Cajun Salmon Sheet Pan Meal

Cajun salmon sheet pan meal is the perfect weeknight dinner! Ready in 30 minutes, this healthy meal comes together quickly without much meal prep! This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and Whole30 friendly! Also this could easily be made low carb or keto friendly!

Why you will love this recipe

• Simple ingredients – this healthy Cajun salmon and potatoes meal uses simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store! Tip: If you can’t find Cajun seasoning, make your own!
• Quick and easy – this baked Cajun salmon could not be easier to make! And what is even better – the clean-up takes literally a second (thanks to the parchment paper)!
• Family friendly – the Cajun seasoning really takes this salmon to the next level and helps to cover any of those “fishy flavors” that often turns people off of salmon! Trust me this one is a keeper!
• Juicy, flaky salmon at home! I actually have a tip on how to make the most perfectly cooked flaky, juicy salmon when baking it in the oven. Check out the tips below!

Ingredients

• Baby potatoes (cut in half) or cauliflower florets (for a low carb option) – baby potatoes will cook quickly in the oven when they are cut down in half and help to make this recipe so filling and perfect for weeknight meals! If you are low carb, you can also use fresh or frozen cauliflower florets in place of the potatoes.
• Spices: Cajun seasoning and salt – Cajun seasoning helps to add spice and flavor to this dish. You can buy Cajun seasoning at most grocery stores or online, but I like to make my own to control the spice and the salt!
• Avocado oil (or olive oil) – avocado oil is very neutral and works well here to coat the potatoes. It also can withstand high heats which makes it great for this recipe since it cooks in a very hot oven. You can also use extra virgin olive oil, melted coconut oil or melted ghee (those can change the flavor slightly).
• Salmon – use your favorite salmon here. I prefer to use wild caught salmon (which I buy frozen then defrost 24 hours ahead of time).
• Green beans (or your favorite vegetable) – green beans cook up quickly and pair so well with the potatoes and salmon. You could also use asparagus, bell peppers, or sliced carrots.
• Fresh lime – lime juice adds freshness and helps all the flavors pop.

How to make Cajun salmon sheet pan meal

• Preheat the oven to 450F.
• Cut the potatoes in half (to reduce the cooking time)
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
• Add the avocado oil, Cajun seasoning and salt to the potatoes and stir them well to combine (you can do this in a bowl or right on the parchment paper)
• Cook the potatoes in the 450F oven for 15 minutes.
• While the potatoes cook, prepare the green beans by trimming the ends if necessary.
• After the potatoes cook for 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
• Add the defrosted salmon and cover in salt and Cajun seasoning.
  • I like to sprinkle with my fingers to evenly distribute the seasoning. You can also use a pastry brush to distribute the Cajun seasoning.
• Top the potatoes with the trimmed green beans and cook the entire sheet pan meal in the oven for 12 minutes.
• Remove the sheet pan from the oven and squeeze fresh lime juice over the entire dish. Sprinkle the green beans with salt and stir the green beans and potatoes together.
• Serve hot or cold!

Top tips

• The key to making this sheet pan Cajun salmon in 30 minutes is to use a hot oven (450F) and start the potatoes before the rest of the ingredients!
• Make it low carb! Cauliflower florets can be used in place of the baby potatoes in this recipe! You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower. If you choose to use cauliflower instead, follow the recipe exactly as written, substituting the cauliflower for the potatoes.
• If you want to double this recipe, use a separate baking sheet for the potatoes and simply add the sheet pan with the salmon and green beans after the potatoes have been cooking for 15 minutes.

Common questions

How to make moist flaky salmon?

The trick is to allow your salmon to fully defrost in the fridge for at least 24 hours. After the salmon is defrosted, allow it to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. Because there will be less of a temperature difference in the fish in cooking, the fish stays moist and flaky!

How to choose salmon at the grocery store?

I almost always buy my salmon frozen. This way I don’t have to rush to use it within 1-2 days of grocery shopping!

Depending on where you live and where you are shopping, most of the fresh salmon being sold at the grocery store was previously frozen (and defrosted before selling to you). I like to bypass this by just buying it frozen!

I recommend always buying wild-caught salmon. It’s higher in Omega-3’s and the salmon are naturally that bright pink/orange color from the shrimp and krill they eat in the wild. Farm caught salmon has a dye added to their feed to attain that bright color (otherwise they would be grey and boring looking).

After defrosting, the salmon should not have a fishy smell or brown spots. This is a sign the salmon has started to spoil.

What other vegetables could you use?

If you don’t love green beans (or don’t have them on hand) you could also use:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli (cut into bite size pieces)
• Bell peppers (cut into thin slices)
• Mushrooms (cut into thin slices or quartered)

What spices are in Cajun seasoning?

• Paprika
• Chives
• Fennel seeds
• Cumin
• Dried thyme
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper

Combine these ingredients in a high speed blender or coffee grinder and store in an airtight container. Get my favorite recipe for Cajun seasoning in this post!

Storing leftovers

Fridge: you can store leftover Cajun salmon in the fridge for up to 3 days. I would recommend reheating it in a skillet over medium low heat, in the air fryer at 350F for 3 minutes or in a 350F oven for 7-8 minutes until warmed through.

How to serve leftover Cajun salmon sheet pan meal?

If you find yourself with leftover Cajun salmon, there are some fun and creative ways to use them!

• Fish tacos with pineapple coleslaw
• Served over salad greens (I love this cruciferous crunch salad)
• Mixed with eggs and baked into a frittata (like this smoked salmon frittata)
• Served with sesame ginger broccoli slaw or red cabbage slaw

If you love this recipe, you should try

Greek Salmon and Veggies

Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Meal

Italian Salmon Salad

Air Fryer Salmon

Herb Crusted Salmon

Teriyaki Salmon and Veggies

Pecan Crusted Salmon