This easy salmon tray bake recipe makes crispy skinned salmon fillets baked so that the skin crackles but the flesh remains moist, with roasted spring vegetables that are just-done so that they’re still fresh and crunchy. Sprinkled with spring onions and fresh fragrant dill and served with lemon slices, it makes the lightest of roasts, perfect for an Easter lunch.
If you’re still looking for fish recipes for Good Friday tomorrow – I can’t believe Easter is already upon us and it’s Khmer New Year here in Cambodia – and if you’re looking for easy fish recipes at that, then do consider salmon and trying my easy salmon tray bake recipe. We have more of our best salmon recipes here.
It makes the lightest of roasts, perfect for an Easter lunch, whether it’s spring or autumn where you are. I’ve made the salmon with spring vegetables and herbs – I would have added some edible flowers if I could have got hold of them – but you could roast the salmon with autumn veggies: roast beetroot, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower florets would work.
If you’re not enjoying your Easter holiday in spring and your autumn is already feeling like winter, then perhaps you might like to try Terence’s crispy skin salmon fillet with colcannon with prawns or creamy mashed potatoes instead?
Amongst our best salmon recipes, we have devilled eggs with smoked salmon and caviar, blini with smoked salmon, a Cambodian salmon ceviche-style appetiser, a fish soup with salmon, salmon potato salad, salmon pasta, clay-pot salmon, and more.
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Salmon Tray Bake Recipe for Crispy Skinned Salmon with Spring Vegetables
This easy salmon tray bake recipe makes crispy skinned salmon fillets baked so that the skin crackles but the flesh remains incredibly moist. If you’re not a fan of salmon skin, then you can remove it before roasting or turn the fillets over, bake the salmon skin-on and remove it later. I adore crunchy bubbly salmon skin so it’s skin-on and skin-up for me.
As it’s spring in the northern hemisphere, I’ve baked the salmon with roasted spring vegetables – zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, peas, radishes, and purple shallots – all of which are added near the end of cooking so that they’re just-done and still taste fresh and crunchy, almost like a warm salad.
Then I’ve sprinkled on slices of spring onions or scallions (garlic chives also work) and fresh fragrant dill (mint is delish too). I’ve popped some lemon slices on the tray but they’re not all that practical so provide an additional bowl of lemon quarters for your guests to squeeze onto the salmon.
The spring vegetables help make this the lightest of roasts making it absolutely perfect for Easter lunch, especially on Good Friday. But as I suggested, if you’re in the southern hemisphere, you could roast the salmon with autumn vegetables such as roast beetroot, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower florets.
We’re happy to have the salmon fillets and vegetables as is, drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil, but a bowl of homemade tartare sauce on the table adds a nice touch if you’re feeding a group.
And if you are, this recipe serves four, but you could do two trays for eight. The beauty of a tray bake is that everything is cooked together, but it also looks pretty at the centre of the table. You can plate at the table or let guests serve themselves.
If you are cooking for a largish group, serve a couple of additional salads or vegetable sides, and perhaps a beautiful loaf or two of homemade sourdough. That’s my idea of a lovely light home-cooked Easter holiday lunch with loved-ones.
Tips for Making this Salmon Tray Bake Recipe for Crispy Skinned Salmon with Spring Vegetables
Just a couple of tips to making this easy salmon tray bake recipe, as it’s super easy and comes together quickly. As I said in the intro, for me this dish is all about the crispy skin and incredibly moist salmon fillets that almost taste like salmon confit, but if you’re not a lover of salmon skin, by all means remove it or leave it on and turn the fillets over.
Pour a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a small dish and use a pastry brush to coat the salmon skins in the olive oil, then sprinkle as much or as little sea salt and cracked black pepper onto the salmon skin as you like, but it must have salt.
Resting the salmon fillets on the zucchini prevents the salmon from sticking to the pan. Carrot slices also work. I like to roast the salmon for 8-10 minutes or so until the skin is so crispy that it is crackling and bubbling, however, Terence actually prefers his skin a little less done and would remove it earlier. Feel free to do that.
I also love my spring vegetables so that they still taste fresh and crunchy, almost like a warm salad, but if you prefer your vegetables to be more tender, then add them earlier. If you’re cooking autumn veggies, you’ll probably want to add them when you starting cooking the salmon.
Long tongs are handy for turning the vegetables so that they’re covered in olive oil. You could collect that salmon-infused oil at the end and serve that at that table. It’s so delish and they’re healthy oils, too.
Salmon Tray Bake Recipe for Crispy Skinned Salmon with Spring Vegetables
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 170 g salmon fillets skin-on, scales and bones removed
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 zucchini cut into 12 slices
- 1 zucchini peeled into ribbons
- 12 asparagus spears
- 120 g broccoli florets
- 120 g peas
- 2 radishes finely sliced
- 2 purple shallots cut into quarters, separated
- 3 spring onions/scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
- ½ lemon sliced/quartered
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C / 390°F.
- Pour a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a small dish and use a pastry brush to coat the salmon skins in the olive oil, then sprinkle as much or as little sea salt and cracked black pepper onto the salmon skin as you like, but it must have some salt.
- Pour the remaining tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a baking tray and distribute evenly, lay down three slices of zucchini then rest a salmon fillet on top, then do the same for other fillets, evenly spacing them on the baking tray.
- Roast the salmon for 8-10 minutes or so until the skin is so crispy it is crackling and bubbling, then reduce the heat to 180°C / 355°F so you can add the vegetables.
- Remove the tray from the oven and work quickly to prettily arrange the spring vegetables around the salmon, using tongs to turn the vegetables before you set them in their place so that they’re covered in olive oil, then bake them for another 5-10 minutes or so until they’re just cooked or done to your liking.
- Remove the tray and sprinkle on the fresh dill and slices of spring onions/scallions and lemon slices – or serve lemon quarters in a separate dish so guests can squeeze their own lemon juice onto their fillets as they like.
- Serve at the centre of the table with a simple green salad for lunch or mashed potatoes for dinner.
Nutrition
Please do let us know if you make our easy salmon tray bake recipe as we’d love to know how it turns out for you.
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