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You’ll need just one pan to make this flavor-packed Pesto Salmon recipe! Flaky baked salmon is topped with fresh and garlicky pesto sauce and served with tender green beans and little potatoes to make an easy and quick gluten-free sheet pan dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Sheet Pan Salmon with Pesto Sauce
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
My kids absolutely love seafood, and a one-pan dinner is always a winner in my book. So this sheet pan salmon doesn’t disappoint! It’s hearty enough to leave you satisfied, and the mix of vegetables and basil-flecked sauce will have you reaching for more.
My family devours every last morsel, and the time and effort I need to prepare AND clean up this simple dinner is almost nothing. But I know that they are getting something they enjoy biut is also super nourishing to fuel them through track and lacrosse practices and, you know, just being growing (i.e. always hungry) boys! Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Gluten Free. All of the components in this salmon with pesto sauce are gluten-free, although you’ll want to check the ingredient label on the pesto sauce to make sure it’s gluten if you purchase a jar. See my post on how to read ingredient labels for helpful tips.
- Minimal ingredients. You need less than 10 ingredients to make this sheet pan salmon!
- Fast. I love making sheet pan dinners on busy weeknights because they need minimal prep and involve a quick cooking time. It will take you just 40 minutes to make a complete meal when you follow this recipe.
What You’ll Need to Make Pesto Salmon
Simple ingredients come together to make a satisfying and fresh meal. Here’s a glance at what you need to pick up to make this recipe. Don’t forget to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Potatoes: I like to use whole, small potatoes so that they cook quickly. You can also use halved or quartered red or white potatoes.
- Pesto: You can make pesto or pick up a jar at the store.
- Green Beans
- Olive Oil: I always use extra virgin olive oil.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salmon: You can use fresh or frozen salmon.
Fresh vs Frozen Salmon
Frozen salmon can be used interchangeably with fresh salmon in this sheet pan salmon recipe. A nice feature of cooking with frozen fish is that you don’t need to defrost it before baking it. If you choose to use frozen salmon fillets in this recipe, you should rinse them under cool running water first to remove any ice crystals, then pat them dry with paper towels. Bake the salmon for about 8 minutes unseasoned, then add the salt, pepper, and pesto (seasonings will not stick to frozen salmon, which is why you’ll need to take this extra step) and continue with the recipe as written.
How to Make This Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
Follow along with my method for making this pesto salmon recipe below. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Prepare pan. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a baking sheet.
- Add potatoes. Place the potatoes on one side of the pan, drizzle with pesto, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Season. Drizzle the green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Bake. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Prep the salmon. While the veggies are in the oven, season the salmon with salt and pepper. Spread pesto over the salmon.
- Toss. Toss the potatoes and green beans. Push the vegetables to either side, leaving a space in the middle. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the green beans.
- Add salmon. Place the seasoned salmon in the middle of the baking sheet.
- Finish baking. Cook until tender and the salmon flakes. Let the pan rest before serving. Drizzle with extra pesto and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, if you like.
Tips & Variations
This beautifully simple recipe can be adjusted a bit to suit your tastes or to accommodate what ingredients you have on hand. Here are a few tips to help you make it:
- Use a meat thermometer. To ensure that the salmon is fully cooked, use an instant-read thermometer. The salmon will show an internal temperature of 135°F when it’s safely cooked and will rise to about 145°F after it’s rested out of the oven.
- Other vegetables. If you wish to try another vegetable instead of or in addition to the green beans, you could try asparagus or broccoli.
- A different type of fish. This recipe is easily adapted to any fish of your choice. When I make a substitute for the salmon, I tend to choose a white fish such as halibut or cod. You could also try scallops or shrimp for a different flavor.
- Pre-washed green beans. Make this dish even quicker by grabbing a bag of pre-washed and cut green beans!
- Homemade pesto sauce. It’s so easy to make your pesto! A simple, basic recipe is as follows: process 2 cups fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons in a food processor until finely ground. Drizzle in ½ cup of olive while the machine is still running, then add ½ cup Parmesan cheese and process to combine. You can omit the cheese for a dairy-free pesto.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge – Place leftover sheet pan salmon in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat – When you want to warm up leftover pesto salmon and vegetables, place them on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350°F-degree oven until the fish and vegetables are heated through. You can add a little more pesto to each serving if you wish.
Meal Prep Salmon
This is also a great meal prep idea because it stores and reheats so well. Just divide the fish and veggies between four meal prep containers and keep it in the fridge so you can grab out the door on your way to work in the morning!
Make It A Meal
Yes, sheet pan salmon with pesto can serve as a one-pan meal, but why not add a little more in the form of a green salad or another vegetable or two? This is a great way to stretch it out to serve a few extra people, especially if you add a couple more pieces of fish.,
Here are a few other options you can make to serve with pesto salmon:
- Salad. A fresh salad is the perfect accompaniment to salmon with pesto sauce. My Caprese Zoodles Salad is always a favorite, or try my Easy Greek Salad for a fresh punch of lemon flavor.
- Bread. Soak up any leftover pesto with Gluten Free Garlic Breadsticks, or make a fresh loaf of Gluten Free Sandwich Bread and serve slices spread with salted butter with this meal.
- Cornbread. I love making a side of rustic Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins to serve, warm, alongside a plate of pesto salmon.
- More vegetables. Round out your plate with more vegetables! A simple side of Air Fryer Broccoli or Oven-Roasted Asparagus will add another pop of green to the table.
Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 pound small potatoes halved or quartered (or larger white or red potatoes cut into about ¾ inch pieces)
- 4 tablespoons pesto, divided, plus additional for serving, if desired
- 1 pound fresh green beans washed and ends trimmed off
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving, if desired
- 1-1 ½ pounds salmon, cut into four 4-6 oz. filets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Place the potatoes on one side of the sheet pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the pesto, and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer covering about one-third of the sheet pan. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place the green beans on the other side of the pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat, and spread in an even layer covering about one-third of the sheet pan, opposite the potatoes. Return to the oven and ake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
- While in the oven, sprinkle the salmon filets with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and spread the remaining 2 Tablespoons pesto over the salmon.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Gently toss the potatoes and green beans and move them over to the opposite sides of the pan. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the green beans and place the salmon fillets down the center of the pan.
- Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes and green beans are tender, and the salmon flakes and reaches an internal temperature of 135°F.
- Remove from the oven and let rest fior 5-10 minutes. The salmon should then reach a final internal temperature of 145°F. Serve the salmon, green beans, and potatoes with additional pesto and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Did you make this?
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Looking for something easy to use up some pesto. Ran across this recipe and decided to give it a try.
Made it and hubby says 10 out of 10.
Will definitely make again.
Thank you for posting
Love to hear this, thank you!
My mouth is watering here. And yes this dish has a lot of ingredients I love so I just need to buy salmon and I can give it a go!
I like this! Definitely have days where I need those sheet pan dinners. Pinning this one to try later!
Love how quick and easy you’ve made an entire dinner, Brianna! Pinned!