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This sheet pan salmon dinner is a simple way to cook a delicious meal with minimal prep and easy cleanup. The salmon, accompanied by roasted baby potatoes and fresh green beans, is a nicely balanced option for a weeknight dinner.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
If you don’t already have a couple of sheet pan dinners in your lineup of weeknight meal recipes, you’re missing out on an easy night in the kitchen. Sheet pan recipes utilize high-heat roasting to cook food quickly and deliver rich flavor through caramelization, eliminating the need for extensive prep work. In addition, oven-roasting is generally a hands-off way to cook, allowing you time for tasks like making a salad or setting the table. And, of course, there’s the obvious perk of easy cleanup because everything was cooked in just one pan.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
- SALMON: Choose 4 to 6 ounce, skin-on salmon fillets. The skin helps keep the fish moist, adds flavor, and makes the fillets easier to handle once cooked. (Pictured in this post are 6-ounce Atlantic salmon fillets raised in the Faroe Islands.)
- BABY POTATOES: Baby yellow (or red) potatoes are our favorite for roasting this way. They caramelize nicely in the oven and have a natural buttery flavor. We’ve tried fingerling potatoes too, but found they turned tough instead of browning nicely.
- GREEN BEANS: If you’ve never tried roasting fresh green beans, you’re in for a treat. They’re not the prettiest things you’ll ever put on a plate, but that little bit of browning that develops in the oven gives them a deliciously subtle, sweet flavor.
How to Make Sheet Pan Salmon
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Preheat the oven and line a large rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan 13″ x 18″) with parchment paper.
GLAZE THE SALMON: Spread brown sugar on a plate and combine it with salt and pepper. Coat the top and sides of the salmon fillets with the sugar mixture, pressing lightly to be sure it adheres, and set aside. Note: Some brown sugar coating may turn syrupy and run off the fillets while waiting to be roasted. You’ll want to spoon this over the salmon before popping it in the oven.
START ROASTING THE POTATOES: Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange them on one side of the prepared pan in a single layer and roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes.
ROAST THE GREEN BEANS: While the potatoes roast, add the green beans to the same mixing bowl, drizzle them with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Once the potatoes are tender, add the green beans to the pan, leaving room for the salmon fillets. Continue roasting until the beans are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
ROAST THE SALMON: Add the salmon to the pan and roast for 6 to 8 minutes longer depending on the size of your fillets.
Flavor Variations for Oven-Roasted Salmon
If you’d like to learn a few different ways to ramp up the flavor of oven-roasted salmon fillets, consider an orange and bourbon glaze, one made with honey and garlic, or a sweet and smoky bacon-glazed version.
Expert Tips for Making Sheet Pan Dinners
While putting all your dinner ingredients into the oven at once may be tempting, don’t do it. When it comes to making sheet pan meals, there are some guidelines you should follow to ensure everything is properly cooked.
Here are some general tips for preparing successful sheet pan dinners:
ALWAYS PREHEAT: Preheat the oven and line the sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
PREPARE YOUR VEGGIES PROPERLY: Make every effort to cut your vegetables uniformly. When you arrange them on the sheet pan, ensure they’re in a single layer, but don’t spread them out too much because they could brown more quickly than you want them to.
SEASON INGREDIENTS INDIVIDUALLY: Season each ingredient separately, and toss with a little fat to aid in browning. Don’t be heavy-handed, though. Let the oven do its work and develop flavor through caramelization.
CALCULATE COOKING TIMES FOR EACH INGREDIENT: First, determine the total cooking time for your protein, then calculate the cooking time for each ingredient. This will help you plan when to add what. In this case, the salmon fillets only need about 6 to 8 minutes to cook, so they are the last thing you’ll put in the oven.
PRE-COOK VEGGIES IF NEEDED: Consider pre-cooking certain vegetables, removing them from the pan, and then adding them back near the end of the roasting time (this isn’t necessary for this recipe). This ensures that they’ll be properly cooked and allows them to develop the caramelized quality you’re looking for in a sheet pan dinner.
MAKE A GLAZE OR SAUCE: Create a sauce or glaze for one or more of the elements in your dinner. The brown sugar glaze for the salmon in this recipe is a good example. It adds flavor, helps retain moisture, and aids in caramelization.
GET AHEAD OF CLEANUP: Use the roasting time to clean any dishes you make during preparation, prepare a salad if you want, and set the table. This makes cleanup even faster after dinner.
Sheet Pan Salmon with Potatoes and Green Beans
Ingredients
- 2 center-cut salmon fillets, skin-on (4 to 6 ounces each)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound baby yellow or red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan 13"x18") with parchment paper.
- Spread the brown sugar on a plate and combine it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Coat the top and sides of the salmon fillets with the sugar mixture, pressing lightly to be sure it adheres, and set aside. Note: Some brown sugar coating may turn syrupy and run off the fillets while waiting to be roasted. You'll want to spoon this over the salmon before popping it in the oven.
- Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange them on one side of the prepared pan in a single layer and roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes roast, add the green beans to the same mixing bowl, drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- As soon as the potatoes are tender, add the green beans to the pan, leaving room for your salmon fillets (see notes). Continue roasting until the beans are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the salmon to the pan and roast for 6 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your fillets.
Notes
How to Double This Recipe
Increasing the recipe for 4 servings: This recipe is written to serve two, but you can easily double the quantities. You may want to divide the portions between two sheet pans, but provided the pans are not overcrowded, cooking times should remain the same.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So easy! So tasty! This is what I need after cleaning all day. My friend watched me reclining in front of the TV after running around for 6 hours and thought I was ordering out. Every now and then I got up to add the beans, then the fish to the oven, and soon there was a delicious meal on the table. And very little clean up afterwards! Who could ask for anything more?
Thank you!
Easy and delicious. A regular staple in our house. I have used frozen beans with success too! Winner!