This no-fuss recipe for Salmon with Sweet Chili Lime Butter and Roasted Broccoli yields perfectly cooked salmon every time. It’s a one pan, 40-minute, gluten-free recipe that will make you feel like a kitchen wiz.
Any night that there’s a healthy, fresh dinner on the table is a win. But make it a healthy, fresh, insanely delicious dinner, and that’s really something worth celebrating.
It’s Wednesday morning, so if you’re reading this from a desk, treadmill, mass transit commute somewhere, why don’t you just go ahead and pull yourself up a virtual stool at our kitchen counter. You deserve a little break.
Frank and I don’t turn down a dinner out, but we’re also pretty easily sold on the fun of creating our own date night in. And whether that involves a free-form taco night with a few too many perfectly ripe avocados or a more elegant dinner with perfectly cooked salmon fillet, a quiet dinner at home just the two of us can feel pretty special.
What You’ll Love
Three words. Sweet Chili Sauce.
I’m working on a theory that goes something like this. Sweet Chili Sauce makes anything good. Check out this tutorial on homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce if you want to make it yourself.
Combine it with butter and lime zest and you have a creamy, 3 ingredient sauce that would be amazing over just about anything.
But you’ll also love this no fuss method for cooking salmon. Covering it with foil is so much more flexible than other faster cooking methods. Cook it a few minutes too long, and the fish will still be tender and flaky.
Perfect for a date night at home where my charming husband and a glass of wine is likely to make me forget to set a timer until the salmon has already been cooking for 5 minutes (or 10?).
Prep Chili Lime Salmon Ahead
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon it’s worth mentioning that this is a recipe that would be worthy of a special night at home and can be prepped early in the day for just such an occasion. Just make the recipe right up until it goes back into the oven in Step #5 and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook. (It may take a couple extra minutes to cook straight from the refrigerator.)
More Fun Date Night Recipes
- Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pizza
- Braised Red Wine Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta
- Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Herb Marinated Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
- Sheet Pan Steak and Potatoes
- Creamy Dijon Chicken
- Slow Cooker Puttanesca with Beef
Favorite Tools
Salmon with Sweet Chili Lime Butter and Roasted Broccoli
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Half Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 2 heads Broccoli (about 1.5 pounds total; seems like a lot, but it cooks down)
- 2 red or green Jalapeños, sliced (optional)
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 3 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 small Lime, zest and juice
- 1 lb Salmon Fillets
- 2 Tbsp Cilantro Leaves
- Cooked white or brown rice, for serving (or pineapple coconut rice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- While oven heats, slice broccoli into long, thin spears that include the stems. (You can also just use the top of the broccoli for florets, but the stems will cook to tender in this recipe so they look and taste delicious.) In a mixing bowl, toss broccoli spears with sliced jalapeños and a splash of cooking oil. Spread on a large baking sheet. Roast broccoli until beginning to brown in spots but not completely tender, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile melt butter in the microwave. To the melted butter, add sweet chili sauce and zest from the lime (you'll use the lime juice later).
- Remove pan from the oven and spread broccoli out to form a space in the middle. Place salmon fillets in the center of the pan. Season salmon and broccoli lightly with salt and pepper.
- Pour half the melted butter mixture over the top of the salmon. Cover the entire sheet pan tightly with foil and return pan to the oven.
- Roast the broccoli and salmon until the broccoli is very tender and the salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes (for salmon that is 1.5 inches thick, adjust accordingly).
- When the salmon is done cooking, pour the remaining half of the butter over the salmon. Squeeze lime juice over the salmon and broccoli.
- Serve salmon and broccoli over rice with cilantro leaves on top.
Nutrition
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I’m going to have to start wearing a bib when I read your blog. The pictures should carry a warning ” may cause drooling ” and the recipes definitely will. Great site.
This is speaking my name! I just love a spicy dish but add salmon and all of these other amazing flavors and I’m so there! #client
I’m going to have to admit – this salmon is majestic. Paired with a nice bottle of white wine, it is a sure-fire winner.
I just love a good, healthy snack. Good for my diet.