Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Glazed Carrots is a healthy baked salmon recipe that’s super easy to make and packed with superfoods and healthy Omega fats. Switch up your holiday dinner with fish and serve this baked salmon sheet pan dinner! Gluten and grain free, dairy free, low carb and paleo friendly.
This is a story (and a recipe) about how 10 years ago I changed up our holiday meal! Just kidding. But have you ever wanted to switch up your holiday meal? I mean, I love turkey on Thanksgiving just as much as anyone. If, for no other reason, than to be able to make leftover turkey recipes. But sometimes my taste buds crave something different. Something lighter and flavor packed.
Not to mention, roasting a turkey with all of the trimmings causes a LOT of dirty dishes, ya’ll. Since nobody has quite figured out how to make dirty dishes magically scrub themselves clean, we need an easy alternative. Hence, a new tradition – a holiday dinner with fish and “chips” aka carrots, ALL ON ONE PAN!
Because you see, when you marry a foreigner (aka my kiwi husband), turkey and pumpkin pie are no longer as important. And you know what?? Sometimes CHANGE IS GOOD! Creating new traditions are good for the soul! Yep, I’m giving you 10293890 reasons why this pistachio crusted salmon and glazed carrots might just be a new favorite holiday meal, or ANY one pan meal for that matter.
Let’s discuss… mmmm k?
Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Glazed Carrots
Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Glazed Carrots is EASY to make for entertaining, all baking up on one pan (thank you very much). Plus, it’s a great way for kids to try out fish, and it’s HEALTHY!
Nutrition in Salmon
Push the delicious taste of salmon aside for a minute. The nutrition alone in the Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Glazed Carrots makes it a clear winner over holiday meals like roasted chicken, turkey or beef stew.
But hey, don’t take my word for it. Just take a look at the facts and see for yourself!
Benefits of Eating Salmon
Cooked salmon, especially when it’s baked, is:
- Rich in tryptophan, so it’s a serotonin booster. That means it’s a “make us feel good” fish!
- Packed with DHA and EPA omega-3 fats.
- It also helps us to balance cholesterol and maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Let’s recap:
Pistachio Crusted Salmon will stabilize your mood and lower your blood pressure, which will probably help to prevent arguments and family drama at the dinner table. Win-win!
Oh, the pistachios and carrots in this sheet pan dinner shouldn’t be overlooked either. Which, obviously, is why I included them in the recipe. I’m smart like that.
Health Benefits of Pistachios
- Very good source of fiber and plant protein
- Packed with B vitamins
- Rich in iron
- Like the salmon, pistachios are heart healthy, too!
Carrots, when combined with a healthy fat like salmon, olive oil or nuts, help you absorb a vast amount of Vitamin A. Those delicious glazed carrots are an eyesight booster, ya’ll!
And conclusion……
So eat those veggies with the Pistachio Crusted Salmon. Your bod will thank you! Now that’s something you never thought you’d hear about a holiday meal, right? Haha!
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Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Glazed Carrots (Sheet Pan Dinner)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
Description
Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Glazed Carrots is a healthy baked salmon recipe that’s super easy to make and packed with superfoods and healthy Omega fats. Switch up your holiday dinner with fish and serve this baked salmon sheet pan dinner! Gluten and grain free, dairy free, low carb and paleo friendly.
Ingredients
- 3 salmon fillets (4 oz each) or 12 ounce filet
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or paprika
- ½ Tablespoon ginger root, grated or 1 teaspoon minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1 lb baby carrots
- Shallot
- Lemon
- Parsley
- Sea salt and pepper
- ½ cup ground pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Clean the salmon and place on plate in fridge until ready to cook.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, spices, ginger, garlic, balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper to taste.
- Place carrots on sheet pan.
- Brush half the maple ginger glaze over the carrots. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with tongs.
- Turn oven temp up to 425°F.
- Place the cleaned salmon between the carrots on the sheet pan. Add sliced peeled shallot (or red onion), and a few slices of lemon between the carrots and salmon.
- Squeeze the juice from other half of the lemon over salmon and vegetables. Sprinkle with dash of salt and pepper, then brush the the rest of your glaze on top of salmon and carrots.
- Place in oven for another 7 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and rub ground pistachios on top of the salmon fillets, coating evenly.
- Place back in oven and broil for another 2-3 minutes or until salmon is cooked and vegetables are roasted, but no longer than 4 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- If you are using roasted versus raw pistachios, you will not need much additional sea salt.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: main, dinner
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 to 4 oz
- Calories: 292
- Sugar: 12.5 g
- Sodium: 76.3 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.4 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 23.2 g
- Cholesterol: 54.5 mg
Keywords: pistachio crusted salmon, sheet pan dinners, gluten free meals, paleo, dairy free, low carb
Have you ever broken from the norm with holiday meals? When we lived in Hawaii, I had mushy pasta for Christmas Eve dinner. Let’s just say that was my first time cooking a gluten free meal and it will never be relived. Haha!
From now on, it will be pistachio crusted salmon!
Cheers!
LC
MORE EASY GLUTEN FREE EASTER RECIPES HERE!
This recipe is part of our Easy Gluten Free Easter Recipes collection. Check it out!
This looks fantastic! Going to make this weekend for date night. Do you peel the carrots before cooking or do you leave the skins on?
I bought baby carrots already peeled. But if you’re in a time crunch, don’t worry about peeling! Hope that helps. Keep me posted 👍
We used whole carrots and peeled. Worked out super well and looked so pretty! Delicious! 😋
★★★★★
Woohoo! Thanks for coming back and sharing which carrots you used. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Do you other to skin the fillets first? Thanks.
I used skinless fillets.
The food you make is really appealing, and I’m practicing it according to what you share, it’s great
★★★★★
Thank you!
I’m really passionate about cooking . I’ve previously cooked roasted carrots with salmon your but the recipe is quite different from the one I usually cook. I liked the way you have added pistachio to the dish. Looking forward to replicate the exact same dish next time. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks! The pistachios make for a nice crunch and great flavor! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Big hit as an Easter dinner! Loved the flavors & presentaion. Will add pomegranates when in season.
★★★★★
I’m so glad! Oh, that will be fantastic. I’ll need to give that a go too ?
Health Benefits of Pistachios
★★★★
This was FANTASTIC! Lindsay suggested date paste in place of the maple syrup (as I am a very strict Whole 30 person).
I thought I HAD some Trader Joe’s dates, but they were figs! (I didn’t know how fig paste would translate into the equation if I tried that instead so I left that out … as well as the maple syrup).
LOOOOOOOOOVED IT! And it was BEAUTIFUL! Impressive for solo dining or for company! I have a picture but don’t know how to load it in here.
THANK-YOU!
★★★★★
Debbie, I’m glad it turned out so great!! Would love to see your photo and share on social media, if that’s okay:) send it to me at [email protected] ❤️
Hello –
Do you have a work-around for the maple syrup? Hope so! Been doing Whole 30 for several years.
This looks INCREDIBLE!
I think you could try using date paste or maybe leave it out? I’ll think and report back
Fantastic! I’ll wait for you to let me know! THANK-YOU!
Okay I’m thinking you could rub a little date paste/sauce on the carrots and/or salmon. Have you ever made it? I have the recipe in my sticky date cake post or check out my friends recipe. here https://paleoglutenfree.com/recipes/2-ingredient-paleo-date-sauce/
Lindsay – Will try very soon with your suggestion. Thank-you!
PS/ Absolutely loooooooved your Cocoa Coconut Low Carb Shake made with a banana and organic coconut flakes and slivered almonds on top! ❤️
That sounds FANTASTIC! Love the toppings ?
Oh my goodness, Lindsay!!! This was SO GOOD!!! We eat a lot of salmon and my husband said this is the best he’s ever had!!! Wow. Seriously so, so good. The glaze on the roasted carrots is just perfection! Oh the only change I made was to use crushed roasted, salted macadamia nuts instead of pistachios. (I looked in the pantry and realized we were out! Yikes! Still delicious 🙂
★★★★★
Love that you used macadamia nut!! that was my second choice.
Made this crusted salmon instead of turkey. It was a wonderful and visually pleasing main dish. My family loved a break from turkey and the compliments flowed. Thanks
★★★★★
Oh thank you for letting us know Lav! We love it too. The perfect meat free holiday dish. Well, I may be bias. 😉
Guess who is making this for Thanksgiving?! #teamnoturkey OOPS.
★★★★★
Loved it!
★★★★★
Oh yay! When did you try it?
Very Nice Post, I learned a lot through it. Thanks for posting.
I loved this recipe!
★★★★★
Wonderful! So glad Rhonda
Amazing looking salmon!!
★★★★★
Just gorgeous! I never think to use nuts as a crust for my meals.
★★★★★
Makes for such a great flavor! Nice and crunchy
This has to be the prettiest salmon sheet pan dinner EVER!
You are too kind, my friend. Thank you!!
I love the use of pistachios for crunch instead of breadcrumbs! What great flavor too!
★★★★★
It’s great! Crunchy and delicious;)
Oh, yeah! Maybe on the day before Thanksgiving! I love the pistachio crust and will definitely be making this recipe throughout the year!
★★★★★
Love that idea! It’s so crunchy and delicious
I love this idea! I’m anti-Thanksgiving food, so we almost always go non-traditional. Same for Christmas. As long as Vegas get pumpkin pie, she’s happy with anything else I conjure. 😉
Haha non-traditional is so fun! Love it. And yes, pumpkin pie is always a must. 😉
Change is good but scary; but what’s great? This mix of vibrantly healthy and delicious ingredients.
★★★★★
Thank you dear friend!