sheet pan cranberry glazed salmon
Ho ho hoLY shit this holiday dinner is easy.
Happy Tuesday, peeps! Coming in fresh and hot with a classic FMG One Pan Wonder, the stuff I make when I’m low on time but craving high flavor.
This time, we’re marinating some salmons in a sticky cranberry sauce, then reducing the other half into a gorgeous, silky, flavorful glaze you’ll want to lick right off the spoon. Little better, folks, especially with holiday frazzles stirring up your split ends.
Today’s Sheet Pan Cranberry Glazed Salmon is everything you need to tide yourself through the workweek before the Yule Tide carols sing into your ears. Meal prep this succulent salmon with mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice, or a big hearty wintry salad for filling goodness for several days.
Let’s get gettin’, kids.
Cran For the Cranium
That’s probably not a good correlation but whatever.
First step: marinate your fish. We’re whisking up a mix of cranberry juice (use something good quality here!), orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and garlic cloves, as well as some salt and pepper.
Place the salmons in a shallow dish and pour half of the marinade overtop. Let the fish sit at least 10 minutes on the counter, but you can definitely let it stew overnight in the fridge if you wish. The longer the steep, the bigger the flavor.
Next, add the rest of the marinade to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Heat, stirring often, until the sauce reduces to a glaze and gets all sticky and thick. This’ll take about 8-10 minutes, and keep in mind the glaze will thicken further as it cools.
No Sheet, Sherlock
As I often do, I chose Brussels sprouts as my veggie of choice. Asparagus, green beans, or broccoli are my next top options, something with substance that’ll hold up nicely to roasting.
Halve your sprouts, toss with a little oil, salt, and pepper, and roast about 8 minutes or so. They take longer than the salmon so a little pre-cook will ensure they’re tender and crisp and not knobby and weird like a toddler’s knees.
Push the sprouts to one side of the sheet pan and lay the salmon filets on the other. Roast 10-12 minutes longer. I like to switch on the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cook time to get a nice char on the leaves. If you use parchment on your pan, please for the love of god don’t do this, especially not so close to Christmas, unless you want a light display that has nothing to do with your tree.
Mashed potatoes are by and large my favorite way to serve this fish (and most shit this time of year), but a pile of polenta is a solid second. If you’re plating for Christmas dinner, a few rosemary sprigs and cranberries for garnish are a beautiful embellishment that’ll make the tray shine bright like the star atop your balsam fir.
Easy peasy for a Tuesday, after devouring lots of cookies from the 2025 Cookie Box yesterday. Be well, peeps!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Go sheet yourself:
Sheet Pan Farmhouse Salmon Roast
Sheet Pan BBQ Caesar Salmon and Potatoes
Sheet Pan Sticky Pomegranate Salmon
Sheet Pan Shawarma Salmon and Sweet Potatoes
sheet pan cranberry glazed salmon
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 1/2 lb salmon
- 3/4 cup cranberry juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- mashed potatoes, polenta, rice or wild rice, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cranberry juice, orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic, and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Place the salmon in a shallow dish and pour half of the marinade overtop. Let sit 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, pour the rest of the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 8-10 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside – the glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast 8-10 minutes.
- Shift the sprouts to one side of the pan and add the salmon filets. Discard the marinade. Cook 10-12 minutes longer until desired doneness is reached. If desired and if you did not use parchment paper, switch your broiler to high for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the salmon and sprouts among bowls of mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice. Spoon a generous hit of the cranberry glaze overtop.
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