Pan-Roasted Salmon with Garlic-Asparagus and Lemon Zest
Tender salmon fillets pan-roasted to perfection served with garlic-infused asparagus and bright lemon zest for a fresh Whole30 dinner. This American-inspired Whole30 recipe (gluten free), ready in about 25 minutes, pairs salmon fillets, asparagus spears, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 360 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a Whole30 week and pairs well with roasted sweet potato or a simple olive-oil salad. 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 fillets (6 oz each), skin on salmon fillets
- 1 pound, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces asparagus spears
- 4 cloves, thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon, divided sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon, divided black pepper
- 1 medium, zested and juiced lemon
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 salmon fillets and season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place salmon skin-side down and cook for 5-6 minutes until skin is crisp and edges are golden. Flip carefully and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until salmon is just opaque. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
- Step 2: In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves. Sauté for 30 seconds over medium heat until fragrant but not browned.
- Step 3: Add 1 pound trimmed asparagus pieces, season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until asparagus is tender-crisp and bright green.
- Step 4: Remove from heat and stir in the zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Serve the garlic-asparagus alongside the pan-roasted salmon fillets.








