Easy Dinner for Busy People – Salmon & Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner

…because weeknight life is too busy for complicated cooking!

If you haven’t already fallen for sheet pan dinners, get ready for a little love-fest. Sheet pan meals check all the boxes for a busy weeknight dinner winner, so check out the below Lemon-Herb Salmon and Asparagus recipe.

What is a sheet pan dinner, you ask? Dinner that is made entirely on one sheet pan! The protein, veggies, flavor components – everything goes onto the pan, and gets popped into the oven. In about 30 minutes (or less) the timer dings and…dinner’s ready, no extra fuss.

Sheet pan dinners are easy to prep, fast to make, and so incredibly versatile. Leftovers are easily paired with pasta, rice, salad, tortilla/lettuce wraps, etc. for a great next-day lunch. And the bonus – with one sheet pan, clean up is a breeze.

Healthy, Baked Salmon and Asparagus

There’s just something about this Lemon-Herb Salmon and Asparagus that feels so good. It’s fresh. It’s healthy. It’s tasty! Prep time is amazingly quick, but your dinner guests will have no idea. It’s a pretty little dish to serve your family or weeknight dinner guest, and comes together so easily.

Lemon, garlic, and dill are always a lovely complement to salmon, and the sprinkling of red pepper flakes adds a nice kick. My kids always eat more of this salmon than I expect, so we rarely have the leftovers I anticipate. But when we do have leftovers, this salmon tastes great chilled on a salad! (Or honestly, with a freshly-toasted bagel and soft scrambled eggs…just try it!)

If you don’t like cooking with wine (or never have any left to cook with 😉 ), chicken stock is an easy substitution. If you don’t have fresh dill handy, dried dill can be used in a pinch. However, you simply must use fresh lemon!

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Lemon-Herb Salmon and Asparagus sheet pan dinner

Servings 4

Author Mary

Ingredients

• 4 4oz portions Fresh Salmon
• 1 lb. Fresh Asparagus
• Cooking Spray
• to taste Kosher Salt
• to taste Cracked Black Pepper
• to taste Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp. Granulated Garlic
• 2 Tbs. Butter Sliced into 4 pieces
• 1/2 c. White Wine or Chicken stock
• several sprigs Fresh Dill
• 4 thin slices Fresh Lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

2. Add asparagus to a sheet pan and spray with cooking spray. Gently toss the asparagus to coat and arrange into one layer for even cooking. Lay salmon on top of the asparagus. Sprinkle all ingredients with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and granulated garlic. Place one piece of butter and one lemon slice on top of each salmon filet. Add the fresh dill to the sheet pan as well. Carefully pour the white wine (or chicken stock) into the bottom of the pan. 

3. Pop the sheet pan into the oven and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until fully cooked. The internal temperature of the salmon should be 145 degrees F. 

4. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice onto the salmon and asparagus and serve! Enjoy with quinoa, rice, or salad for a bigger meal (and leftovers!)