Salmon and Asparagus (Sheet Pan Meal!)

This baked salmon and asparagus recipe is the definition of easy dinner! Throw it all on a sheet pan with lemon, and the flavor is unreal.

We’ve got a new solution to an easy dinner that pleases everyone: this baked salmon and asparagus recipe! It’s simple, it’s elegant, but it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. Roasting it up on a sheet pan with lemon slices and fresh herbs adds effortless flavor that feels fresh yet refined. Somehow in all our years of home cooking we’d never made a recipe exactly like this…and now it’s solidly in our repertoire! Alex and I made it for a healthy weeknight dinner on the patio with a wedge salad and it was perfection.

Important: thin asparagus is key!

Here’s a tip for working with asparagus: buy thin asparagus if you can find it! Thin, young asparagus spears are much more tender and tastier than large stalks, which can be very tough. When you roast thin asparagus, it comes out sweet and beautifully cooked! We were able to find some very thin bunches at our local grocery store, and after this recipe we decided to always look for thin asparagus. It tastes so much better!

Another tip for working with asparagus: always trim off the tough, woody bottoms of the stalks. Here’s how to trim asparagus…fast!

What to look for when buying salmon

The other important part of this salmon and asparagus recipe is the quality of the salmon! There’s a wide variety of salmon quality at the store (vs shrimp, which has less variation). Here’s what to look for when shopping for this recipe:

Fresh salmon is best. You can find decent frozen salmon. But for the very best salmon, buy it fresh from your local seafood counter.
Buy wild caught salmon. Wild caught is the way to go! It’s most sustainable and has the best flavor.
Coho is a good choice. We tend to like Coho salmon for its mild flavor: it’s a good middle of the road option in terms of price. Of course, King salmon is incredible but more of a splurge. Atlantic salmon is typically farmed salmon, so it’s a less desirable choice.

How to tell when salmon is done

The only difficult part about cooking salmon? How to tell when it’s done! For this salmon and asparagus recipe you’ll be cooking both at the same time. The asparagus should cook in about the same time as the salmon here, but you should base the timing on the salmon itself. Here’s what to know about how tell to know when salmon is done:

Use a food thermometer to measure 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure to measure at the thickest part of the fish. This is the most accurate way to assess doneness and results in medium salmon.
Or, cook until the salmon just starts to flake when pricked with a fork.
Be careful not to overcook. We prefer our salmon cooked to medium: to us, there’s nothing worse than a dry piece of fish. Keep an eye on it and don’t overdo it!

Top with lemon and herbs

The fun part about this salmon and asparagus is the seasoning! Fresh lemon and fresh herbs is simple, but classic. Here’s what to know about adding these seasonings:

Place lemon slices on the asparagus, not the salmon! Don’t place the lemon on top of the salmon because it makes the top gooey, not crispy! But it’s perfect right on the asparagus: it infuses the perfect lemon flavor.
Use fresh herbs like chives, thyme, mint, basil, or whatever you have on hand! It’s just for a garnish, so you don’t have to measure. But it adds great flavor! We used chives and thyme from our garden.

Sides to serve with salmon and asparagus

How to make this tasty baked salmon and asparagus recipe into a healthy meal? Add a salad and you’re golden! Or add a whole grain to make it filling and satisfying. Here are some easy sides we’d pair with it:

Wedge salad: We’ve made it several times with a wedge salad and it’s perfection.
Quinoa: Try this perfectly seasoned quinoa.
Rice: Add jasmine rice or even jade rice.
Farro: Add farro with herbs.
Celery apple salad: This celery and apple salad with Parmesan is a favorite.

This salmon and asparagus recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free, and pescatarian.