Easy Crispy Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe in 20 Minutes
A quick and easy sheet pan dinner featuring crispy skin salmon with a flavorful pesto crust and roasted vegetables, ready in just 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 skin-on salmon fillets (6 ounces / 170g each), preferably wild-caught
- ½ cup (120ml) fresh basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
- Optional: ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Optional: small handful pine nuts, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a mixing bowl, toss cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on one side of a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Roast the veggies for 5 minutes to start softening.
- Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Spread about 2 tablespoons of pesto evenly over the flesh side of each fillet. Season lightly with salt and a pinch of pepper.
- Remove the pan from the oven after the veggies have roasted 5 minutes. Nestle the salmon fillets skin-side down on the empty side of the sheet pan.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast everything together for 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and the skin is crispy.
- Optional: In the last 2 minutes of cooking, sprinkle pine nuts over the veggies to toast slightly.
- Serve the salmon and roasted veggies with fresh lemon wedges and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
Pat salmon dry to ensure crispy skin. Start roasting veggies first before adding salmon to ensure even cooking. Avoid overcrowding the pan to prevent steaming. For extra crispy skin, broil salmon for 1-2 minutes at the end, watching carefully to avoid burning. Use fresh pesto for best flavor. Leftovers keep well for up to 2 days and reheat gently to maintain crispiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with
- Calories: 425
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 30
Keywords: pesto salmon, sheet pan dinner, quick dinner, crispy salmon, roasted vegetables, healthy dinner, easy recipe