Crispy Salmon with Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

★★★★★ 6 reviews

Best ever healthy crispy salmon with parmesan roasted cauliflower and broccoli. This delicious 25 minute dinner is nutritious and yields cheesy vegetables and flakey salmon. Topped with fresh pesto or salsa verde, this healthy dinner is made gluten free, high protein, grain free, and low fat. An easy meal your family and kids will love! Pesto salmon is perfect for meal prep.

Best ever healthy pesto salmon & parmesan roasted cauliflower and broccoli

Lately, I’ve been LOVING salmon. It is the perfect source of protein, tastes absolutely delicious, and is super easy to make. Let’s also not forget about how delicious crispy salmon skin is! That is why I’m here with the best and most delicious crispy pesto salmon recipe.

Normally, I pick my salmon up from Trader Joe’s, sometimes Whole Foods, and even occasionally a fish shop. You know that I am all about simplicity, so you can use fresh salmon here or even frozen salmon!

Anyways, this delicious salmon dinner is easy, perfect for the family, and ideal for athletes! The tender, yet crips parmesan veggies in combination with the fresh pesto and crispy and flakey salmon is UNREAL! Once you try this dinner recipe, you’ll never be able to stop making it!

Ingredients in crispy salmon and parmesan roasted cauliflower and broccoli

You’ll only need a few, simple ingredients to get this easy under 30 minute dinner recipe going! I am all about simplicity and ease, so don’t worry, you won’t need to go to the supermarket and buy a lot of expensive ingredients and spices. Kind of crazy how flavorful this recipe is!

• Salmon fillets, skin-on – Wild salmon (e.i. sockeye, coho, spring, and king salmon) are great, as well as farmed salmon! I like to buy my salmon cleaned. You can use either frozen salmon or fresh salmon. If frozen, let the salmon come to room temperate for 3 – 6 hours or defrost by placing it in the refrigerator the night before or the morning of.
• Head of cauliflower – I love roasted cauliflower! It is tender & crispy + full of fiber and antioxidants!
• Head of broccoli – Full of nutrients, fiber, and iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, and magnesium! Don’t forget that broccoli is also packed with Vitamin C!
• Olive oil or avocado oil – Olive oil is my preferred oil to use, but any cooking oil will work just fine here! Some alternatives: avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil.
• Garlic cloves – Fresh minced garlic is the best for maximum natural flavor. If you absolutely have to you can substitute with 1 – 1.5 tsp of garlic powder.
• Fresh parmesan cheese
• Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best and not from the bottle!
• Salt & Pepper – Not only for some delicious flavor but also to give the crust an extra little crunch!
• Fresh Pesto or Salsa Verde – (I love Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew, Basil pesto)

Is salmon healthy?

YES!!!

Salmon is one of the healthiest sources of protein. It is rich in Omega-3, vitamin B12, potassium, and vitamin D. I absolutely love salmon. It is easy to cook and super delicious! Such an amazing source of fish protein and perfect for those post gym gains!

Will frozen salmon get crispy?

Yes…. you absolutely can use frozen salmon! If you are like me, you love to buy a pack of 10 salmon filets and freeze them to last you the entire month. This is a great hack to save money and time!

If you use frozen salmon, I recommend placing the filets in the refrigerator the night before or the morning of. You can also leave the frozen fish wrapped in a paper towel on the countertop for 4 – 6 hours to defrost to room temperature.

How to air fry crispy salmon.

Yes! To air fry salmon in the recipe, follow the same preparation steps but then place into your air fryer at 360 F for 10 minutes, or until desired doneness!

Tips for making flakey salmon with crispy skin

Here are my pro tips for making the BEST crispy skin salmon with a flakey and tender inside:

1. Pat both sides of your salmon dry before seasoning and cooking! Removing extra moisture will ensure super crispy skin!
2. Make sure oil is hot before you place salmon in the pan! Hot oil is KEY for a crispy salmon skin. Medium to cool oil will just make your salmon skin soggy.
3. Cook salmon skin side down first! You MUST place your salmon skin side down in the pan. Cook for 90 seconds on high then reduce the temperature to medium for 2 minutes before flipping.

How to make crispy salmon with parmesan roasted cauliflower and broccoli

My favorite thing about this simple and easy dinner recipe (besides the taste of course) is how easy they are to make! This recipe is the absolute perfect healthy family dinner or meal prep recipe; here is how I made healthy pesto salmon:

First, preheat your oven to 425 degree F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Then, in a mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower & broccoli florets with 1 Tablespoon of olive (or avocado oil) and minced garlic. Spread across the lined baking sheet and sprinkle with parmesan. Baked for 25 – 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove when desired crispiness is achieved and fork-tender.

After that, in a small bowl, add pesto or salsa verde. If thick, add 1 Tablespoon of hot water. Repeat until desired consistency.

Meanwhile, pat salmon dry with a paper towel and generously season with salt and pepper on both sides.

When the vegetables have 10 minutes left, heat a pan over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the salmon fillets skin-side down into the saute pan. Make sure to use a spatula to gently press the fish into the pan and cook for 90 seconds to brown and crisp the skin. Then, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 2 additional min.

Again, using a spatula, gently flip the salmon fillets, and cook for additional 2 – 3 minutes, or until the desired doneness.

Plate with vegetables, drizzle your favorite pesto or salsa verde on top and serve with a lemon wedge.

Enjoy your perfectly crispy salmon with parmesan roasted cauliflower and broccoli! The perfect healthy family dinner.

Storing, meal prepping, and reheating crispy salmon & parmesan roasted veggies

One of my favorite things about this healthy dinner is that you can save extras for meal prep! This healthy salmon recipe makes four filling, hearty, and tasty servings. If you are cooking for yourself, make the whole recipe and save the rest for the week ahead!

Storing crispy salmon:

Whether you are meal prepping or just saving extra leftovers, be sure to let the pesto salmon and vegetables completely cool before placing in the refrigerator. Simply divide into separate airtight containers and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheating salmon:

I recommend reheating leftover salmon and veggies in a microwave for a minute or so – Would not recommend baking or sauteing already cooked fish (to avoid over drying and cooking). I also highly recommend trying salmon cold – it is actually REALLY GOOD!

Looking for other healthy dinner recipes? Check these out!

Need some more tasty and healthy dinner, lunch, or meal prep ideas? Here are some of my favorite Healthful Blondie dinner recipes to try out….

• Sheet Pan Chicken with Crispy Balsamic Glazed Brussel Sprouts
• Healthy Vegetable Fried Rice
• 30-Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

Did you make the healthy dinner recipe?

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don’t forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!

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Recipe by Tati Chermayeff (Healthful Blondie) + Photos by The Travel Palate

I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. In full disclosure, by purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. Everything counts to keep my dream afloat; thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!

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