Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus – Low Carb

This Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus makes an elegant low carb brunch or dinner recipe that takes just minutes to prepare, but looks and tastes like you slaved for hours! As an added bonus, this keto salmon recipe tastes amazing warm or chilled – perfect when you need to make something for an event ahead of time. ?

I recently realized that I don’t have a lot of keto salmon recipes here on the blog, which is strange because I really love salmon and it’s a popular seafood choice on Pinterest as well. I decided to rectify that problem, and I’m starting with this easy and versatile Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus recipe!

Two of my favorite keto ingredients in the same dish? ? ?? ??

Sheet pan meals are all the rage these days and with good reason!

Quick and easy preparation? ✅

Minimal dishes to wash? ✅

Can go from oven to table with no extra fuss? ✅

It’s easy to see why so many people are embracing the sheet pan meal revolution, and I for one am totally on board. So you can expect lots more keto sheet pan meals coming up in the next few months! Woot!

Now let’s briefly talk about salmon and how (and more importantly how not) to cook it. Properly cooked salmon should be tender and flaky, but never hard like canned tuna. I see all of these salmon recipes on Facebook and Pinterest with a lot of white stuff oozing out of the salmon fillets. I’m sure you’ve seen them or maybe even experienced it when trying to cook salmon at home. That white gunk that oozes out is coagulated protein called albumin – similar to egg white.

While a small amount is normal, depending on cooking method, a lot of white coating only happens when your salmon is cooked too aggressively at high temperatures, or for too long. So basically, if you’ve got tons of white stuff oozing out of your salmon you’re overcooking it.

You’ll notice that this Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus is cooked at a relatively low temperature – only 325 degrees. Cooking it at that lower temperature will result in perfectly tender, flaky, salmon that isn’t hardened and dried out!

I went with a dijon/mayonnaise mixture that I brushed liberally over the salmon to seal the moisture in, then I sprinkled grated parmesan over it and finished it with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley. This method provides a subtle but complex flavor that perfectly complements the asparagus and also allows the flavor of the fish to shine. It’s also self-saucing from the coating, which is a nice bonus!

I served this to a group that admitted they didn’t usually enjoy salmon, and they expressed that they really liked it prepared this way and some even asked for the recipe. You know you’re winning at hosting when you get asked for the recipe – especially when it’s something people thought they didn’t like before they tried your version. ? ? ?

I do think beyond just the delicious flavors in this Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus recipe, that it’s the tenderness of this cooking method that wins people over to it. Probably because their previous negative experiences with salmon were due to overcooking. You’ll have to try it and let me know what you think!

Keto Sheet Pan & Asparagus Recipe Notes

For this recipe I used a whole salmon fillet, but you can also use pre-portioned 4 ounce salmon fillets. If you do, reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes. Remove the salmon from the sheet pan and then return the asparagus to the oven until the desired tenderness or an internal temperature of 145° is reached  – about 18 minutes total cooking time should do it when cooking the whole fillet, 12 – 15 minutes for 4 ounce portions.

If baking for the shorter time, you can microwave your asparagus for 3 minutes before adding them to the sheet pan – that head start should have them perfect after the 12 – 15 minute baking time required by the smaller individually sized fillets. If you find you want your asparagus more well done, just remove the cooked salmon and return the asparagus to the oven until desired doneness is reached.

The macros for this dish are higher in protein than fat, but the low calories allow for the addition of another high fat side dish like Better Than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower Puree or Keto Cheesy Broccoli & Cauliflower Rice to give you balanced macros for the meal.

Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus

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★★★★★

5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Mellissa Sevigny
• Total Time: 23 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

This Keto Sheet Pan Salmon & Asparagus is perfectly suited to an elegant low carb brunch or dinner, but easy enough for any weeknight meal!  Low carb, gluten free, nut free, Atkins, grain free, keto.

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Ingredients

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• 16 ounces wild caught salmon (whole fillet or cut into four 4 ounce portions)
• 2 tablespoons sugar free mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, to garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Rinse and pat dry your salmon fillets.
3. Run your finger gently over the fillets and remove any bones.
4. Combine the mayonnaise and dijon mustard in a small bowl and mix together.
5. Brush the mayonnaise mixture over the top of the salmon.
6. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top of the coated fish and press lightly to secure.
7. Place the asparagus on the sheet pan and drizzle with the olive oil.
8. Toss with tongs or your hands to coat the asparagus in the oil.
9. Spread the asparagus out on the pan, leaving room in the center for the salmon.
10. Place the salmon on the pan, CHEESE SIDE UP. (I shouldn’t have to say that lol, but you know someone will ask or do it wrong if I don’t! ?)
11. Cut the lemons in half and place them, cut side up, somewhere on the sheet pan.
12. Sprinkle the entire shebang with the salt and pepper.
13. Bake for 18 minutes (for whole filet) or 12-15 minutes (for 4 ounce portions), or until the thickest part of the fillet reads 145° on a thermometer.  (See notes in post if cooking smaller portions.)
14. Remove from the oven and squeeze the desired amount of juice from the lemons over the asparagus and salmon – removing any seeds.
15. Garnish with parsley and serve warm or chilled.

Notes

Total Net Carbs = 3g.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 oz salmon, 1/4 of the asparagus
• Calories: 258
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 5g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 27g