Perfect Sheet Pan Lemon Pepper Salmon with Easy Crispy Potatoes
Spring is a time to get outside and soak up some long-awaited sunshine and warm air. That’s why we’re currently craving fresh and easy dinner solutions like this sheet pan lemon pepper salmon, which won’t keep us tied to our ovens at the end of the day. It’s pleasantly seasonal thanks to sweet leeks, tender baby potatoes, and vibrant lemon pepper seasoning, and couldn’t be more convenient to both throw together and clean up after.
A Vibrant Sheet Pan Solution
Tender, flaky salmon is the centerpiece of this standby recipe, so finding a quality cut of fish is important. One place you’ll find consistently fresh seafood, as well as everything else needed to bring this delicious ensemble together? Walmart.
Grab salmon fillets, a bag of baby potatoes, a couple of leeks, and a few herbs and aromatics. Roast them all together on a sheet pan, and in next to no time you have an easy, feel-good solution for even the busiest nights.
The Secret to Perfectly Cooked Salmon
When shopping, choose salmon fillets of similar size and thickness. This ensures they will cook evenly when in the oven. If some pieces are smaller or thinner than the others, they’ll cook faster, which will result in a mix of overcooked and undercooked fillets.
Sheet Pan Lemon Pepper Salmon with Potatoes and Leeks
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 28 minutes to 32 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
(1 1/2-pound) bag baby potatoes
- 2
large leeks (about 1 pound total)
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 1 3/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more for serving
- 2
medium lemons, divided
- 1 clove
garlic
- 1
small bunch fresh parsley
- 4
(6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Halve 1 (1 1/2-pound) bag baby potatoes and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Halve 2 large leeks lengthwise and rinse between the layers to clean. Slice the white and light green parts crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, season with 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the potatoes and leeks in a single layer, arranging the potatoes cut-side down.
Roast until the potatoes release easily from the baking sheet and are golden-brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the salmon for roasting.
Finely grate the zest of 1 of the medium lemons into a small bowl (about 1 tablespoon). Finely grate 1 garlic clove in the bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and stir with a fork to combine. Halve the zested lemon and set aside. Quarter the remaining lemon and reserve for serving. Pick the leaves from 1 small bunch fresh parsley until you have 1/4 cup, then coarsely chop.
Pat 4 salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub to coat both sides, then season all over with the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Rub the lemon zest mixture evenly over the meaty side of the fillets.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, toss the vegetables, then push them to the sides of the baking sheet to make room in the center for the salmon fillets. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on the baking sheet. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon halves over the salmon and vegetables.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily, 8 to 12 minutes. An instant-read thermometer into the middle of the thickest fillet should register 120 to 130°F for medium-rare or 135 to 145°F if you prefer it more well-done. Garnish with the parsley, more freshly ground black pepper if desired, and serve with the lemon wedges.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.