sheet pan maple dijon salmon

No time, no energy, so a no fuss dinner. Sounds good to me.

I bought salmon last week at Trader Joe’s, with no real reason to buy it other than I like TJs salmon and I haven’t enjoyed a slab in awhile. I forgot about the fish until the other day – good thing, else it probably would’ve gone funky in a few days. Perfect waste of perfect filets.

I’ve said this already but this week was trying, and my normal salt and vinegar personality has amplified into something more akin to ammonia. Nope, shit has not been fun. But weeknight-style, time-saving dinners have really boosted my culinary morale and kept me from eating tortilla chips and guac for every savory meal.

The sheet pan preparation of salmon really is a favorite – takes no time at all, the combinations are endless, and the prep minimal. Perfect when you’ve got the patience of a horny bull. You probably already have what you need for the simple, supple sauce in your pantry.

See? Nothing to fret. Just a good, hearty meal to enjoy.

Sweet Maple

The sauce is a lovely little 5 ingredient fixture, but it packs a big ole flavor wham.

To make it, all you need is maple syrup (use the pure stuff, not the imposter), Dijon mustard, a choice stone ground mustard, minced garlic, and smoked paprika. And some salt and pepper, of course. Whisk it up until nicely combined.

See, the magic of this recipe is that it happens on one sheet pan. Grab some nice, fat salmon filets. Pat them real dry with paper towels – this ensures the fish crisps up a bit and takes on the sauce in all its little nooks and crannies. Place the fish on one side of your baking sheet (pick a big one).

For the veggie component, I chose Brussels sprouts since they are sort of in vogue this time of year. You can swap these out for whatever sounds good to you – broccoli, snap peas, carrots, rutabaga, whatever. Toss your veg in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread on the opposite side of the baking sheet.

Roasty Toasty

Pop that sucker in the oven at 450 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. I like my salmon a little less done, so I usually err towards 12-13 minutes, but if you want firmer filets then go a bit longer.

A small note – if your Brussels sprouts are a bit on the large side, you might want to bake them on their own for a few minutes before adding the salmon. My dudes were rather small so they were done on par with the salmon.

To keep with my theme of being a lazy-ass ho, I threw some rice into my rice cooker and steamed it up to accompany the meal. You can do mashed potatoes or polenta, too. Either would be grand. If I have the shit around I might also make my honeycrisp apple salad. And, of course, a glass of wine. Always.

Need meal prep? But of course. That’s what sheet pan meals are for, yo. Divvy it up and expect, with these listed portions, three extra days of meals.

One small final hint: I like to reserve some of the maple mustard sauce to drizzle overtop the fish once it’s all cooked. Kinda like a little dressing. Nothing wrong with some extra sauce, I’d say.

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!

One pan, no sweat:

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