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.
Amazing! Beautiful, easy, delucious, nutritious.
I have an old gas stove/oven and separate griller that is only used for toast. So just cooked at 220°C in oven…doubled the time.
Served with some roast potato and sweet potato. To upgrade to next level check out Nagis christmas baked salmon for the toppings…omg!! Looks and tastes like high end restaurant!! Thank you Nagi!!!
Another excellent recipe, Very quick and easy. Best of all the none fish lover in the family declared it very tasty and is prepared to eat it again ! I had to leave out the garlic but still delicious.
I’m have a fan of all RTE recipes but this one was spectacular. The fact that it comes together in 10 minutes is the icing on the cake, especially after a long day at work.
This has now become a staple in our house.
Yummo!!!!
Yum! Hubby and I loved this , definitely will make again and I can see this as a regular dinner.
I recently injured my back and cooking really aggravates it. I needed some easy and healthy things that I could just throw together and this was perfect. I was amazed by how delicious it was. Thanks for making my life a bit better!
This was so delicious! Simple recipe with a lot of flavor. My whole family loved it and I will be making it again and again.
I don’t really like fish or salmon but I have kids now so have to be a “responsible adult” and give them their omega 3. I will be using this recipe in my regular rotation. Delicious and so quick to make!
This salmon recipe checks all the boxes: quick, simple, healthy, and delicious! My husband said we should have it once a week. Thank you!
So good! This was my second time eating Salmon. The first time I used a different websites recipe and I didn’t enjoy it. This time I used Nagi’s recipe, and it was delicious!! Hubby and I loved this recipe! I will make this again and try her other Salmon recipes too.
Absolutely loved this recipe. So quick and easy to throw together and dinner was on the table in no time. We also added a crispy salad on the side. Definitely will cook again
I have a fan grill setting in my oven. Would the fan grill setting even out the heat and work as well as a basic grill setting. I don’t want the fish to burn 🤔
Wow! I made this tonight for dinner and it was just exactly as all the reviews say …. Absolutely delicious! I have never cooked a whole meal under a hot grill and was rather nervous about it. It worked 100%. 11 min and all done. Had some baby potatoes and a little garlic mayo with it. This will become a staple. Thank you, Nagi!
Soooo delicious! Just a great recipe, that is simple, and really works. Even my mum, who has become very picky with food, enjoyed it, Thanks Nagi!
Bloody awesome meal! Will be making this again!
Yummo! Cooked with beans, asparagus, tomatoes, & or broccoli. Also discovered cauliflower stalks like broccolinni – went well with dish.
This is ridiculously delicious! I don’t even have to really follow the recipe anymore I make is so much!
Delicious
YUM!!! I made this for dinner tonight – that lemon marinade is INCREDIBLE. I substituted the vegetables for what I had in the fridge (a handful of green beans, a whole head of broccoli, 2 x zucchini (this needed a little more time than the rest)) and served it all on top of a quick leafy green and tomato salad. My oven only goes up to 250 celcius but everything came out perfectly at that temp. 10/10, absolutely delicious, I will definitely be adding this one into my regular dinner rotation.
Wow!! That was delicious!
I used a bunch of broccolini (halved), a punnet of grape tomatoes, a small yellow capsicum cut into thick chunks and a half a red onion in wedges. I probably overfilled my tray so it didn’t crisp up, but it looked spectacular – a riot of colour – and tasted even better!
The fish was so good with the slathering of garlicky goodness.
Thanks for an awesome recipe Nagi! So simple, tasty and healthy!
Ps. I recommend squeezing the lemon over the veg as well as the fish for extra zing