Sweet and spicy, this maple cajun baked salmon is upgraded as a one pan dinner! Alongside asparagus and potato sticks, you will have a complete, heart healthy meal ready in less than 30 minutes.
One of the biggest hurdles I hear to eating healthful home cooked meals is time. It takes too long to shop, prepare, and cook meals after a long day. Or you make a main dish and have no idea what to serve with it to make a balanced meal.
This one pan dinner takes care of both issues- carbs, veggies, and a heart-healthy serving of cajun baked salmon. One and done.
Farm Raised or Wild Salmon, Which is the Better Choice?
Including fatty fish in your diet (following guidelines in pregnancy or children), whether farmed or wild provides omega 3’s, which is beneficial to heart health, as well as other brain and body functions.
Wild caught salmon may be a “better” option if the budget allows as the ratio to omega 3/omega 6 is lower, less antibiotics present, and PCB (a chemical pollutant found in fish) contamination is found to be lower.
If your choice is influenced by the impact that eating fish, whether farmed or wild caught, is having on the environment, I highly recommend researching your choices using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
For this recipe, I chose Wild Caught Pink Salmon that has the Certified Sustainable Seafood Seal from the Marine Stewardship Council. We all have to make the choices that fit our values, health goals, and budgets.
How to Make One Pan Veggie and Maple Cajun Baked Salmon
Prepare the Vegetables
Remove woody ends of asparagus by holding each spear about 1-2 inches from the end. Apply gentle pressure as you bend it. The spear should naturally break the woody end off.
Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick sticks, leaving the skins on. If you cut the potatoes too large the cooking time will increase,
Put both vegetables into a large bowl. Add the avocado oil, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir well or cover and shake so that oil and seasonings evenly cover the veggies.
Prepare the Salmon
Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Mix the maple syrup and cajun seasoning in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, spread the maple cajun mixture evenly on the salmon. Place the asparagus and potatoes on the sheet pan.
Bake the Maple Cajun Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
In a preheated oven (425 degrees F) bake for 15 minutes, stirring the vegetables half way through. Once the salmon is cooked through (145 degrees F) remove from the oven and place on a seperate plate, covered to keep warm.
Continue to cook the vegetables until fork tender, about 8 more minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes place under the broiler for a golden brown finish.
Tips and Tricks for Maple Cajun Baked Salmon Dinner
Make your own cajun seasoning- You can purchase cajun seasoning or make your own. This recipe from Culinary Hill is FAB!
Substitutions– If you don’t enjoy russet potatoes, feel free to replace with sweet potatoes.
Oil Recommendations– When roasting at high temperatures you want to use an oil that has a high smoke point to avoid that oil breaking down, losing its nutritional value, creating a bitter taste, and releasing harmful free radicals. Oils that are recommended for roasting at high temps are: avocado, sunflower, or refined/ light olive oil.
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One Pan Veggie and Maple Cajun Baked Salmon
Equipment
- Large Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 large russet potato or 2 small
- 1 pound asparagus spears woody ends removed
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Remove woody ends of asparagus. Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick sticks, leaving the skins on. Put both vegetables into a large bowl. Add the avocado oil, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir or cover and shake so that oil and seasonings evenly cover the veggies.
- Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Mix the maple syrup and cajun seasoning in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, spread the maple cajun mixture evenly on the salmon.
- Place the asparagus and potatoes on the sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring the vegetables half way through. Once the salmon is cooked through (145 degrees F) remove from the oven and place on a seperate plate, covered to keep warm. Continue to cook the vegetables until fork tender, about 8 minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes place under the broiler for a golden brown finish.
Video
Notes
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Omg! Just made this for lunch and it was a hit. One sheet, flavourful put of this world and now will be a staple weekday meal. So so good and satisfying!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for trying it out and sharing!