Savory Salmon with Avocado Sauce is a super easy 20-minute low-carb baked sheet pan meal, complete with asparagus and topped with a creamy avocado lemon dill sauce. This clean eating sheet pan dinner is both Whole30 approved and paleo friendly.
Flaky tender salmon seasoned simply with Herbs de Provence is topped with an eggless avocado garlic aioli for a fresh taste of spring. We decided to make a full salmon fillet as we are all about cooking once and eating twice. However, you can easily adjust the recipe in half for a smaller portion.
Table of contents
- Fast Healthy Salmon Recipe
- Quick and Easy Sheet Pan Dinners
- Ingredients
- Creamy Avocado Sauce
- How to Remove Skin from a Salmon Fillet?
- Easy Cleanup!
- Prepare Salmon and Asparagus
- More Delicious Seafood Recipes
- Healthy Eating Made Easy and Delicious
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- Delicious Sheet Pan Clean Eating Recipes
Fast Healthy Salmon Recipe
Our Salmon with Avocado sauce is going to solve a lot of your cooking dilemmas. We know life is super busy. You want to spend less time in the kitchen BUT you want to eat healthy. Our baked salmon with dill sauce can solve both of those issues and emerge as a new family favorite.
- Super easy
- Only 20 minutes
- Tender savory salmon
- One pan meal and easy cleanup
- Low carb
- Spring produce and fresh flavors
- Easy enough for weekdays but fancy enough for guests
- Paleo friendly
- Whole30 approved
- Delicious idea for meatless Fridays or Mondays
- Heart healthy fats to keep you feeling fuller longer
- Gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free
- Creamy avocado sauce with dill and lemon that you are going to want to slather on everything.
Quick and Easy Sheet Pan Dinners
Sheet pan dinners rock, don’t you think? Easy cleanup and everything cooks on one baking sheet just like our Baked Chorizo Crusted Fish and Potatoes, Balsamic Glazed Salmon and Roasted Vegetables or our Garlic Roasted Shrimp and Potatoes.
Our salmon sheet pan dinner is a much healthier than eating out. You can adjust the seasonings and sodium levels, keep it gluten free, add vegetables of choice and feed the family in about the same time it would take you to order and pick up dinner at a restaurant. PLUS, if you line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, clean-up is a snap!
Just a 5-minute prep of placing your salmon and asparagus on your sheet pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little natural Herbs de Provence and/or salt and pepper to taste. Whack your salmon in the oven while make your creamy lemon sauce for salmon and you are ready to go. Only 20 minutes from sheet pan to table. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
There are just 8 fresh ingredients in our recipe for baked salmon with avocado sauce.
Salmon – We used full 2.25 pounds (1020 grams) wild salmon fillet. She was a very “big girl” fillet! However, feel free to cut this recipe in half. We wanted to cook a full fillet as the next day it was delicious over a bed of Soba Noodle Salad with Yuzu Dressing. You can leave the skin on the fillet while it cooks as it removes really easy after cooking or watch our video in the recipe card for our quick hack on how to skin a salmon fillet.
Asparagus – as it is spring, this vegetable is readily available. However, this recipe is also delicious with broccolini, broccoli or other veggies of choice. The only thing to note is that each vegetable depending on their hardness may take longer to cook. Asparagus is a good choice as it cooks in the same amount of time as the Salmon.
Herbs de Provence - our homemade dried herb mixture has fennel, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory, basil, mint and lavender. However, this recipe is also delicious with Italian herb blends, Mrs. Dash or just salt and pepper. To keep this recipe Whole30 and paleo, you need to make sure that it is just the fresh organic herbs and without the additives.
Avocado – freshly peeled, pit removed and ripe.
Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed gives a bright taste to the sauce, keeps it from oxidizing and also give a delicious flavor to the baked salmon. In a pinch, you can use lemon concentrate.
Dill and garlic – fresh is best. They add a delightful spring taste to the avocado sauce.
Olive oil – extra virgin is fabulous and keeps this recipe Whole30 and paleo approved.
Creamy Avocado Sauce
Do you know what makes this baked salmon recipe special? It’s the creamy avocado sauce! Seriously, if we had enough avocados, we would slather this avocado garlic aioli sauce on everything from our morning eggs and toast to our Wholly Guacamole Pizza Pizzaz. The brightness of the lemon, the spring fresh taste of dill, extra virgin olive oil and garlic pair delightfully with avocados. Mixing these ingredients for one minute in the food processor or high-powered blender while your salmon in baking in the oven is all you need.
Avocado is the secret ingredient that makes this dilly lemon aioli so thick rich and creamy. According to Draher and Davenport, who research was published in the National Institute of Health, avocados contain healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and over 20 vitamins and minerals. This makes this delicious stone fruit a health packed nutritional choice. Avocados are high in fat but the good kind of fats that help lower your cholesterol all while making a rich and delicious killer good dilly lemon sauce for your salmon and a delicious avocado ice candy.
We put in a whole 3 cloves of garlic in our Dilly lemon avocado sauce to keep away the vampires. Just checking to see if you guys are following along.
How to Remove Skin from a Salmon Fillet?
Or do you even need to? Actually, for this Baked Salmon with Avocado Sauce recipe, you can leave the skin right on the fillet if you wish. After the salmon is baked the salmon skin will slide right off. However, if you are serving to guests, you may want to remove the skin first for the aesthetic appeal.
Don’t fret! Removing the skin from a salmon fillet is not as hard as it looks.
Trying to remove the skin like the chefs on TV is going to cause you stress. In addition, the standard way of skin side down and flesh side up has all kinds of issues. If your knife is not super sharp you are going to cut into the salmon or even worse cut off a finger. Our full proof hack is easy. This step does not require a culinary degree and is much safer. Take a look at our video below in the recipe card to watch how.
Step 1: Make sure you remove any pin bones. Next, you are going to want to trim your salmon of any thin edges that may cook unevenly. We save these bits and pieces for soups and stocks.
Step 2: Place your salmon fillet, skin side up and flesh side down. Next take your knife or just your fingers on the edge of the larger side of the fillet and peel the skin away from the salmon flesh along one side.
Step 3: Then, with your dominant hand holding the knife flat on top salmon to hold downward pressure, carefully peel the skin back from the salmon. Move the knife down as you peel the skin down on the salmon. Move from the largest section down towards the tail. Hold downward pressure with your butcher’s knife as you peel the skin from the salmon. If your skin sticks on to the edges of the salmon, use the edge of the knife to get a clean start.
Easy Cleanup!
Did you know if you line your baking sheet with aluminum foil, clean-up is a snap? Highly recommended! We also recommend that you use a little light oil spray on the lined baking sheet.
Prepare Salmon and Asparagus
Now the rest of this Salmon and Avocado Sauce recipe could not be easier. Put your skinless salmon flesh side up in the middle of the baking sheet and surround with asparagus. Then, just drizzle with a little olive oil, Herbs de Provence and salt and pepper to taste.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness of fillets or until it flakes easily with a fork or the internal temperature is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven. Our salmon fillet was 2.25 pounds (1020 grams), and it took 17 minutes to flake easily with a fork.
In the meantime, put your garlic, olive oil, avocado, lemon juice, dill and salt and pepper in the food processor and do a quick pulse for about one minute until you have a thick and rich avocado crema.
After the salmon is done baking, spread the avocado cream on top and enjoy!
More Delicious Seafood Recipes
If you are in the mood for fish, have you tried our Baked Cod Parcels with Black Bean Sauce, Baked Skinny Tex Mex Fish, Halibut Coconut curry in a Hurry, Spicy Citrus Baked Salmon Packets, Asian Steamed Fish or our Crab Stuffed Whitefish? All of these fish recipes clock in at less than ½ hour. They are simple enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for entertaining.
Healthy Eating Made Easy and Delicious
When you eat healthy fats in your meal, it is so much easier to just skip the carbs. Healthy fats make you feel full longer and not deprived. How many of you are trying to cut sugar and carbs?
It is insane how many places that sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, etc. etc. ends up in food items. Just looking on the back of a jar of sunflower seeds as we are typing this post up and there is corn syrup in the sunflower seeds. WHY? Really?
Shopping the external isles of the grocery store and enjoying lean meats, fish, veggies and loving it. We have many lower carb and sugar free recipes coming your way. In addition, learning how to Jump Start MindFUL Eating, is needed to help your keep your goals. Staying healthy is both and physical and mental journey, let's do this together.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
The cook time depends on the thickness of your salmon and also if it is a whole fillet or cut fillets. The thinner portion of the salmon like the tail end and the thin sides will cook faster than the thicker body portion of the fillet. Therefore, we like to trim the edges, so it cooks more evenly.
Bake in the oven uncovered at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness or until it flakes easily with a fork or the internal temperature is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven. Our salmon fillet was 2.25 pounds (1020 grams), and it took 17 minutes to flake easily with a fork. Keep an eye on your salmon as it cooks fast.
The quickest and easiest way to see if your salmon is cooked is to use a fork. If the flesh of the salmon flakes easily in the thickest portion of the fish, it is cooked. You can also check to make sure your fish is no longer translucent but instead opaque in the middle.
Another way to check for doneness is to use an oven thermometer on the thickest portion of the salmon. If you trust your fish monger and source, a medium salmon will register around 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). If you prefer your salmon more well done, shoot for 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as per FDA recommendations. However, please note that your fish will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven. Do not cook salmon above 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as no one likes dried out fish!
To cook salmon healthy, choose baking or grilling over frying. Use healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and reduce the salt. Complement your meal with fresh seasonal vegetables.
Delicious Sheet Pan Clean Eating Recipes
Lemon Herb Baked Rainbow Trout
Baked Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Spicy Citrus Baked Salmon Packets
Mediterranean Red Snapper Packets
Baked Spicy Salmon and Sweet Potato Kale Hash
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Salmon with Avocado Sauce
Equipment
- baking sheet
- food processor or high powered blender
Ingredients
Salmon and Asparagus Sheet pan
- 2.25 pounds Salmon fillets one whole fillet can range anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, pin bones removed, skin removed if desired. (watch video below)
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 14 oz Asparagus ends trimmed of where they break off easily or you can trim and use a vegetable peeler for the ends if your asparagus are thicker.
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Avocado Sauce
- 3 cloves Garlic
peeled - ½ cup Olive oil
- 6 tablespoon Lemon juice
or juice from 2 lemons - 1 Avocado
medium to large, peeled and pit removed - Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon Dill fresh chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C)
- Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease the bottom of your sheet pan with olive oil.
- LEAVE THE SKIN ON SALMON: If you wish, you can leave the skin on your salmon fillet as it will slide right off after baking. (When we are serving this to our family we do this as it super easy)HOW TO REMOVE THE SKIN OFF A SALMON FILLET (OPTIONAL) If you are hosting a gathering, you may wish to remove the skin off your salmon fillet. Take a look at our video below in the recipe card to watch how. The first step is to make sure you remove any pin bones. Next, you are going to want to trim your salmon of any thin edges that may cook unevenly. We save these bits and pieces for soups and stocks. Place your salmon fillet, skin side up and flesh side down. Next take your knife or just your fingers on the edge of the larger side of the fillet and peel the skin away from the salmon flesh along one side.Then, with your dominant hand holding the knife flat on top salmon to hold downward pressure, carefully peel the skin back from the salmon.Move the knife down as you peel the skin down on the salmon. Move from the largest section down towards the tail. Hold downward pressure with your butcher’s knife as you peel the skin from the salmon. If your skin sticks on to the edges of the salmon, use the edge of the knife to get a clean start.
- Place your salmon with or without skin (your choice) on the sheet pan and add your asparagus around the salmon so they are in a single layer.
- Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and salmon and season with Herbs de Provence seasoning and/or salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake salmon and asparagus in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) uncovered for about 5-8 minutes per ½ inch thickness of salmon fillet or until it flakes easily with a fork or the internal temperature is 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). The FDA states the safe cooked salmon temp is 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). However, your salmon will continue to cook even after you take it out of the oven. Our salmon fillet was 2.25 pounds (1020grams), and it took 17 minutes to flake easily with a fork. (While your salmon is in the oven, use these next few minutes to make your creamy avocado sauce)
- The time required to cook your salmon depends on the size/thickness of the salmon and diameter of asparagus and your preference. Start checking your fish early in the cooking process say at 8 minutes and add more cooking time as needed. The quickest and easiest way to see if your salmon is cooked is to use a fork. If the flesh of the salmon flakes easily in the thickest portion of the fish, it is cooked. You can also check to make sure your fish is no longer translucent but instead opaque in the middle. Another way to check for doneness is to use an oven thermometer on the thickest portion of the salmon. If you trust your fish monger and source, a medium salmon will register around 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). If you prefer your salmon more well done, shoot for 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as per FDA recommendations. However, please note that your fish will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven. Do not cook salmon above 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) as no one likes dried out fish!
Creamy Avocado Sauce
- While your salmon and asparagus are in the oven, make your creamy avocado sauce. Place your garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, avocado, salt and pepper and fresh dill in your food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Once the salmon flakes easily with a fork and your asparagus are fork tender, remove from the oven.
- Remove your salmon and asparagus sheet pan from the oven. Drizzle the creamy avocado sauce over the salmon.
- Enjoy!
Lynn Fenby says
We tried this recipe because we are trying to eat a healthier diet...I never knew that "healthy" could taste this good. The avacado is a beautiful touch to the salmon....this just became our favorite fish recipe.
HWC Magazine says
Good for you for getting those healthy fats in your diet with salmon and avocado. It keeps you feeling full without the added carbs.
Ian says
We love finding new ways to dress up Salmon. This looks like a winner!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Ian. We hope you give this fresh and easy salmon recipe a try soon.
Raul says
Great way to accent otherwise boring salmon.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks Raul. Salmon does not need to be boring. Come Check out all of our other Salmon Recipes to get inspired.
Jake says
A very nice add for plain old salmon. Never heard of adding dill. very creative.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Jake. Dill is a refreshing underutilized herb. It really brightens the avocado sauce. Stay well and take care
Aubry says
Looks Yummy -- I need ways to make salmon creative
Dana says
I was skeptical about the green dill topping. Worried that I would get a negative reaction from my son. But when I told him it was from leprechauns, he loved it.
mjskitchen says
Well now this is different. I can see now that our go to salmon recipes are rather boring. What an exciting new way to enjoy salmon and avocado. Looks absolutely delicious!
HWC Magazine says
Hiya MJ! We hope you give this salmon and avocado sauce a go as it really is creamy and satisfying. Your recipes are never boring as you always have that delicious Southwestern flare! Stay well and take care
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Not only a quick an easy recipe but the meal looks so pretty when plated.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Karen. Glad you enjoyed our clean eating salmon recipe. Stay well and take care
Michelle | Sift & Simmer says
Such a healthy and delicious salmon dish, love how it's all made in one pan! Perfect for weeknight meals! My son loves salmon, so I'll have to try this!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Michelle. We are all about keeping it easy and sheet pan salmon dinners are super easy. Happy to hear that your son loves salmon. We have some fish lovers and some fish haters in our family so always looking for creative ways to keep fish delicious.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
We eat a lot of salmon and avocados! This is perfect for us and it seems so perfect for Spring! Yum!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Abbe! We are so ready for spring and eating lighter with seasonal ingredients. Take Care
Raymund says
Saw this in your IG so I headed straight here and find out how you did this amazing dish! So drooling now
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Raymund. So happy to hear that you are following us along on instagram too. Stay well and take care
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Yum! Can never get enough salmon. Looking forward to wild salmon season -- just about here, and this would be the perfect recipe. Thanks!
HWC Magazine says
Hi there John! Wild salmon season is right around the corner. Now you are armed with another recipe to try.