.
- Place the salmon on one side of the baking sheet and the asparagus on the other.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, and minced thyme.
- Brush the salmon and asparagus with the butter mixture and sprinkle them lightly with kosher salt and pepper.
- Roast for 10 minutes, then turn the asparagus and roast for an additional 5 minutes.
- Broil the salmon on high heat for 2-3 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from the oven and serve over rice. Spoon over the additional sauce and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Nutrition
Natalie
Tuesday 26th of April 2022
Such a perfect quick and healthy dinner idea. Looks delicious. I'll make this tomorrow for lunch. Thanks for inspiring me to cook something healthy for my family.
Willie
Monday 25th of April 2022
I like the way you think.