This is a tasty salmon tray bake recipe that’s as simple as it is healthy. Salmon is slathered with an assertive lemon garlic paste that adds a stack of flavour, then cooks in just 11 minutes alongside parmesan asparagus and blistered cherry tomatoes. Sheet pan oven dinner. No stove splatter – yay!
Lemon garlic salmon tray bake
I am a little fussy about baked salmon recipes because a pale, colourless salmon fillet just doesn’t rock my boat. Give me caramelisation! A sticky glaze! A crunchy crust!
Thus, I tend to default to the stove. Also, crispy salmon skin. Yessss!
But for those days when I want to keep things simple – no stove splatter, no separate vegetable side – this salmon recipe is one I’ve made repeatedly over the past year. The secret is a bold lemon garlic slather-marinade. I know the word “slather” is not the most flattering, but that’s what this is and that’s what makes this oven salmon so tasty. It infuses the flesh with flavour but it’s also thick enough to stick to the surface of the salmon so it adds plenty of flavour even if you don’t have an hour to marinade.
Also – proof of moist flaky flesh. ⬇️ No overcooked dry salmon in pursuit of surface browning!
Ingredients
Here’s all you need to make this salmon tray bake.
The salmon and marinade-paste
Salmon – It doesn’t matter if it’s skinless or skin on as the paste isn’t slathered on the underside. The skin won’t go crisp so if this bothers you, just eat the flesh off the skin. There’s enough paste to use for 4 fillets up to 200g/7oz. The standard serving size is 180g/6 oz of salmon per person. Substitute: recipe also works perfectly with trout.
Dijon mustard – This thickens the marinade into a paste that sticks to the salmon as well as adding a little mustard tang. You can’t really taste it, to be honest.
Garlic – The garlic cloves are grated finely so they almost dissolve into the paste. I prefer this to finely chopping so you don’t get little burnt lumps on the salmon, though if you don’t have a microplane or fine grater then just really finely mince the garlic.
Lemon – We’re using both the zest and juice. Zest for actual lemon flavour, and juice for tang. (Because lemon juice really is mostly just sour, most of the lemon flavour is in the zest).
Oil – Helps give the salmon colour.
Salt and pepper – Fish likes salt! Don’t shortchange yourself.
The vegetables
I’m using asparagus and cherry tomatoes because they cook in the same time as the salmon. Try to use thicker asparagus, else it will get a little too soft. If you can only find thin ones, consider adding them onto the tray partway through the cook time.
Asparagus – No need to trim the asparagus with a knife! Did you know the ends will naturally break at the point where the woody end is. Try it, it totally works! (But not with limp old ones).
Cherry tomatoes – Well, grape tomatoes actually! I use one standard punnet (200g/7 oz).
Salt, pepper and olive oil – For seasoning.
Parmesan – For showering at the end. Instant face lift!
Alternative vegetables – Anything that can cook in the same time as the salmon, such as green beans or thin broccolini (split thick ones in half lengthwise). I love how the florets go crunchy!
How to make this Lemon Garlic Salmon Tray Bake
It may become my mission in life to create more recipes that require only FOUR step photos.
(Though, we both know it’s not going to happen. I’ll get bored. I need to throw in challenges every now and then!!)
Lemon garlic slather – Mix the lemon garlic paste ingredients together then slather onto the surface and side of the salmon. Use all the paste – there should be just enough to coat all the surface. No point doing the underside, it will just sweat off.
Marinade for 1 hour if time permits, the flavour will infuse the flesh. If not, proceed to the next step (the paste has a lot of flavour so it will compensate for not marinating).
Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Prepare tray – Put the salmon on the tray with a bit of space between each one. Arrange the vegetables around it. Spray the salmon with oil.
Oven grill / broil for 11 minutes or until the salmon is cooked. The flesh should flake, and if you’re being accurate (which I like to be), the internal temperature should be 50°C/122°F for optimum juiciness.* Also by this time the asparagus will be cooked and the tomatoes will be wrinkled and some will have appealing charred spots.
To serve – Transfer the salmon and vegetables onto plates. Grate parmesan over the vegetables, squeeze lemon over everything, sprinkle with parmesan if using then dig in!
* 50°C/122°F pull temp out of the oven is optimum juiciness for salmon, the default to which chefs and restaurants cook to. It will rise to 53°C/127.4°F after resting for 3 minutes which is medium rare. For medium, pull at 60°C/140°F, it will rise to 63°C/145.4°F after resting. A little more done and slightly less juicy
There you go! Nice and simple. Tasty. Healthy. No greasy stove splatter to deal with. (Let’s ignore the periodical oven clean we all like to pretend doesn’t need to happen).
I usually just toast bread and add that to the plate for the starch quota, to fill out the meal and smear with the charred burst tomatoes. Though if I’m trying to “be healthy” I increase the volume of vegetables on the tray, skip the carbs, then do my very very best not to stick my hand in the cookie jar later that evening…. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Lemon garlic salmon tray bake – easy & healthy!
Ingredients
- 4 x 180g/6 oz salmon fillets , skin on or off, doesn't matter (Note 1)
Marinade slather:
- 1 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , grated using microplane (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Vegetables (optional):
- 3 bunches asparagus , woody ends snapped or trimmed off (Note 4)
- 200g/ 7 oz cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, 1 Aussie punnet)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Cooking & serving:
- Olive oil spray
- Parmesan , finely grated
- Lemon wedges or slices , optional
- Parsley , finely chopped, optional
- Crusty bread or toast , for serving
Instructions
- Lemon garlic paste – Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Slather onto the top and sides of the salmon. If time permits, marinade for 1 hour. Otherwise, proceed with recipe.
- Preheat oven grill / broiler to 280°C/525°F or as high as yours goes. Place the oven shelf 20 cm /8" from the heat source.
- Prepare tray – Toss the asparagus and cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a large tray then clear space for the salmon. Place salmon on the tray leaving a bit of space between each. Spray surface of salmon with oil.
- Cook – Grill/broil for 11 minutes or until the salmon is done – the flesh should flake, the internal temperature should be 50°C/122°F (Note 5).
- Serve – Transfer salmon and vegetables to plate. Grate parmesan over the vegetables. Squeeze lemon juice over the salmon, sprinkle with parsley. Eat!
Recipe Notes:
- Medium rare – pull out at 50°C/122°F which will rise to 53°C/127.4°F after resting which is medium rare. This is the optimum point of juiciness and level of doneness chefs/restaurants will cook to by default.
- Medium – pull at 60°C/140°F, will rise to 63°C/145.4°F after resting. A little more done and slightly less juicy.
Nutrition Information:
More salmon recipes
Life of Dozer
Giant bone. Dozer likes our new butcher.
this looks so good but what can i substitute the mustard with?
Yeah, I don’t care much for mustard myself! You should be able to use mayonnaise if the mustard is being used to make sure the rub stays on the salmon. I’ve used mayonnaise on baked turkey and other poultry with very good results. I imagine it would be a very good substitute here with the salmon steaks.
This salmon recipe was perfection. The entire family loved it. I did have to cook it a bit longer than suggested.
Made this again tonight and it is amazing. My family will eat this!!
Can you bake this in the regular oven, instead of using the grill?
Amazing. Simple. No Mess. Thank you!!!
Excellent marinade best salmon recipie ever and vegetables a great side all blends well
Easy, delicious and minimal mess – my favourite kind of meal! It will likely be a regular in the rotation – thank you Nagi!
So easy and super delicious. I added capers to mine.
I made this tonight. Very quick and easy and perfect for a weeknight. Absolutely delicious and one that will be a weekly addition. I would definitely marinate it for the hour next time for a deeper flavour but nothing wrong with going straight under the grill.
I made this tonight. Very quick and easy and perfect for a weeknight. Absolutely delicious and one that will a weekly addition. I would definitely marinate it for the hour next time for a deeper flavour but nothing wrong with going straight under the grill.
Made this for my husband’s birthday dinner and he loved it. I’m not a big seafood eater but even I enjoyed it. The tomatoes were a little acidic so I’d probably try a different kind next time but I’d definitely make it again.
I made this last night but with your ratatouille and it was delicious. The mustard topping/marinade was really flavoursome and the whole dish so simple and quick to prepare. I’ve always thought I didn’t like ratatouille but yours, with the additional of cannellini beans, was gorgeous.
So easy and super delicious. I added capers to mine.
The best salmon dish I’ve ever made! I was only cooking 2 pieces of salmon so it got extra slathered. I also boiled some baby potatoes, cut them in half and added to the tray with other veggies. Forgot the Parmesan but it was still delicious. Today the leftovers will be made into a frittata for lunch. Thank you Nagi.
Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. We eat a lot of salmon and this has to be one of the best!
I love how quick and easy this recipe is to make! I added diced zucchini in mine, and served a side of pearl couscous and it was absolutely delicious! I will definitely make this again, it’s underrated!
A quick, easy and delicious meal for very little effort! I subbed beans from my garden for the asparagus. Would definitely make this again!
Oh my this is beautiful and so easy. Used a temp probe and doneness was perfect 😋
Wanting to make this recipe this week but looking to pair a sauce with it. Any suggestions?
Do you think it would be good over a puree of sorts?
A beurre blanc sauce is delicious over fish. Nagi has a recipe for it at https://www.recipetineats.com/fish-with-white-wine-sauce/
It is really a delicious sauce for salmon and other fish dishes as well.
This was so delicious, I’ve already made it twice! Salmon was perfect – lush, moist, full of flavour. Glad I whipped out my ruler and measured 20 cm from the grill in my oven, otherwise I definitely would have had the rack up too close! Getting it right meant absolutely perfect fish. Thank you for another lovely recipe – a keeper for sure!
Nice but a bit dry in texture after 11 minutes under the grill. Thermopen instant reading was 50.5 deg C when I removed from grill. So NOT overcooked. I guess we might just be used to my family’s favourite crispy skin panfried salmon (a weekly dinner we enjoy served with homemade bearnaise and fries, and a green salad). While it was nice to try something new, I think I’ll stick to my family’s favourite given the high cost of protein like salmon. Thanks Nagi for sharing this recipe!