Sheet Pan Dinner: Salmon with Curried Yogurt Sauce
10 Comments
/ September 15, 2021 September 15, 2021
Wondering what you’re going to make for dinner tonight? How about the easiest sheet pan dinner ever? It’s healthy, simple (we’re talking 30 mins or less), and full of flavor. Plus, it looks pretty on the plate. Every recipe so far in the one pan lineup has been well-received, but I can tell, this one will be a family favorite for sure.
This is a go-to weeknight meal and ideal when having company over for dinner. It’s simple, but feels special at the same time. (Did I mention it’s also one of most delicious ways to cook fish?)
There are dozens upon dozens of ways to cook salmon with whichever veggies you like best, layered on a sheet pan, and cooked to perfection. A go-to veggie with a salmon sheet pan dinner is asparagus, because both cook in relatively the same amount of time. (Broccoli and cauliflower work really well here too.)
This salmon sheet pan dinner has a theme: simplicity. Every component is utterly simple and do-able in a little under 30 minutes from beginning to end. While the salmon and asparagus roast, the couscous and sauce are prepared in a matter of minutes. So easy. So healthy.
Salmon — and all fish — should not be overcooked. Or undercooked, for that matter. (Unless we’re talking poke, ceviche, sashimi, etc..) Roasting at high heat is great because the fish cooks quickly and doesn’t dry out. This goes for veggies too.
Some veggies need a little more time in the oven to cook to perfection. If you’re using a veggie that takes a bit longer to cook, the key is to cut them into smaller pieces or place them in the oven 5-10 minutes before the fish, or remove the fish from the pan, and let the veggies cook a little longer. Some of this is just trial and error. But as mentioned before, asparagus needs the same amount of cooking time as salmon, so it’s pretty fool-proof. (And delicious. In case I haven’t said that enough yet.)
Now we come to the couscous. Are you a fan? I still remember the first time I bought a box at Trader Joe’s and wondered what I could do with it. It was a totally new food for me at the time. Quickly I learned it is one of the easiest, versatile sides you can make.
I learned somewhere that the trick to the best couscous is to stir the dry couscous with a little olive oil just to coat each granule, then add boiling water with a little salt added, and let it stand, covered with a plate, until the water is absorbed. Fluff and eat! It’s as simple as boiling water, for real. You don’t even need to dirty another pan!
To kick up the flavor a tiny bit, I like to add fresh lemon juice and zest, one minced shallot, and a big handful of fresh parsley. Now this could easily be modified to fit your own tastes by using different herbs, using broth instead of water, adding veggies and/or dried fruit, and even chopped nuts.
I don’t always make a sauce for the salmon…but when I do it’s usually Greek yogurt-based. And probably has curry powder in it. Or lemon. Or both.
It’s as simple as stirring together 1 cup of Greek yogurt, a teaspoon or two of your favorite curry powder, and the juice of 1 lemon. Season with a little salt and pepper. If you want a little sweeter sauce, add a little drizzle of honey. Holy moly is it good with salmon! Mmm…creamy.
Sheet pan dinner perfection, I say.
Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner with Asparagus, Curried Yogurt Sauce, and Lemon Parsley Couscous
Ingredients
For Salmon and Asparagus:
16-20 ounce wild-caught salmon filet, thawed if frozen
16 ounces fresh asparagus, ends trimmed (peel ends if using thicker stalks)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, for seasoning
For Curried Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup unsweetened plain yogurt
Juice of 1 large lemon
1-2 teaspoons curry powder, or more to taste
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
Pinch sea salt
For Lemon Parsley Couscous:
1 1/2 cups dry couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 to 1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
1 shallot, minced
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, lightly coat with a little oil.
2. Place salmon filet, skin-side down if not skinned, on the baking sheet. Arrange the asparagus around the salmon. Drizzle with olive oil. Gently toss to coat the asparagus with the oil. Season salmon and asparagus with sea salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until fish is cooked through and stalks are nicely browned and tender. (For crisper asparagus, place on baking sheet during the last 10 minutes of roasting time only.)
3. Meanwhile, prepare the Curried Yogurt Sauce. Place yogurt in a small mixing bowl and whisk lemon juice, curry powder, honey, if using, and pinch of sea salt. (Some curry powders contain salt, so go easy. Also start with less curry and work up because it vary in spiciness also.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Prepare Lemon Parsley Couscous. Place couscous in a bowl that is large enough for it to double in volume. Stir in the olive oil to coat the couscous evenly. Bring water to a rapid boil. (A large glass measuring cup in the microwave is great, or use a tea kettle.) Add the salt to the water and pour into the bowl with the couscous. Stir, then cover bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Let stand for 5-10 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in parsley, lemon juice and zest, and shallot.
5. To serve, spoon the couscous onto dinner plates and top with some of the salmon and asparagus. Dollop some of the Curried Yogurt on top of the salmon. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.
Created for Design Mom by Lindsey Rose Johnson.
10 thoughts on “Sheet Pan Dinner: Salmon with Curried Yogurt Sauce”
Whitney Ingram
Lindsey, this looks like a homerun! Yum! Good work.
Thank you for this recipe. I love the use of yoghurt here. We use yoghurt a lot as a condiment at the dinner table (it can help the kids with unusual/new flavours) but I’ve never considered it with fish.
Also, cous cous has been our go-to for years! So simple and fast to make. 5 minutes to make once you’ve boiled the kettle. I never have a pantry without it.
Love this! Great trick for making the cous cous and the yogurt sauce looks like a winner! I’ll definitely add these to my sheet pan salmon. Thanks, Lindsey!
Salmon, yogurt, and anything lemon – Yay, three of my favorites! This recipe idea of yours looks both refreshing and exquisite. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing! :)
Lindsey, this looks like a homerun! Yum! Good work.
Looks delicious! We love Salmon and asparagus :)
We rarely do couscous, but we love quinoa, and I think it would be awesome with this meal. Thanks for sharing!
I love roasting salmon. Thanks for the new tricks: can’t wait to try it with the curried yogurt and couscous made in the serving bowl!
Thank you for this recipe. I love the use of yoghurt here. We use yoghurt a lot as a condiment at the dinner table (it can help the kids with unusual/new flavours) but I’ve never considered it with fish.
Also, cous cous has been our go-to for years! So simple and fast to make. 5 minutes to make once you’ve boiled the kettle. I never have a pantry without it.
We love salmon. We probably have it once a week. We will be making this tonight since we have asparagus up!
Love this! Great trick for making the cous cous and the yogurt sauce looks like a winner! I’ll definitely add these to my sheet pan salmon. Thanks, Lindsey!
This recipe was beyond delicious. 10/10
This looks amazing! I need this in my life!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
This looks so good~ I can’t remember the last time we’ve had salmon ^^ Thank you for sharing the recipe! Gonna try it soon.
http://www.gotaram.com
Salmon, yogurt, and anything lemon – Yay, three of my favorites! This recipe idea of yours looks both refreshing and exquisite. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing! :)