Sheet Pan Salmon Fajitas

By Valerie Kolligian Thayer • January 16, 2020 • Recipes

Family dinners are a thing again in my household. Not every night, but let’s just say I have temporarily retired my “cooking for two” repertoire.

It’s funny because when our girls were growing up, my husband’s hours were incredibly long so it was rare that we all sat down and enjoyed a weeknight meal together. This was a stark contrast to my experience growing up when I shared breakfast and dinner with both of my parents without exception. How lucky was I? While I wished that model could have been duplicated for our girls, it wasn’t meant to be. Rest assured, however, that nobody went hungry and there was plenty of conversation nonetheless.

So here we are in 2020 having family dinners – better late than never. Things have changed on multiple fronts including my husband’s flexibility to be home at dinner time many evenings. Truth be told, we are loving it because we know this too, like all things, is fleeting.

The other blessing? I don’t need to strive for a 100% hit ratio. My children know how to cook so they will survive if they do not like what is on offer! Hooray for small victories.

This sheet pan salmon fajita recipe was born out of the desire, however, to create a winner and my daughter told me it was an A+ dinner. What more could a mother want?

I hope you make it for your birdies too, or whomever you find at your dinner table these days.

The recipe couldn’t be any easier. First, make a fajita seasoning mix that will allow you to make this recipe twice over – how nice! Second, slice up a few bell peppers and a sweet onion and toss them with some olive oil and a little bit of the seasoning. Throw those on a parchment lined pan along with the freshest salmon filets you can find (mine each weighed about .8 pounds and are from Faroe Islands). Dust those filets with more seasoning and 25 minutes later (less if your salmon filets are super thin or smaller in size), you will have the makings for salmon fajitas in tortillas, in a bowl or however you choose to eat them.

I like to squeeze everything with fresh lime juice while it’s still hot and serve with lots of avocado, cilantro and a rice – brown, broccoli or cauliflower as you wish. You can even drizzle the fish with some of my Chipotle Lime Crema from my Blackened Fish Taco recipe if you choose. Any way you make it, I hope you enjoy this recipe sometime soon!

Until next time…

Sheet Pan Salmon Fajitas

Serving Size: 4

This is the easiest dinner that you can put together very quickly. Serve as traditional fajitas with tortillas, or in a bowl with your choice of rice (brown, cauliflower or broccoli) or other grain. Maybe drizzle the salmon with my Chipotle Lime Crema linked below in the ingredient list. And use any color peppers you have on hand. Leftovers can be repurposed - my favorite is to toss the ingredients with some mixed greens and other veg for a healthy salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Fajita Seasoning:

1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Fajitas

1.5-1.75 pounds best quality salmon (I purchased two pieces that together weighed 1.6 lbs)
1 small-medium red pepper
1 small-medium yellow pepper
1 small-medium sized orange pepper
1 Vidalia onion
Olive oil
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling on salmon

For serving

Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro
Avocado
Tortillas (corn or flour)
Brown Rice (to make a bowl)
Chipotle Lime Crema

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center.
Make the Fajita Seasoning by whisking together all of the spices until fully combined. The recipe makes enough for 2 recipes (you should have 4 Tablespoons so set 2 Tablespoons aside to use another time you make fajitas).
Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Slice the peppers and onions about 1/4 inch thick. You want them thin enough to cook through and start to caramelize, but not burn. Think in terms of how you might cut them for a crudite platter. Place the peppers and onions in a bowl and toss with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the fajita seasoning until evenly coated. Transfer the vegetables to the sheet pan and spread out over half to two-thirds of the pan.
Place your salmon filets on the sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle the remaining fajita seasoning evenly over the filets (about 3/4 Tablespoon each) and on the sides if you'd like and then drizzle with some olive oil. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast for 25 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the salmon and vegetables and enjoy!
If you like your salmon a little more rare, you may want to cook it longer. Note - the salmon I used for this recipe was center cut Farro Island Salmon which is luscious and moist and about 1 inch thick at the center. If you use an end cut, you will want to adjust the cooking time down.

https://www.thekitchenscout.com/recipes/sheet-pan-salmon-fajitas/

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