makes a healthy one-pan dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes
If you are looking for a delicious, nutritious dinner that’s ready in a snap this is the perfect dinner for you
What is a Sheet Pan Dinner?
Sheet pan dinners take the ease of a one-pot dinner and put it on a sheet pan. This method of cooking makes clean up quick and saves time, which makes it perfect for any night of the week and high on our list of favorites!
Sheet pan dinners are super flexible because you can easily switch out any of the elements. Just pick a protein, a vegetable, some seasonings or sauce and toss! Then oven roast everything together on a sheet pan at high heat until the ingredients are golden brown.
The key to success is to make sure your protein and vegetables are matched to cook at approximately the same time and temperature. Salmon is perfectly matched with both asparagus and broccoli. If you love chicken try our zesty Sheet Pan Chicken with Lemon and Baby Potatoes.
Ingredients for Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner with Asparagus:
Protein and Vegetables:
- Salmon – 1.5 pounds cut into 4 equal pieces
- Salt & Pepper
- Asparagus – 10 oz.
- Broccoli – 8 oz.
- Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds
Asian Salmon Marinade Ingredients:
- Soy Sauce
- Maple Syrup
- Rice Vinegar
- Sambal Oelek (or Sriracha)
- Sesame Seeds
- Ginger
- Cilantro
How to make Asian Sheet Pan Salmon:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring salmon to room temperature
- Slice salmon into equal-sized pieces, rinse and pat dry then season with salt and pepper
- Trim asparagus and broccoli
- Make the marinade by whisking together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup
- Brush a sheet pan with sesame oil
- Place asparagus and broccoli on the sheet pan, drizzle with sesame oil and toss to coat well. Spread out in a single layer on the pan to ensure even roasting
- Place salmon pieces, skin side down, on the baking sheet
- Pour the Asian marinade over the salmon to completely coat it
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the salmon
- Halfway through the cooking time remove the pan and brush salmon with the reserved 3 Tablespoons of Asian marinade. Shake the pan gently and return to the oven to finish cooking
- Salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140°F and the asparagus and broccoli should be fork tender
- Remove from the oven and leave everything on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve
What’s the best kind of salmon to bake?
Salmon is perfect for oven roasting and cooks quickly at a high temperature. It’s always best to stop cooking when the internal temperature reaches 140°F and then let the salmon rest for about 5 minutes to finish cooking (and reach 145°F). This method will ensure the salmon does not overcook and dry out.
We are big fans of King (or Chinook) Salmon from the Pacific Ocean. You could also use Coho or Sockeye. Pacific Salmon are all primarily wild-caught, have a reddish-orange color, and are typically considered to be the healthiest salmon. Atlantic salmon is generally farm-raised and has a pale pink color.
What to serve with Salmon:
Salmon is a perfect match with asparagus but also goes well with other vegetables. Try it with red, orange and yellow peppers, brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, zucchini or broccolini.
Salmon always pairs well with any kind of rice. We like to add a side of steamed jasmine rice to serve with this Asian style dinner.
If you want a smaller dinner you can easily prepare this Asian Salmon sheet pan dinner recipe without any vegetables, or try just sheet pan salmon and asparagus. Asian salmon or Asian glazed salmon are easily made using this easy Asian marinade, as well.
Try our Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad or our citrus-based Tricolore Salad with Oranges as a light salad before dinner.
Your Sommelier Wine Pairings:
When pairing wine with salmon always be mindful of the sauces and spices you are using, along with the way you prepare the salmon. Both can have an impact on your wine pairing decisions.
- The Asian flavors in our salmon will really shine when paired with a aromatic crisp white wine such as a dry Riesling or a Pinot Gris.
- When adding asparagus to the dish a rich sparkling wine, Champagne or a dry grassy Sauvignon Blanc all make a wonderful companion.
- For the red wine lover we have something for you too! Look for a new world light bodied Pinot Noir. The western United States has many lovely Pinot Noir options that will make for an excellent pairing.
Sheet Pan Salmon with Asparagus
Ingredients
Marinade:
- ¼ cup Soy sauce, low sodium preferred
- 4 Tablespoons Maple syrup (or honey)
- 2 Tablespoon Rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Sambal Oelek (or Sriracha, Gojuchang, or similar Asian Chile Paste)
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, freshly grated
- 1 Tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
Protein and Vegetables:
- 1.5 pounds Salmon Fillets, cut into 5-6-ounce pieces
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
- 10 ounces asparagus, trimmed
- 8 ounces broccoli florets
- 2 Tablespoon Sesame oil, divided
- 1 Tablespoon Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and move an oven rack to the top third of the oven.
- Slice salmon fillets into equal-sized pieces and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wash and trim the asparagus and cut broccoli into florets.
- In a small bowl whisk together marinade ingredients and set aside. Reserve and set aside about 3 Tablespoons of the marinade.
- Brush a baking sheet with 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the asparagus and broccoli to the pan and toss with the remaining 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, making sure vegetables are well coated, and spread out on the sheet pan in a single layer.
- Place the salmon, skin side down, on the same large baking sheet. Pour marinade (except for 3 TBL reserved) over the top of the salmon fillets to cover and coat well.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes (thicker cuts of salmon may require longer). Shake the pan lightly during cooking a few times. Halfway through the cooking remove the pan from oven and brush remaining reserved marinade on the salmon
- The salmon should be lightly roasted (internal temperature of about 145°F), and the asparagus and broccoli should be fork tender.
- Remove pan from the oven. Let everything rest for 5 minutes on the pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and. Serve warm with rice if desired
Nutrition
This Korean Beef Bulgogi recipe is full of delicious Asian flavors!
Tender beef is paired with a marinade that is packed with sweet, savory, and smoky flavors. The soy sauce, sesame oil, and fresh ginger make this marinade a go-to favorite for any meat.
This recipe pairs well with our Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad and is perfect for warm evenings using the grill.
Ingredients for Beef Bulgogi
Ingredients:
- Soy Sauce – essential for achieving that “umami” flavor
- Rice Vinegar – sub in white wine vinegar if needed
- Peeled and Grated Fresh Ginger – nothing beats the flavor of fresh ginger!
- Minced Garlic – we use 3 cloves but you can add more (or less) based on your preference
- Sriracha Sauce – add more if you love a spicer marinade
- Sugar – let’s tame that heat a little!
- Toasted Sesame Oil – we love the flavor of toasted sesame oil but untoasted works too
- Chopped Scallions – we use 2 scallions for our version – the white part goes in the marinade and the beautiful green stem makes the perfect garnish
- Skirt Steak (or flank steak) – you’ll need 1-1/2 pounds
- Toasted Sesame Seeds – for garnish
How to make Korean Bulgogi
Instructions:
- The Marinade: In a medium bowl mix together soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, Sriracha sauce, sugar, and white part of scallions.
- Whisk together until well blended.
- Add steak to the marinade covering both sides of the steak.
- Marinate: Marinate the steak for about 6 hours, covered, in the refrigerator. Turn once or twice if you can.
- PRO TIP: Skirt steak will become even more delicious the longer it is marinated. Overnight is ideal, but don’t marinate longer than 24 hours.
- Heat the grill to medium-high.
- Remove steak from the marinade about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Reserve about ¼ cup of marinade.
- Optional: Oiling the grill grates with canola oil will help prevent the meat from sticking while cooking.
- Grill the steak, turning it over after 5 minutes, and then cook for 5 minutes on the other side. The steak should cook for 10 minutes in total.
- Heat the ¼ cup of leftover marinade, either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Bring the marinade to a boil and let cool while the steak rests.
- Transfer the steak to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice steak across the grain (see below for How to Cut Steak Against the Grain)
- Drizzle heated marinade over the top of the sliced steak and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for garnish and serve.
What is Korean Beef Bulgogi?
Bulgogi simply means “fire meat“. It is a Korean style of grilling marinated beef or pork, on the barbecue, or on a stove-top grill pan.
What cut of meat is best for Korean BBQ Bulgogi?
We prefer to use skirt steak for our Bulgogi recipe, however, flank steak is also a great choice and can be more economical. If you choose flank steak it can be beneficial to marinate it for a full 24 hours.
The difference between skirt steak and flank steak?
- Skirt steak is a thin, quick-cooking cut of meat that delivers a big flavor. The cut is a long thin piece, but it’s a prime cut. Skirt steak normally comes in pieces weighing 3/4 to 1-1/2 pounds, and you should look for thicker pieces for more even cooking.
- Flank steak is similar, and has lots of intense beefy flavor, but can be a little tougher so it will benefit from a longer time in the marinade.
Both cuts are great steaks for marinating, but skirt steak tends to be more tender. Both are best enjoyed thinly sliced and cut against the grain to maximize tenderness.
- Both are incredibly adaptable and we use either in our Chimichurri Steak, Easy Carne Asada, and Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
How to cut steak against the grain
It’s a familiar term but what does it mean? In simple terms, it just means it’s the direction of the muscle fibers in meat. So carve across those fibers, rather than parallel with the fibers. This will result in a more tender slice of meat and it’s easy to chew.
How is Bulgogi traditionally served?
Korean-style Bulgogi is traditionally served sliced and with many small side dishes called “banchan”. It’s fun to add lots of flavorful dishes, but we chose to keep ours pretty simple and we also included a side of white rice.
Here are a few simple ideas for Banchan:
- Bean sprouts marinated in sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds and coarse sea salt
- Kimchi
- Scallions (green onions) sliced on the diagonal
- Leafy green lettuce pieces to wrap up the bulgogi (like a little burrito)
- Sauteed spinach with sesame oil and seeds, chilled
- Our Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Pair this steak with other delicious recipes:
- Asian Coleslaw with Peanut Dressing is a great side dish with this steak
- Traditional Korean-style Scallion Pancakes with Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce are the perfect starter!
- Spicy Szechuan Green Beans bring even more flavor to the meal
Storing Leftovers
Have leftovers? Lucky you! Store cooked meat in the refrigerator, sealed, for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead
- Make the marinade and add it to the meat, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe
Equipment
- Grill or Grill Pan
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 scallions, divided white part thinly sliced and green part sliced for garnish
- 1½ pounds Skirt steak or flank steak
- 2 Tablespoons Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix together: soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, sugar, sesame oil, and white part of scallions. Whisk together until well blended.
- Add steak to marinade covering both sides of steak. Marinade for 6 hours prior to grilling in the refrigerator. (Skirt or flank steak will be more tender the longer it's marinated. Overnight is ideal but no longer than 24 hours.)
- Heat a grill, or grill pan, to medium-high. Remove steak from marinade 30 minutes before grilling, and reserve about ¼ cup of marinade.
- Oil the grill grates with canola oil to help prevent sticking. Grill steak for 5 minutes on one side. Flip over and cook for additional 5 minutes on the other side. Grill for 10 minutes total.
- Transfer steak to cutting board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain.
- While steak is resting heat ¼ cup of leftover marinade either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Be sure to bring it to a boil. Let cool slightly.
- Drizzle warm marinade over the top of the sliced steak. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green part of scallions for garnish and serve.