Whole30 Sheet Pan Salmon and Potatoes
If you’re searching for Whole30 recipe ideas that taste amazing, this sheet pan salmon recipe is a sure bet. Add this meal to your Whole30 shopping list right away — this is one sheet pan dinner you’ll want to put on repeat!
Roasted salmon with a tangy Greek salsa and a side of herb potatoes sound like an indulgence you’d only find at an upscale restaurant — and how many of us are going to those these days? So you may be pleased to hear that in fact, this savory, colorful dish is not hard to make at home. In fact, it’s a sheet pan meal, meaning that much of the cook time is entirely hands-off.
Even better is that it’s not off limits if you’re starting the New Year with Whole30! That’s right — if you haven’t heard the news, as of August 2020, white potatoes are now officially allowed by the Whole30 program.
Ready to celebrate? Let’s dig in to what makes this meal so special . . . and why you’re going to want to make it as soon as possible.
The rich yet delicate flavor of salmon is brought out by the salty, tangy, herby Greek salsa, which consists of finely chopped kalamata olives, fire-roasted bell peppers, and parsley, tossed with a small amount of balsamic vinegar. The salmon is baked in the oven until flaky and topped with the salsa just before serving, so you get a contrast in temperatures as well as textures and flavors.
Baby potatoes tossed in olive oil and oregano get steamed right in the oven in foil, then crisp up alongside the salmon until they’re tender and delicious.
The best part is that while this meal may taste like a treat, it’s still plenty healthy — from the Omega-3s in the fish to the Vitamins A and C in the fire-roasted bell peppers to the fiber and potassium in the potatoes, this meal is a powerhouse of nutrients! And with the Whole30 seal of approval, it’s one you definitely won’t want to miss.
“Loved the salmon, obviously. So easy . . . In the past, I would have just thrown in a frozen ‘whatever’ and never taken the effort to use up what we have on hand for a real meal. Love Cook Smarts so much!”
– Amy A.
While this meal may sound complex, trust us: It has fewer ingredients than you’d expect. A little bit of chopping, measuring, stirring, and tossing, and you can have this plate full of deliciousness on the table in under an hour.
Ready to go? Let’s dive into the details of this Whole30-compliant Greek salmon with oregano potatoes recipe, along with some ways to save time and money on the dish, what to do with leftovers, and more!
“Part of the reason I love Cook Smarts is that it introduces me to flavors and flavor combinations that are outside of my normal wheelhouse. This week’s salmon dish with the Greek salsa is a great example. Loved it!”
– Kiera H.
Meal Planning Smarts
Budget Cooking
- Use tofu instead of salmon for a less expensive option. Learn more in our Cooking Substitutions Guide.
- Make this meal go further by adding a baby kale salad as a side. We like it with balsamic vinaigrette and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
- Look for bulk spices rather than buying jars to save big on the herbs and spices you’ll use in this meal.
- Buying olives and fire-roasted bell peppers from a deli bar rather than jarred, if available, will allow you to save money by only buying what you need for this recipe.
- While potatoes are generally pretty budget-friendly, you can cut up larger potatoes rather than using baby red or yellow potatoes if they’re a cheaper option at your store.
Time Savers
- To help this meal come together faster, make the Greek salsa and spice blend in advance. You could even use a pre-made tapenade instead of the Greek salsa to save even more time!
- Because this is a sheet pan meal, there’s only one pan to wash at the end, which will save you time on cleanup.
Leftovers
- Leftover salmon can be chopped and used on salads, with any leftover Greek salsa to top it off.
- Leftover salsa can also be eaten with crackers, or use it on a pita wrap along with hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce.
- Serve leftover oregano potatoes with eggs for breakfast.
Prepping Smarts
- Watch the quick videos below to learn more about prepping potatoes (it’s not just for sweet potatoes!) and how to roast vegetables quickly and easily at high temperatures. Videos like these are frequently embedded into our meal plan recipes for convenient access!
How to Prep Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a delicious nutritional powerhouse - learn how to prep them in this video.
How to Roast Vegetables at High Temps
In this video, we share how to roast vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts quickly and easily at high temperatures.
Equipment Smarts
- Sheet pan — The only equipment you’ll need for this recipe is a sheet pan! We use it to roast both the potatoes and the salmon to keep things easy.
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools
Ingredients
- Olives, pitted Kalmata - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Bell peppers, fire-roasted - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Parsley - 2 tsp, chopped
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1 tsp + ½ tsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Potatoes, baby red or yellow - 1 lb, quartered
- Foil - for roasting
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Salmon - 1 lb
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Instructions
Prep
- Make Greek salsa – (If prepping right before cooking, get potatoes roasting before continuing with prep.) Finely chop olives, bell peppers, and parsley. Combine and toss with balsamic vinegar. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make spice blend for salmon – Combine first part of oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Potatoes – Prep as directed.
Make
- Heat oven to 500F / 260C.
- Spread potatoes on a sheet pan and cover tightly with foil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes to get them started cooking. (Watch this video on roasting at high heat.)
- Remove potatoes from oven and reduce oven temperature to 425F / 218C.
- Remove foil from potatoes and toss potatoes with first part of olive oil and second part of oregano. Season with some salt and pepper. Return to oven and continue roasting until nearly tender, ~20 minutes more.
- When potatoes are nearly tender, remove pan from oven and spread potatoes out to the sides. Place salmon in the center. Drizzle second part of olive oil over salmon and top with spice blend.
- Return pan to the oven and continue cooking salmon and potatoes together until salmon flakes easily with a fork, ~12 minutes more.
- Squeeze lemon juice over salmon and serve with Greek salsa on top. Enjoy potatoes on the side.
A little note:
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