Dinner in 30 · American

One Pan Lemon Herb Salmon

Name: One Pan Lemon Herb Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets, 5 oz (140 g) each, about 1.25 lb (570 g) total, pin bones removed; 1 tbsp olive oil; 0.75 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried thyme; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 lemon, sliced into 8 thin rounds; 1 lb (454 g) green beans, trimmed; 1 tbsp olive oil; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp lemon juice, about half a lemon

This is my favorite kind of dinner: the oven does the work and I do the standing around part. Salmon fillets and green beans roast on one sheet pan with lemon, garlic, and dried herbs, and 25 minutes after you start, dinner is on the table.

The beans get a 6 minute head start in the oven so they finish at the same time as the fish. Without that head start you end up with perfectly cooked salmon next to squeaky green beans, and nobody wants that trade.

Everything in this recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, no swaps, no label hunting. About 390 calories a serving, with around 30 grams of protein from the salmon.

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By the TasteBoard team. Timed in a home kitchen, with total time added up and safe temperatures checked.

Photo: @MOs810 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

30 min promise: 25 min total
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner in 30
Calories, about: 390 per serving

Ready in 25 min, honestly. No hidden waiting.

Instructions

1Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
2Toss the green beans with 1 tbsp of the oil, 0.25 tsp of the salt, and 0.25 tsp of the pepper. Spread them on the pan in a single layer and leave a gap in the middle for the salmon.
3Roast the beans alone for 6 minutes. That head start is what gets them tender by the time the fish is done.
4While the beans roast, rub the salmon all over with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 0.75 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp pepper, then the oregano, thyme, and garlic, pressing the seasoning onto the tops.
5Pull the pan out and push the beans to the sides. Set the salmon in the middle, skin side down if the fillets have skin, and lay 2 lemon rounds on each fillet.
6Roast 12 to 14 minutes more, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145 F (63 C) at the thickest point. The beans should be tender with blistered brown spots.
7Squeeze the 2 tbsp lemon juice over the whole pan and serve.

Tap a step to mark it done, saved on this device only. Timer buttons count down right here and beep when time is up.

Why you will love it

25 minutes total, and most of it is hands off while the oven runs.
One sheet pan, and the parchment means cleanup takes two seconds.
Gluten free and dairy free as written, nothing to swap or substitute.
The lemon rounds roast right onto the fish, so it tastes bright instead of heavy.
About 30 grams of protein per serving for around 390 calories.

Tips

Use parchment, not just for cleanup. Salmon skin glues itself to a bare pan.
Do not skip the 6 minute head start for the beans, or you get raw crunchy beans with perfect fish.
Check the salmon at 12 minutes. Thick center fillets take 14, skinny tail pieces take 11.
Pull the fish at 145 F (63 C) and not a degree more. Salmon carries on cooking a little as it sits.

Swaps and variations

Fresh herbs: use 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill stirred in with the lemon juice at the end, and skip the dried oregano and thyme. What changes: a brighter, greener flavor.
Cod instead of salmon: roast the same way. What changes: cod fillets are thinner, so check at 10 minutes, and it is leaner and milder, still done at 145 F (63 C).
Broccoli instead of green beans: cut small florets and give them the full 6 minute head start. What changes: a heartier vegetable with more bite at the end.

What to serve

Steamed white rice, with the pan juices and lemon poured over everything.
Crusty bread to wipe the pan clean.
A cold cucumber salad with vinegar, which takes five minutes and balances the warm fish.

Storage and reheating

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days. Honest note: salmon tastes brightest the day it is cooked, and it dries out when reheated. When I reheat it, I use a 300 F (150 C) oven for about 10 minutes, until it reaches 165 F (74 C), and I accept that it will be more cooked than it was fresh. Some nights I skip the reheating and flake the cold salmon over a salad instead, which is honestly the better move. The beans reheat fine in a hot skillet, 2 to 3 minutes. You can freeze the salmon up to 2 months, but the texture comes back softer.

Calories shown are an estimate from standard ingredients, not medical advice. Brands and amounts change the number.

Questions cooks actually ask

Can I use frozen salmon fillets?

Yes, but thaw them overnight in the fridge first and pat them very dry. What changes: nothing else, except wet fillets steam instead of roast, so the drying step matters even more with thawed fish.

Can I use frozen green beans?

You can, but thaw them and pat them very dry, and spread them out with space. What changes: they come out softer and less blistered than fresh beans, still perfectly fine for a Tuesday.

How do I know the salmon is done without a thermometer?

Two cues: the flesh turns opaque all the way to the top, and it flakes apart when you press it with a fork at the thickest point. If it still looks translucent and glossy, give it 2 more minutes. A thermometer reading 145 F (63 C) is the sure answer if you have one.

Do I eat the skin?

It is edible, but roasted skin side down on parchment it goes soft rather than crisp. Lift the fillet off with a spatula and leave the skin behind on the paper if you would rather skip it.

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One Pan Lemon Herb Salmon

Instructions

Why you will love it

Tips

Swaps and variations

What to serve

Storage and reheating

Questions cooks actually ask

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