This Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner with Cilantro Lime Butter Sauce couldn’t be easier to prepare and makes a beautiful weeknight dinner for springtime. The Cilantro Lime Butter Sauce would taste delicious on a shoe, and it is positively transformative when drizzled over salmon.
In case I’ve given you the wrong impression about dinners in our home, lets take a moment to be real, shall we? I am not bustling around the dining room in my twinset, while everyone laughs merrily over their plates of freshly prepared seasonal vegetables. No. Weeknight meals are often a circus. The hours of 4 to 7 pm are usually a blur of pots and pans, punctuated by whining and spilled water cups, requests for baby carrots and goldfish crackers, all offset by the constant din of PBS Kids blaring in the background.
We strive to eat together as a family at least a few nights each week, but it can be hard. Jon’s work schedule can be unpredictable. The kids often act as if they’re being made to ingest poison if I serve something even remotely unfamiliar (and my kids are excellent eaters to begin with). So, my favorite weeknight recipes are usually the ones that require very little cleanup and offer something for everyone. Sheet pan dinners are high on the list and for Spring, this one with salmon and asparagus is a real winner.
Salmon and asparagus are perfect partners in this fresh, seasonal dinner. For a true one-pan dinner, I roast potatoes alongside, but this is also excellent served over brown rice or couscous. Roasted red onions add wonderful color and flavor for adults. The green beans are there to make the kiddos happy. And all of it tastes divine drizzled in a bath of this magical cilantro lime butter sauce.
The key to getting this Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner right is the timing. Start the Potatoes and onions in the oven at a high temp first so they have plenty of time to brown. Then add the green veggies for a bit. Finally, and this is key, you add the salmon and drop the oven temp significantly. Allowing the salmon to bake at a lower temperature results in tender, delicious fish. And then the butter sauce. Do not skip the sauce. It completely transforms the flavor of the meal, giving it a light, bright, really springy flavor. All in about 45 minutes and with one pan.
Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner with Cilantro Lime Butter Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb. small Yukon gold potatoes, washed
2 small red onions, sliced about 1 inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 pound green beans
1/2 bunch asparagus spears, ends removed
1.25 lb salmon filet, divided into equal portions
kosher salt
1 stick butter, melted
1 lime
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish: lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray or drizzle lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Arrange potatoes and onions at one end of the baking sheet and drizzle lightly with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and flip potatoes and onions to other side. Add green beans and asparagus, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and continue cooking for 15 minutes more.
- While vegetables cook, combine butter, lime juice, garlic clove and cilantro and a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Transfer cilantro lime butter to a serving dish.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and toss vegetables to ensure even browning. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Add salmon to baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with salt and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes more, until salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily and vegetables are golden.
- Remove baking sheet from oven. Drizzle fish and veggies with Cilantro Lime Butter Sauce and serve with lime wedges and additional sauce on the side.
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