Pecan-Crusted Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies

Are you a fish fanatic? Fish-hater? Somewhere in between? Our family typically eats salmon two or three times a month (mixed in with a few other types of seafood). My son has asthma, so we try to pack as many anti-inflammatory foods as possible into our routine. (Salmon is known for its omega3 benefits, among other health benefits. You can read more about that here if you’re interested in science, or click below if you just want the dang recipe! ;))

I love to pick up the frozen, wild-caught salmon from Aldi. It’s $3.99/pound, sustainably harvested, and you can make it a million and one ways. During Lent, we eat even more seafood each week. (We have 13 additional salmon recipes and 17 seafood recipes here if you need some fresh ideas.)

I got this salmon many, many times before I started preparing it in a way that was actually edible. I kept trying to cook it from frozen. While I’m sure there are many effective ways to do this without getting gross chunky white spots all over the place, this is the method that is tried and true for us.

Will picky kids eat salmon?

I can’t speak for all kids, but I have three kids with fairly different tastes, and they all three love salmon. We really like to make salmon cakes, but they’ll also eat sheet pan salmon. They may choose to dip it in ketchup but that won’t get any arguments from this mom. 😉 One kid scooped the topping off this recipe, another ate it in its entirety, and the other chose to move the topping to the sweet potatoes. Two outta three ain’t bad.

This pecan-crusted sheet pan salmon gets a crispy, slightly sweet, super nutty topping to really elevate a simple one-pan meal to the next level.

Easy subs

I love pairing salmon and sweet potatoes, but you can sub in another starch if you’d like. We’re using asparagus for our green side here because it’s in season. You can find it at Aldi for a steal this time of year! Feel free to sub in broccoli or green beans or even a side salad.

Pecan-crusted Salmon Sheet Pan Step-by-Step

Alissa wrote this recipe for an Aldi meal plan back in January, and I cooked it up last month and knew it deserved its own post. (And added to this spring Aldi meal plan, since asparagus season is in full swing now!)

To get started, you need to make sure the salmon is properly thawed. To do this, remove it from the vacuum-sealed packages and put in a container or plastic bag and either thaw overnight or in some cold water.

While the salmon thaws, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small chunks (I go with the size of a die/dice?) Place them on a large sheet pan and drizzle with avocado oil. (you can use olive oil, coconut oil or ghee) Give them a sprinkle of sea salt and spread them out around the full pan. Bake about 20 minutes.

While the salmon is baking, rinse and trim (the bottom inch or two) of the asparagus. Melt the butter, chop the pecans. Mix the butter, pecans, breadcrumbs, and brown sugar together.

Remove sheet pan from oven. Scooch the sweet potatoes to one side. Arrange salmon pieces on the other side, add topping, and press down. Add asparagus, drizzle with about a teaspoon or two of oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Return pan to oven and bake an additional 18-20 minutes, until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Pecan-Crusted Sheet Pan Salmon Recipe w/ Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

An easy weeknight meal with a slighty sweet and crunchy topping for your salmon. Pair it with your favorite seasonal veggies for a simple sheet pan dinner.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course dinner

Servings 4

Equipment

• Sheet pan

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound wild-caught salmon thawed
• 1 pound asparagus trimmed
• 1 pound sweet potatoes cut into small cubes
• 1-2 T Avocado oil
• Sea salt
• ¾ cup pecans
• ¼ cup Breadcrumbs can sub almond flour or GF/ Nut-free options
• 3 T butter melted
• 1 T brown sugar or coconut sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Coat sweet potatoes with about a tablespoon of avocado oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Spread out cubed sweet potatoes and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Chop ¾ cup of pecans and mix with ¼ cup breadcrumbs. Add 3T melted butter, a pinch of salt and pepper and 1T brown sugar. Place topping on each piece of fish and pat down.
• Remove sweet potatoes and scooch them to one side. Add salmon to the other end. Scoop topping on fish fillets.
• Add asparagus to pan and drizzle with about a teaspoon of oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Return to oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes, until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Keyword asparagus, quick and easy dinners, salmon recipes, sheet pan meals