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    Home » Recipes » Fish

    Published: Jan 7, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Have an exotic easy weeknight dinner with one pan baked Moroccan salmon

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    This Moroccan salmon recipe with cauliflower, lemon, olives and spices is your ticket to the easiest exotic weeknight dinner.

    moroccan salmon serving

    A one pan bake that infuses salmon with the flavours of lemon, turmeric and cumin, and pairs it with punchy cauliflower, lemon and olives. This sheet pan dinner is guaranteed to bring an exotic twist to your weeknight meals!

    Jump to:
    • Weeknight Dinner Doldrums
    • Technique Spotlight: Sheet Pan Dinners
    • What is so special about this Moroccan Salmon Tray Bake
    • Ingredients for Moroccan salmon
    • Directions for Moroccan salmon with cauliflower
    • Scaling the recipe
    • Storage
    • Making in Advance
    • Heating instructions
    • Dominant flavors and ingredients
    • Top tips for oven-baked Moroccan salmon
    • Adaptations
    • Moroccan salmon tray bake variations:
    • Equipment
    • Accompanying Dishes
    • When to Serve
    • Pin for Later!
    • Recipe

    Weeknight Dinner Doldrums

    When I moved in with my first boyfriend, I fell under the mistaken impression that dinner must be made fresh, every day.

    You see, in a typical Russian household, the mother cooks all the meals on a daily basis. Fathers cook a couple of times a year, on Mother's Day or for International Women's Day (which is a real Russian holiday). That's just the way the world turns.

    When I was dating my high-school sweetheart, I watched his mom cook every single day. Omelettes, potatoes with sausage, rice with chicken, simple baked salmon; these were not elaborate meals, but they were made fresh daily.

    But my mother was rarely home, and so we subsisted largely off of frozen meals, or reheated leftovers that my grandmother made. The occasional Moroccan baked fish, or delicious grilled salmon, would be the bright stars in an otherwise cloudy sky.

    So when I moved into my first real household, I vowed to cook a fresh, delicious weeknight dinner for two, every day.

    And then reality hit me.

    It took me years to accept that dinners can be reheated, and that there's nothing wrong with leftovers. But I still longed for those easy, delicious weeknight dinner recipes.

    And so I fell head over heels when I discovered this one tray baked salmon, the easy sheet pan dinner of my dreams.

    moroccan salmon serving

    Technique Spotlight: Sheet Pan Dinners

    Sheet pan dinners are a favourite in our house.

    Whether it's salmon with apples and potatoes, tofu with Asian vegetables, or paprika chicken with potatoes and mushrooms, I love easy weeknight dinners that require nothing but an oven. Known as sheet pan dinners or one tray bakes, these weeknight dinner hacks usually don't need detailed instructions - just some imagination and creativity.

    Chopping vegetables, choosing a protein, mixing with some oil and spices, and placing it all on one tray in the oven is my favourite easy weeknight dinner recipe.

    And this Moroccan salmon with cauliflower, olives and lemon is the perfect embodiment of this philosophy.

    For more easy sheet pan dinners:

    • two bowls of soup with ingredients
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    • tagine served in a tagine pot
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    • Roasted lemon potatoes, broccoli and bell peppers
      Roasted lemon potatoes, broccoli and bell peppers (V, GF)

    Check out the story for this Moroccan Salmon

    Our animated Moroccan Salmon web story makes easy work of this Moroccan Salmon.

    What is so special about this Moroccan Salmon Tray Bake

    Once I tried it, this Moroccan baked salmon became one of my go-to easy salmon dinner recipes for two. I usually make it with frozen fish, and the vegetables on the side vary based on what I have in my fridge.

    But always, this Moroccan Salmon recipe is:

    • easy to put together
    • delicious
    • filling
    • endlessly customizable
    • gluten-free
    • easily reheated
    • a great clean eating salmon recipe
    • Paleo
    • Keto
    • Whole 30 approved
    • ready in 30 minutes
    • requires nothing but a sheet pan and an oven
    raw salmon with lemon slices

    Ingredients for Moroccan salmon

    To make some delicious, clean Moroccan salmon with cauliflower, lemon and olives in under 30 minutes, you need:

    • a 1 lb boneless, skin-on fillet of salmon (you can also use skinless salmon)
    • 1 head cauliflower
    • ½ cup pitted green olives
    • 5 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons of harissa
    • 2 teaspoons cumin - sometimes i also like to use this Award Winning Dry Rub for Ribs for the flavor it gives
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 lemon
    • One baking sheet

    Directions for Moroccan salmon with cauliflower

    Prep the ingredients

    First, you need to preheat your oven. For perfectly grilled Moroccan fish, I like to set the oven to 400F / 200C. This ensure the vegetables and fish cook fully on the inside, while getting a nice crisp on the outside.

    Prepare your baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.

    Cut the cauliflower into florets. Slice the lemon into thin slices. If you want to portion out your salmon prior to baking, then do so now by cutting it into 2-inch-wide slices of about 5oz each.

    Mix the marinade

    In a small bowl, combine olive oil, harissa, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.

    sheet pan before going to oven

    Brush the salmon and cauliflower with the marinade

    Brush the salmon liberally with the marinade. Keep it on a plate aside.

    In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets, olives and half the lemon slices (reserve as many lemon slices as you have pieces of fish, or 3-4 slices for a large salmon fillet). Drizzle the leftover marinade onto the vegetables, and mix well to combine.

    Transfer the cauliflower florets, olives and lemon slices onto the baking sheet.

    Start by baking the vegetables

    To ensure the best texture for your veggies, we start by baking them first and add the salmon after. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

    Add spiced salmon to the oven

    After 15 minutes, remove baking tray from the oven. Add salmon fillet onto the tray, nestling it among the cauliflower florets. Cover salmon with the reserved lemon slices that you had set aside.

    Return baking sheet with cauliflower and salmon to the oven for 14 minutes.

    salmon sheet pan bake

    Serve Moroccan salmon with cauliflower, lemon slices and olives on the side

    After 29 minutes of total baking time, your fish should be slightly browned around the edges and flaky on the inside. The cauliflower should be easily pierced with a knife.

    Once ready, remove the baking tray from the oven. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

    Serve your spiced Moroccan salmon with the baked lemon slices, and a mix of harissa and turmeric-tinged cauliflower and olives on the side. You may also enjoy a dollop of yogurt on the side.

    Scaling the recipe

    This Moroccan salmon recipe uses a 1-lb piece of skin-on salmon. I prepare a whole head of cauliflower with it. This is a generous dinner for two, with vegetable leftovers.

    If you eat small portions, or serve this with another side like this Israeli salad, this will be enough for 4 servings.

    If you want to cook a bigger piece of fish, no problem - but you may need to increase the baking time (a 2-lb piece of salmon will take 20-25 minutes to bake), or cut your fish into individual fillets.

    Storage

    Moroccan salmon with cauliflower is made in one tray, and can easily be stored together in one container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Making in Advance

    One of my favourite things about sheet pan dinners is how easy they are to throw together when you're short on time. There are no separate components and no fuss.

    But if you want to make this in advance, no problem - the Moroccan salmon tray bake can be frozen once cooked. Just let it cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

    You can also prepare the cauliflower and salmon separately if desired, with the cauliflower baked for 15 minutes a day in advance and the salmon made right before serving.

    Heating instructions

    To reheat Moroccan salmon with cauliflower, the microwave works just fine. Putting it back in the oven will dry the fish.

    Dominant flavors and ingredients

    The main flavors in this Moroccan salmon tray bake are olives and lemon. Harissa and cumin provide just a faint aftertaste, and the turmeric is mostly there for colour.

    If you're not a fan of olives, feel free to omit them. You can also skip the turmeric, but everything will look more pale. You can use curry powder in place of turmeric.

    salmon cauliflower olives on a plate

    Top tips for oven-baked Moroccan salmon

    This exotic weeknight dinner recipe couldn't be easier. My top tips to making this easy salmon dinner for two include:

    • If using frozen fish, defrost it first
    • As always, use good, fresh herbs and harissa
    • Double the fish for extra servings!
    • Preheat your oven in advance to ensure this is ready in under 30 minutes

    Adaptations

    This grilled Moroccan salmon recipe is naturally gluten-free and grain-free. It is also Paleo, Keto and Whole 30 approved.

    Vegan and Vegetarian

    You can omit the salmon altogether for a delicious Moroccan cauliflower bake with olives and lemon.

    To substitute the salmon for a vegetarian alternative, use a block of tofu, sliced into ½ inch slices. We recommend tripling the marinade and marinating the tofu overnight for best results.

    You can also substitute the salmon for 1 can of chickpeas. In that case, bake the whole tray together for 30 minutes.

    sheet pan with turmeric

    Moroccan salmon tray bake variations:

    • Moroccan salmon with bell peppers and tomatoes - replace the cauliflower for 2 bell peppers, 1 onion and 2 tomatoes. Bake the peppers and tomatoes first.
    • Moroccan salmon with broccoli and bell peppers - replace the cauliflower for 2 bell peppers and 2 broccoli heads, cut into florets. Bake the broccoli and peppers first.

    Equipment

    The only equipment you need for this salmon sheet pan dinner is a sheet pan. Here are some of the ones I like and use:

    Accompanying Dishes

    As this Moroccan salmon with cauliflower is a full meal, you don't need much to go with it. If you're looking to serve this as part of a dinner party, or just looking for a nice light salad, here are some of my best suggestions:

    • This Tunisian Jewish salad is spicy, sour and sweet, and guaranteed to be remembered by all who taste it.
      Tunisian "Tirshi" squash salad {V, GF, Paleo}
    • Carrot salad in a bowl
      Spicy Moroccan carrot salad {V, GF, Paleo}
    • Middle Eastern whole roasted carrots on A PLATTER with nuts, lemon and herbs
      Middle Eastern roasted carrots with olives, goat cheese, salad topper and harissa-preserved lemon dressing {GF}
    • Carrot soup
      Moroccan carrot soup with chermoula

    When to Serve

    This Moroccan Salmon recipe is perfect as a weeknight dinner.

    I love making it in winter, as it makes the whole house feel warm and fuzzy, and it smells amazing!

    If you're looking for more ways to cook salmon, try these:

    Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

    • Cast-iron pan-fried Sockeye salmon recipe with mustard, honey and wild herbs, or how to do camping at home
    • Salmon with apples and potatoes
      Oven baked salmon on a bed of apples and potatoes {GF, Paleo}
    • German fire grilled salmon
      Fire-grilled Nordic salmon recipe
    • Peach salmon skewers with peach jalapeno crema
      How to make mouthwatering Peach salmon skewers with spicy basil peach jalapeno crema

    Pin for Later!

    pinterest graphic of cauliflower salmon and olives on a plate

    Recipe

    moroccan salmon serving

    Moroccan Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner

    Ksenia Prints
    This Moroccan salmon with cauliflower, lemon, olives and spices is your ticket to the easiest exotic weeknight dinner.
    4.96 from 21 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 29 mins
    Total Time 34 mins
    Course Fish, Main, Main Course, main dish
    Cuisine Middle Eastern, Moroccan
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 773 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking sheet

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb boneless skin-on fillet of salmon (you can also use skinless salmon)
    • 1 head cauliflower
    • ½ cup pitted green olives
    • 5 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons harissa
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 lemon

    Instructions
     

    Prep the ingredients

    • First, you need to preheat your oven. For perfectly grilled Moroccan fish, I like to set the oven to 400F / 200C. This ensure the vegetables and fish cook fully on the inside, while getting a nice crisp on the outside.
    • Prepare your baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper or a reusable silicone mat.
    • Cut the cauliflower into florets. Slice the lemon into thin slices. If you want to portion out your salmon prior to baking, then do so now by cutting it into 2-inch-wide slices of about 5oz each.

    Mix the marinade

    • In a small bowl, combine olive oil, harissa, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.

    Brush the salmon and cauliflower with the marinade

    • Brush the salmon liberally with the marinade. Keep it on a plate aside.
    • In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets, olives and half the lemon slices (reserve as many lemon slices as you have pieces of fish, or 3-4 slices for a large salmon fillet). Drizzle the leftover marinade onto the vegetables, and mix well to combine.
    • Transfer the cauliflower florets, olives and lemon slices onto the baking sheet.

    Bake vegetables

    • To ensure the best texture for your veggies, we start by baking them first and add the salmon after. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

    Add spiced salmon to the oven

    • After 15 minutes, remove baking tray from the oven. Add salmon fillet onto the tray, nestling it among the cauliflower florets. Cover salmon with the reserved lemon slices that you had set aside.
    • Return baking sheet with cauliflower and salmon to the oven for 14 minutes.

    Serve Moroccan salmon with cauliflower, lemon slices and olives on the side

    • After 29 minutes of total baking time, your fish should be slightly browned around the edges and flaky on the inside. The cauliflower should be easily pierced with a knife.
    • Once ready, remove the baking tray from the oven. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
    • Serve your spiced Moroccan salmon with the baked lemon slices, and a mix of harissa and turmeric-tinged cauliflower and olives on the side. You may also enjoy a dollop of yogurt on the side.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 773kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 58gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 2092mgPotassium: 1899mgFiber: 10gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 260IUVitamin C: 170mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword cauliflower, gluten-free, grain-free, keto, lemon, olives, one tray bake, paleo, pescetarian, salmon, sheet pan dinner, whole 30
    Tried this recipe?Comment + Rate Below!
    Connect on Instagram!Find us @immigrantstable

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    1. Elizabeth says

      January 08, 2021 at 10:50 am

      5 stars
      Fabulous recipe! So delish!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        Thank you Elizabeth!

        Reply
    2. Audrey says

      January 08, 2021 at 12:08 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic flavors in this dish!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        I couldn't agree more!

        Reply
    3. Sue says

      January 08, 2021 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      I love salmon but need more ways to prepare it - this one is on the list!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        You'll love this method of prepping salmon!

        Reply
    4. Emily Flint says

      January 08, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      The flavor combinations in this salmon dish are AMAZING!!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        It's a flavor bomb!

        Reply
    5. Sondra Barker says

      January 08, 2021 at 11:00 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so tasty! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:41 pm

        Thanks Sondra!

        Reply
    6. FOODHEAL says

      January 09, 2021 at 1:58 am

      5 stars
      I love baked salmon and the curried cauliflower looks so yummy. This must be a very delicious and healthy dinner

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:41 pm

        It's just what the body needs for comfort, but also healthy 🙂

        Reply
    7. Chef Dennis says

      January 09, 2021 at 4:02 am

      5 stars
      Hope it's dinner soon! This looks sooo tasty!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:41 pm

        Hope this will make its way to your table for dinner!

        Reply
    8. Chloe says

      January 09, 2021 at 4:51 am

      5 stars
      I love Moroccan flavours, they're just something else! Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:41 pm

        YES! I totally agree. Moroccan flavors are super accessible and easy to mix, but taste exotic somehow. I turn to these spices often.

        Reply
    9. Amanda Marie says

      January 09, 2021 at 7:57 am

      5 stars
      This looks so good and easy. Thanks!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 09, 2021 at 1:40 pm

        It's BEYOND easy. Everything is basically cooked in the same tray, and there's no marinade time. It's my go-to weekly recipe.

        Reply
    10. Angela says

      January 11, 2021 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      Delicious salmon one dish dinner!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:09 pm

        Thank you! It's the one-dish that appeals to me.

        Reply
    11. Sue says

      January 11, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      5 stars
      A delicious new way to make salmon - thanks!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:09 pm

        It's a new favourite!

        Reply
    12. Laura says

      January 11, 2021 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. Very tasty.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:09 pm

        Oh, you made it?? I'm so glad!

        Reply
    13. Elizabeth says

      January 11, 2021 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Delicious!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:10 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    14. Raquel says

      January 11, 2021 at 4:48 pm

      5 stars
      So flavorful and a nice change-up for salmon!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:10 pm

        Yes! Can't keep things boring around here.

        Reply
    15. Chef Dennis says

      January 12, 2021 at 4:45 am

      5 stars
      Hmmm you made my tummy growl! Hope it's dinner soon.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:10 pm

        It can always be an early afternoon snack 😉

        Reply
    16. Marina says

      January 12, 2021 at 9:35 am

      5 stars
      This salmon recipe looks absolutely irresistible! Cannot wait to try it!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:10 pm

        You'l love it!!

        Reply
    17. Leslie says

      January 12, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful Moroccan Meal!

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        January 12, 2021 at 8:11 pm

        Thanks, Leslie! It's the best. Feels exotic but it's so easy.

        Reply
    18. Jzilla says

      November 16, 2022 at 12:22 am

      5 stars
      Solid win. The final step suggests a dollop of yogurt. I would say that's a must have. The dish was 4 stars on its own, but the little bit of yogurt made it all come together and bump it up to 5 stars.

      Reply
      • kseniaprints says

        November 16, 2022 at 4:04 am

        I totally agree! So glad this worked for you for your dinner routine.

        Reply

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