Salmon is a favorite around our house. Super easy, no mess, no fuss salmon. That’s the way to go when you’ve got 3 boys, school, sports, work, travel, extended family commitments, are always short on time and you can’t eat another fast-food hamburger if your life depended on it. …I could probably fit the fries in, but def not another hamburger!
The beauty of this recipe is that you can adapt the seasonings to your family’s taste buds. There isn’t anything ultra-fancy about this dish, it’s actually quite simple, but if you make a nice presentation out of it, it’s perfect for a date-night or fancier family dinner where you need to show off some cooking skills.
And clean up is a breeze because parchment paper slides right off and into the trash. Throw your baking sheet into the dishwasher, pour a 2nd glass of wine and call it a night!
{C} will steal it right off your plate. Salmon, tuna, shrimp, you name it. He’s all over it.
{A} has loved salmon all his life. Sushi is always his first request for our date nights. He actually prefers sushi salmon to over-cooked salmon, so the lesson here is never overcook your salmon!
{D} used to eat salmon, but then he jumped on the, “I don’t like seafood” wagon when he heard his friends saying it. We use a “try it, maybe you’ll like it” approach with foods that are new to them and food they’ve told us they don’t like. We tell them maybe they just didn’t like it on a Tuesday (or when they were 4) and now they should try it because it’s Saturday (and now you’re 6) and maybe it’s different today! Joel is great about saying, “take 1 bite and if you don’t like it, that’s ok, but at least you tried it”. Turns out 6 year old {D} likes salmon again! He eats salmon like a grizzly bear and mussels like an otter.
My go-to seasonings are: paprika, smoked paprika, granulated garlic and onion powder, dill, s&p, Old Bay, and fresh lemon juice.
If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll break out a roasted garlic blend, dried oregano or thyme (rub this in your palm to break it up before sprinkling on), chili flakes. I always make sure my dried spices don’t have any additives and buy organic, if possible, and especially if I’m doing a Whole 30 or feeling Paleo.
For the asparagus, it’s simple salt and pepper or crushed red pepper and any seasonings that may have overflowed from the salmon. If I’m not on a Whole 30 or Paleo, I’ll shave some fresh Parmesan on the asparagus fresh out of the oven.
Lots of options to keep it super simple and easy, or dress it up for a fancier dinner.
Options to serve with couscous, quinoa, over a salad (baby greens, spinach, grape tomatoes and cucumbers in a bowl counts as a salad – put your salmon and asparagus right on top, fresh squeeze of lemon and you won’t need any dressing!) or add roasted baby red potatoes. The possibilities are endless, friends!
This is a great meal prep dish, too! Add it to your Sunday meal prep and portion into containers over a bed of baby greens or quinoa. Perfect for lunch or dinner on the run.
Tell me how you dressed up, or dressed down, your salmon in the comments below!
- 2 lbs salmon filet, washed and patted dry (ensure skin is extra dry if you like crispy salmon skin))
- 1 - 1.5 lb asparagus, washed and trimmed
- 1 lemon, slice half into rounds and juice the other half
- Extra Virgin Olive or Avocado Oil
- Paprika
- Smoked Paprika
- Old Bay
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- Granulated Garlic
- Granulated Onion
- Dill
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees farinheit
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with oil, about 1 teaspoon
- Lay salmon over the drizzled oil
- Arrange asparagus alongside the salmon, trying not to overlap any
- Drizzle about another 1-2 teaspoons of oil over the salmon and asparagus. I use a paper towel or basting brush to spread the oil out evenly over the salmon and use your hands to give the asparagus an even coating
- Sprinkle salmon with dry seasonings, just enough to lightly cover the surface - you can eyeball this and use more or less of any of the seasonings based on your personal preference, or measure ¼-1/2 teaspoon of each into a small bowl and then sprinkle over the top evenly.
- Squeeze the juiced lemon over the fish and put a few lemon circles over the fish
- Bake for 15 minutes then broil on high for 5 minutes for medium. Salmon should firmly flake at an outer edge but still be tender and barely opaque in the center.
- You may have to adjust time for the asparagus if your stalks are larger.
