Baked Cajun-Spiced Salmon with Garlic Butter Asparagus
Oven-baked salmon fillets seasoned with bold Cajun spices, paired with tender asparagus tossed in garlic butter. This seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs salmon fillets, olive oil, paprika for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (6 oz each) salmon fillets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb, trimmed fresh asparagus spears
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves, minced garlic cloves
- 4 wedges, for serving lemon wedges
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper to create the Cajun spice blend.
- Step 2: Place 4 salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil over the salmon and rub the Cajun spice blend evenly on all sides.
- Step 3: Arrange 1 lb trimmed fresh asparagus spears alongside the salmon on the baking sheet.
- Step 4: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until salmon is cooked through (internal temperature 145°F) and asparagus is tender-crisp.
- Step 5: While baking, melt 3 tbsp unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Step 6: Remove salmon and asparagus from oven, drizzle garlic butter over the asparagus, and serve salmon with 4 lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.








