sheetpan roasted fig balsamic salmon and sweet potatoes
Bit of a fun one today: salmon smothered in a dreamy fig sauce, served with soft and juicy roasted sweet potatoes. Yes please.
After last week’s Fig Julep, I found myself with sundry figs still in my refrigerator. Seeing as I never want to waste food needlessly, I had to incorporate the fun little fruits somehow in a dinner this week.
Although I’m pretty ready to flick a middle finger or two in the direction of summer, a light sheetpan-style dinner never goes out of style for me. Minimal time and ingredients, still enough interesting flavor to inspire a grin and fill a tummy. The sweet potatoes and fish roast into juicy perfection, the fig sauce adds tang and sweetness to the dish as well as a touch of luxury to the everyday.
It’s a party on a pan, basically.
Chicago Marathon training is in its final seven weeks, which alarms me. Miles are longer and free time shorter. Thankfully, I’ve an array of quick go-to meals to throw in the oven or on the stove when training tiredness zaps any creative energy out of my being. Most days, really, I’m okay to use my brain, but the longer sessions tend to mellow me to a higher degree of laziness, particularly when my upper back muscles bark at my spine and beg for me to lie immobile for a time.
I will near always choose a home cooked meal over takeout, though. I firmly think most anyone has an hour to carve out for meal prep, or at the very least 30 minutes. This salmon, in fact, takes about 45 with some clever multitasking.
Curious? Let me show you how it’s done.
Get Figgy with It
I opted to cook up the fig sauce while the sweet potatoes cycled through their first roast. The time was more than enough for the figs to reduce in a bath of balsamic vinegar and aromatics!
Slice up about a pound of sweet potatoes into rounds, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment and distribute the potatoes evenly atop. Roast 15 minutes.
At the same time, make the fig sauce. Start with a couple cups of halved figs. Heat some olive oil in a skillet, then set the figs inside cut-side up. Drizzle with a good amount of honey – totally fine if some gets into the pan, this will help the figs caramelize! Cook about 3-4 minutes per side until soft and tender.
Next up? Minced shallot, garlic, and a bit of rosemary. Sliding a few cozy autumnal spices into the mix without aggressively forcing fall into the kitchen. Subtle, right? Stir these around for a minute or two until the kitchen smells gourmet, then pour in a good hit of balsamic vinegar. Reduce about 5 minutes until thickened slightly.
Fishing for Dinner
By now, the sweet potatoes should be done. Shift the rounds to one side of the pan in preparation for some fishy company.
I whisked up a simple rub for the salmon that heightens and multiplies the delight of the fig sauce. Paprika, oregano, lemon juice, honey, and garlic – that’s all you need. Dab the salmon with paper towels to dry, then season with salt and pepper. Rub with the herb mix and set onto the baking sheet with the starchy comrades.
Roast the fish and potatoes an additional 10 minutes. Then, remove from the oven, spoon the fig sauce all over, and cook another 2 minutes to let the sauce sink into the salmon flesh and create a rich reduction.
Final steps? I always like to have some kind of green or vegetable otherwise with dinner. I prepped a pan of asparagus and roasted the spears alongside the salmon filets, but you can opt for steamed or roasted broccoli, summer squash, what have you. A mixed salad with blue cheese or goat cheese, onion, maybe some carrots feels appropriate as well. Or, you could toss a salmon filet and some sweet potatoes over a bed of arugula or spring greens.
Figs suit both summer and autumn palates, and salmon is appropriate year-round. You can save this recipe to whip up during cooler temps, or any kind of night where you feel like something simple yet more satisfying than a bowl of pasta and marinara sauce.
I’m pretty sure I nailed a set of 800m reps the day following my consumption, so apparently this is a win for workouts, too.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More skillet/sheetpan dishes to try:
Sheetpan Sticky Honey Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Mango Crema
Sheetpan Sundried Tomato Salmon and Potatoes
Skillet Honey Balsamic Peach Salmon with Burst Tomatoes and Feta
Skillet Cheesy Quinoa Enchiladas Verdes Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 4 4-6 oz filets salmon
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
fig balsamic reduction
- 2 cups figs, halved
- 2 shallots, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes roast in their first round, prepare the fig sauce. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet heat over medium. Set figs cut side up evenly in the pan and drizzle with honey. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until browned, juicy, and starting to caramelize.
- Toss figs with shallot, garlic, rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in balsamic vinegar and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, oregano, lemon juice, honey, and garlic cloves. Season salmon with salt and pepper, then rub with the spice blend.
- Remove sweet potatoes from oven and slide to one side of the baking sheet. Nestle salmon among the potatoes. Roast 10 minutes. Spoon fig sauce evenly over salmon and potatoes and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve with roasted asparagus, broccoli, or another choice vegetable.
