One-Pan Salmon and Asparagus is a simple, 20-minute salmon dinner that comes together on a sheet pan. The lemon-garlic-herb butter melts over this baked salmon and asparagus as it bakes, and every bite is so flavorful. Don’t miss the quick video tutorial to see just how easy this is.

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Helpful Reader Review
“Fantastic recipe. I have made this many times and is always well received and totally delicious.” – Rosebud ★★★★★
Easy Salmon and Asparagus Dinner
This one-pan salmon asparagus recipe is a reader and family favorite (read the glowing reviews below). The flavored butter here is gold. It is the same butter we use on our popular Lobster Tails recipe, and I even use it on my juicy Roast Turkey. It comes together quickly, and everything it touches always gets rave reviews.
Seriously, though, this salmon recipe is a must-try. Make it once and you’ll make it again and again. It’s just THAT good! Perfect for special occasions and easy enough for a busy weeknight – it’s delicious and looks so pretty on that baking dish. Make this, and you’ll impress your family.
Salmon and Asparagus Video
SO MUCH FLAVOR!! I hope you all love this easy dinner idea. I’d pass you a slice if I could because I really want you to discover this juicy salmon recipe! P.S. I’ve been making this salmon with 6 Tbsp butter instead of 8, and it works just as well, which is why the recipe states 6 Tbsp butter.

How to Bake Salmon with Asparagus
This whole process takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. While it cooks, I like to start cooking white rice or make Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes to pair it with, so my side dish is ready to serve when the salmon comes out of the oven.
- Prep – Preheat oven to 450˚F (set the rack in the top third of the oven – this gives the salmon some color). Line a large baking sheet with parchment (trim it to fit so it doesn’t burn).
- Place salmon fillets in the center add asparagus on the sides. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and roll to coat in the oil. Season both salmon and asparagus with salt and pepper.
- Mash together the flavored butter ingredients in a small bowl until the lemon juice is incorporated (by hand with a fork, or use a small food processor or an immersion blender to speed up the process).
- Finish and Bake – Spread most of the butter over salmon, dab the rest on asparagus. Top salmon with lemon slices and bake 10–12 min (depends on thickness). You can finish under the broiler for 2–3 min for a golden top. Bake until the salmon is flaky and cooked through. According to the USDA guidelines, it should reach a safe internal temperature of 145˚F on an instant-read thermometer.

Salmon is a smart choice for dinner because it has plenty of health benefits; rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and Selenium. I think salmon is the most satisfying protein, and it’s low carb, leaving you feeling full yet light at the same time. And this one is lip-smacking good!!
What to Serve with Salmon and Asparagus
There’s tons of flavor here, so I like to pair it with simple sides such as:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Boiled Potatoes
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Roasted Potatoes
- Parmesan Risotto (if you’re feeling fancy)

P.S. Spoon some of those scrumptious pan juices over your salmon for even more amazing flavor! What is YOUR favorite way to enjoy salmon?
Sheet Pan Salmon and Asparagus

Ingredients
For the Salmon and Asparagus:
- 2 lbs salmon filet, cut into six – 6 oz portions
- 2 lbs asparagus*, fibrous ends removed
- Salt and black pepper, added to taste
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small lemon, sliced into rings for garnish
For the Lemon-Garlic-Herb Butter:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (*see quick softening note)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 small lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt, we used sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep – Preheat oven to 450˚F with oven rack in top third. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, trimming the paper to just fit so it doesn't go over edges of pan (this prevents the paper from charring under broiler).
- Place salmon filets in a row down the center of your lined baking pan. Arrange trimmed asparagus on the sides of the salmon. Drizzle asparagus lightly with olive oil and roll to coat. Sprinkle both asparagus and salmon with salt and pepper.
- Make Flavored Butter – In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash together all ingredients for flavored butter. It takes a couple of minutes to come together but keep mashing and it will happen. You can also use a food processor for the job if you prefer. Spoon 3/4 of your flavored butter over the salmon and spread evenly (no need for perfection). Dab remaining butter mix over the asparagus.
- Bake – Top each salmon filet with a slice of lemon and bake uncovered at 450˚F for 10-12 minutes (a thinner fillet will take 10 minutes and a larger fillet takes 12 minutes). Set the oven to BROIL and bake another 2-3 minutes to give the salmon a golden glow. Bake until salmon is flaky and cooked through with an internal temperature of 145˚F on an instant-read thermometer.
Notes
*How to Speed-Soften Butter: Place wrapped stick of butter in airtight ziploc bag and submerge bag in warm (100˚F) water, placing a weight over the top so it doesn’t float. Let sit 10 -15 mins until softened.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Salmon Recipes
If you love salmon as much as I do, I know you’ll find new favorites in this list. These will keep your salmon dinner menus exciting:
- Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Salmon Cakes
- Pan-Seared Salmon
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Tuscan Salmon
- Salmon Patties
The flavors here are delicious!!
Thank you! 🙂
This looks delicious. I really want to make it. Melt in your mouth recipe for sure! I loooove asparagus and salmon, so this is a good combination. Yum!
This recipe is really popular and for good reason! Please let me know what you think of the recipe Olga!
I’m not familiar with the air-fry method. Thanks for sharing!
Made about half of this recipe, with fillets about 8 oz, so baked a couple minute longer and was fabulous! Fish was flaky and the asparagus had a slight bit of crunch. Very easy and made ahead to just pop in the oven when ready to eat. Will definitely make this again.
Hi Carrie, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe so much you would make it again. That’s fantastic!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
The recipes look good, except I don’t like to use so much butter. I would like to know if anyone has tried it successfully with much less butter.
Hi GT, I think it would still work with 4 to 6 Tbsp of butter. Keep in mind, alot of the butter stays in the pan but it does flavor the salmon well and makes it very juicy 🙂
I actually used a vegan butter because I’m dairy free. I used the earth balance avocado oil butter, and it was still amazingggggg.
One of my favourite recipes of all times. So easy and so tasty. Thank you again for making me look good in the kitchen. Lol
LOL, my pleasure Greg! I’m glad you love the recipe as much as I do!
Hi!!!!
I’m def going to try this recipe because it’s so healthy, looks so good and I love salmon and asparagus!!!!
Question: how long can you keep cooked salmon in fridge for leftovers??
Hi Suzanne, This one does reheat well and keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days – possibly longer but we haven’t had leftovers of this recipe longer than that 🙂 I like to warm the salmon up on a skillet, but it’s also pretty good eaten cold if you wanted to put it into a salad 🙂
Hi Natasha!!! I just want to say Thank you for this recipe. I cooked this for dinner tonight and it’s DELICIOUS!!! I used tilapia fish because I didn’t have salmon and I was lazy to go to the store… The flavor is so good. Thank you again for your great recipes! 💕
You’re welcome Guadalupe! I’m so glad to hear how much you love the recipes! Thanks for sharing your great review 🙂
Would be nice to have the option to print the recipe with out all the pictures.
Hi J, there is a print button at the top right of the recipe and towards the bottom of the page that prints with just 1 small photo of the dish.
Can you tell me the nutrition breakdown? We are trying to be salt, fat, calorie conscious. I could not find the breakdown. Thanks!
Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you Patty!
Yum! That butter sounds divine. Have you tried this with other types of fish?
Hi Laura, I haven’t tried other fish with this method but the flavored butter works well on many other fish and even shrimp and lobster. If you experiment with something, let me know how you like it! 🙂
Would it be possible to split this recipe? There are just two of us.
Hi Sandra, yes absolutely! You can cut it in half and keep the baking time the same 🙂
This was phenomenal! My kids demolished it. Thank you so much Natasha.
#You’reTheMVP
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great!
what could you use instead of asparagus..neither my husband or myself like asparagus..but love salmon..
Linda, I would use broccoli or green beans instead.
I tried it with green string beans and wasn’t happy with it ..think I will try broccoli or cauiflower next time..
Hi Linda, good to know it doesn’t work well with string beans. It takes some experimenting if you are switching out the vegetables since some veggies cook faster/slower.
Maybe you could blanch the green beans first then they would work. I’m assuming they didn’t cook enough.
Made this recipe last night for my family and they loved it!! Love your recipes! Thank you!!
Hi Melissa! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂 Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I really like this recipe. My personal trainer really recommended me to eat asparagus and salmon. So this will definitely work for me.
Your trainer is on to something and I hope you love this recipe!! 🙂
Yum! This looks delicious. Love one-pan meals! We eat a lot of salmon around our house; I need to try this.
Oh that’s awesome! I hope you fall in love with this one 🙂
Not gonna lie Natasha, I have been BINGE watching your youtube channel for the past coupe days. I love them. Would this recipe work just as well with cod or halibut? Not a salmon lover over here. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hayley, I haven’t tried it with other fish but I think they should work. Make sure the fish is flaky and cooked through. If you test it, let me know how it goes. 😁
Thats a crazy amount of butter for 2lb fish!!
No worries, a good amount of it stays in the pan and keep in mind it’s 8 Tbsp of butter for 6 servings including 2 lbs of asparagus 🙂 You can absolutely cut down to 6 Tbsp and the recipe will still work 🙂
This is exact recipe as the other one with the whole salmon right? In this recipe you just have the salmon cut….anyway I still love your recipes 🙂
Yes! I found it was easier to serve it this way so I like this method a little better but it is exactly the same recipe. It’s one of our most popular recipes so we created a video so more people can discover it 🙂
This is so ideal because my husband is a fisherman and actually catches his own salmon. And we save a lot of money this way! Plus, this is so easy!!!! Thank you. I like the eye-popping green it adds too =)
You’re welcome Laura! Please let me know what your family thinks of the recipe!
Making this for dinner tonight for the two of us. It looks delicious. I always know your recipies will be awesome as every one of your recipes I have made have been perfect🙂❤️. Thanks so much for for sharing.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles