moroccan sheet pan salmon.
earthy ras el hanout, fresh cilantro, and sweet coriander come together in a flavorful marinade over flaky salmon filets for an easy moroccan-inspired weeknight meal.
Makes: 4 salmon filets, serves 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes
This is one recipe from my archives that I always, always felt confident about. It’s basically foolproof and super delicious and easy enough for a weeknight meal. It’s also something a little different without being difficult to follow- just a quick marinade (or sauce, really) poured over fresh fish and veggies and roasted until flaky. The star of the show is the ras el hanout seasoning, which is a unique blend of spices like cumin, chile, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. It’s earthy, with a hint of heat and a good amount of sweetness. You can also use Harissa seasoning, which some stores have instead of ras el hanout- it’s best to read ingredients and choose what blend you want. I’ll give a few more details on choosing a seasoning below.
The other ingredients that make this Moroccan-inspired are the coriander seeds, the cilantro, the lemon, and the almonds. Coriander is negotiable: it may be in your ras el hanout blend, and it’s technically redundant paired with fresh cilantro. However.. I find fresh cilantro and coriander do two very different things, so I’d recommend adding both for the respective earthy sweetness and refreshing lightness of each.
The other negotiable ingredient is the almond; you can switch it for pine nuts or pistachios or leave nuts out entirely. Think of it like almond-crusted salmon.. a little crunchy topping to the whole thing. It adds some salty nuttiness, but totally passable if it’s not your thing. And pine nuts are expensive, so.. you’re welcome, for calling for almonds instead!
The non negotiables are the lemon slices, pepper rings, and cherry tomatoes. So, so fresh and delicious and soften perfectly under the sauce. The roasted lemons are meant to be a subtle nod to the preserved lemons that are traditional in Moroccan cuisine- but much easier to find. If you happen to have preserved lemons on hand, you can actually swap them in for the sliced lemon here- you’ll get a sweeter, more rich lemon experience.
The peppers and tomatoes can be cut and sliced whichever which way you please- I did what I thought looked and cooked best, but you can throw the tomatoes on whole, if desired. They’ll burst in the oven and crumple into perfect tomatoey morsels.
That’s that- best served with couscous, but I’ll include some more pairing options below. Enjoy!
moroccan sheet pan salmon ingredients
salmon: You’ll notice the recipe calls for Atlantic salmon- of course, that’s totally your prerogative to choose, you can use whichever salmon you prefer! The reason I specified is because I too-often buy the slightly cheaper Sockeye and am woefully reminded that it’s not great for roasting…right as I take my first bite. It’s lean, firm, and dense- one of the best kinds for sushi and grilling. You won’t get a super-flaky result with Sockeye or King salmon, so I’d recommend being specific in your buying choices- atlantic is the most common and a great variety for sheet pan meals.
bell peppers: I used red and yellow to match the spices in the marinade, but feel free to use green if you prefer. I know bell pepper taste differences are hotly debated but I do think they all offer different flavors, however subtle. You can load up on red, or throw in a green for good measure- there’s enough marinade to cover an extra filet and a couple more pepper rings.
cherry tomatoes: I love a bursted cherry tomato, that’s no secret. You can slice these in half or throw them on whole- they’ll roast the same either way. I love smashing the tomatoes a bit after roasting so that the sauce gets a thickness to it. You can also use a classic roma if that’s all you have on hand- slice thin and roast as written.
lemons: The recipe calls for 1 whole lemon- half is juiced, and the other half is sliced and roasted. Easy, no leftover lemon. Of course, you will not want to eat the roasted lemon, but it adds a great flavor to the sauce and the roasted salmon.
olive oil: I use regular, not extra virgin, but you can use either. I would not recommend using canola or vegetable oil unless you’re in a pinch- the olive oil adds a depth of flavor that the neutral oils do not.
ras el hanout: You can find this blend in most grocery stores- however, each one will be different and it may also be labelled as Harissa. You’ll want something that has, in general, cumin, chile, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Cheaper blends may use paprika, elusive “spices”, garlic, and sumac. Fancier blends may list coriander, allspice, and white pepper. All work- choose the blend that has ingredients you love (you can also add any missing spices in individually)
coriander: If this is present in your ras el hanout, you could skip this- I liked that it added more sweetness and earthyness to the marinade. You can technically use whole coriander since you are blending, but adjust the measurement accordingly.
cilantro: If you really hate cilantro, you could swap in parsley. Cilantro adds a nice fresh flavor- I love cilantro and love adding it to sauces, but I know it’s not for everyone! Parsley would give a slightly different flavor, but still a good one.
moroccan sheet pan salmon pairing options
Here’s a few pairing options for a full dinner- with sheet pans, you get most of the meal right out of the oven, but here are some good carb-y pairing options:
couscous or farro
long grain rice
arugula, spinach, or frisee, as a salad
kidney or garbanzo beans in a salad
new potatoes (you can roast these on the same pan!)
pinot grigio, sangria, or cabernet sauvignon