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Sheet-Pan Blackened Salmon with Garlicky Kale

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From chef Alex Guarnaschelli, this sheet-pan salmon with kale makes a quick, healthy, and seriously delicious weeknight dinner.

Blackened salmon with garlicky kale.

Modestly adapted from Alex Guarnaschelli’s gorgeous new cookbook, Cook with Me: 150 Recipes For the Home Cook, this sheet-pan blackened salmon with garlicky kale makes a wonderful weeknight dinner. In fact, the recipe is so quick, delicious, and healthy, it’s worth the cost of the book alone. Before roasting, the salmon fillets are coated with olive oil and sprinkled with blackening seasoning — a blend of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, and oregano — which is delicious in and of itself. Then, before serving, the salmon is drizzled with honey and lime to brighten the flavor. The garlic-tossed kale is roasted right alongside the fish until slightly crispy, making a lovely side dish.

What You’ll Need To Make Blackened Salmon with Garlicky Kale

blackened salmon and kale ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by making the blackening seasoning. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, oregano, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. blackened salmon seasoning mix

Stir until evenly mixed and no lumps remain.

Small bowl of blackening seasoning.

Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Place the salmon filets, skin-side down, on the pan, leaving space between them; drizzle the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the oil.

salmon drizzled with oil on sheet pan

Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over the salmon.

salmon sprinkled with blackening seasoning mix

Prepare the Kale: In a medium bowl, combine the kale with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, the minced garlic, and a pinch of salt.

kale, olive oil, and garlic in bowl

Using tongs, toss well.

tossed kale in bowl with tongsArrange the kale all around (but not covering) the salmon; it’s okay to pile it up a bit, as it will shrink significantly as it roasts.

kale and salmon arranged on sheet pan ready to bake

Place the pan on the lower-middle rack and roast for 12 to 14 minutes for medium-cooked salmon. (If you prefer your salmon medium-rare, cook 10 to 12 minutes. For well-done, cook 15 to 17 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the honey over the fish. Then sprinkle the lime zest and juice over the fish.

drizzle blackened salmon with honey and lime

Serve immediately and enjoy.

Blackened salmon with garlicky kale.

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Sheet-Pan Blackened Salmon with Garlicky Kale

From chef Alex Guarnaschelli, this sheet-pan salmon with kale makes a quick, healthy, and seriously delicious weeknight dinner.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 (6 to 8-ounce portions) salmon fillets, skin on
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale (about 8 ounces), stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the lower-middle position.
  2. Prepare the Salmon: In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, oregano, and ¾ teaspoon salt; stir until evenly mixed and no lumps remain. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Place the salmon filets, skin-side down, on the pan, leaving space between them; drizzle the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over the salmon.
  3. Prepare the Kale: In a medium bowl, using tongs, toss the kale with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, the minced garlic, and a pinch of salt. Arrange it all around (but not covering) the salmon; it's okay to pile it up a bit, as it will shrink significantly as it roasts.
  4. Place the pan on the lower-middle rack and roast for 12 to 14 minutes for medium-cooked salmon. (If you prefer your salmon medium-rare, cook 10 to 12 minutes. For well-done, cook 15 to 17 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the honey over the fish. Then sprinkle the lime zest and juice over the fish. Serve immediately.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 557
  • Fat: 41 g
  • Saturated fat: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11 g
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 38 g
  • Sodium: 591 mg
  • Cholesterol: 94 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • This salmon was amazing…and the kale really added an interesting dimension to it! Loved it! Salmon is on our menu a lot, so this has been a great addition to our recipe collection.

  • The spicy rub is balanced off with the coolness of lime juice and zest. It is a heavenly salmon dish!! Easy!

  • I didn’t have kale so I used up asparagus instead, with evoo, salt, pepper, and dill. The salmon was awesome prepared this way, and all of it a sheet pan so a gourmet meal within 15 minutes!

  • This is a go to favorite! My husband loves this dish.

  • We recently started making more seafood, and not everyone in our household loves salmon. This recipe, though, is amazing… even the non-salmon lovers really like the contrast of the texture of the salmon and the flavors and texture of the kale. And it is so simple! We have been using Wild Alaskan Seafood https://wildalaskancompany.com and the fish is amazingly fresh, and their customer service is outstanding. So easy to use their site and to add to subscription. A great compliment to this recipe and others you’ve shared for seafood. I absolutely love your salmon cakes!!

  • We made this last weekend for Sunday Dinner. It was a HUGE hit!!!
    I added a bit of Dijon mustard to the salmon before putting in the spices simply because we like a bit of tang.
    The kale was tender and so delicious. I served it with couscous and sprinkled some toasted pine nuts over the top.
    Really was a simple, healthy meal that I felt great about serving and eating.
    We will definitely be making it again!

    • — Paula Livingston
    • Reply
  • This was amazing! The kale turned out so crispy, almost like chips. The salmon was so flavorful, especially when you would get the sweetness of the honey. I will definitely be making this easy, delicious dish again!

  • My son and I made this for a weeknight dinner and it was delicious! The honey really added that little “something” extra. Easy cleanup made it even better. Thanks!

    • — Perri D'Armond
    • Reply
  • This recipe is absolutely delicious and super easy for a weeknight. It comes together quickly and I wouldn’t change any components. A plus is this is a great way to get my kids to eat kale!
    Thanks again, Jenn for another winner!

  • We loved this recipe – made it twice! Once with salmon and once with arctic char. Tasty and super easy too!

  • My husband and I are big fans of Salmon. I have tried many recipes and this one looks awesome. We love kale and all the seasonings look great. Thanks for sharing and I will be trying the rest of your salmon recipes.
    Even though I have not made this recipes yet I know it’s going to be fantastic!!

    • — Marilyn Broadbridge
    • Reply
  • I have made this several times since you posted the recipe. I also bought Alex’s cookbook. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes!

  • This was a big hit and I will definitely make this again – love so many of your recipes

  • Great recipe!! You can spice it up or tone it down for the kiddos. When I make this for the kiddos I just leave the cayenne out. This meal tastes like it took you hours to make but it is so quick and easy. I have also made this with different types of fish when I don’t have salmon on hand. Definitely give it a try!!! Love this chef

  • Fantastic simple recipe! We used or own garden kale and left out the oregano as it is a strong flavor and I don’t love it. Enjoyed by the whole family.

  • This is now part of our weekly rotation. The garlicky Kale is a really good pairing. The kale doesn’t stay crisp as a leftover so be sure to gobble it up while it’s hot and fresh!

  • I’ve never been a big fan of kale but every recipe I’ve tried from this website has been delicious so I figured this was worth a try. Super-yummy! The kale had a great flavor and a slightly crunchy texture like super-thin potato chips. Salmon was also wonderful especially if you enjoy spicy food. Only took 12 minutes of baking time and just a single cookie sheet to wash, so a perfect dinner that’s healthy, tasty, easy and fast.

  • This is one of my go to salmon recipes, it’s so easy and flavorful! I always cook it for 17min to get well cooked salmon

  • Hi! Can I use baby kale? I accidentally bought a gigantic box to make your Lemon chickpea salad

    • I think it will work, but it may get wilted (similar to spinach). It will still be good — the texture will just be different. Hope you enjoy

  • Delicious recipe. The sockeye salmon available here at Wegman’s, Whole Foods and Sprouts is shaped differently than what is pictured here (nowhere near as narrow and thinner pieces) but I figured weight was close but I had to keep an eye on time in the oven-14 mins was perfect. Using a prepped bag of chopped Tuscan kale made recipe prep even easier. Served with cauliflower puree (available frozen) and crescent rolls. Great for quick weeknight meal, love how fast fish and kale were to prep. I spent the most time stirring the frozen cauliflower cream and adding butter and thyme to make it taste good but it was worth it because it added a nice balance to the other flavors.

    • Hi Stephanie,

      I have made this recipe several times and found that something called “center cut” salmon is the way to go. It isn’t cheap, but I know that Fresh Market and my Whole Foods both carry it in their meat/seafood departments.

  • Amazing and amazingly easy!!!! This is now by far the absolute best favorite salmon recipe in our house. My husband asked if we could have this once a week 🙂 Jenn, every single recipe I try is amazing!!!

  • Seriously delicious!!! I am sad I haven’t tried this earlier! It is now a staple OUAC rotation.

  • This was amazing! My children ate the kale!!!

  • This was delish! My mom said best salmon recipe she ever had! Thank you again Jenn, for making me the ⭐️ Chef at dinner! I can’t wait until you release another phenomenal cookbook! Happy Holidays and hope you & your family are safe and well. Xoxo

  • Made this for dinner last night and it was SO good! I polished off the last of the salmon for breakfast and it was the perfect post workout refuel, tasted even better than the night before! The salmon had a beautiful layering of flavors, zesty and sweet with a little kick. My husband and I loved it! I had to put a little extra honey on my 5 y/o daughter’s salmon to tame the spice, but once I did she ate it with no issue. The Kale was really nice too, we love garlic, so it was very on trend for us. When you wrote “a pinch of salt” you were right. I put a second pinch on the kale and it was a tiny bit too much. I should have known better than to deviate, lol. Anyhoo, served this up with cubes of baked sweet potato and it was truly a special meal! Thank you, Jenn!!!!

  • This was incredible, but so is everything else on this website!

  • I’m not a fan of salmon but this has changed my mind. It was delicious and so easy. Will definitely be my go to quick dinner selection and healthy too!

  • Absolutely the most delicious roasted salmon recipe i have ever made!! I love all your recipes! Thank you and keep them coming!

  • This is my new “go to” salmon receipe! Excellent favors and made great leftovers for a salad the next day!

  • This is another winner. Couldn’t sell my husband on salmon and kale, and it was his loss. So good!

  • I made this tonight for my dinner party-it was a runaway hit!! Even the non kale eaters loved it and asked for seconds. My only change was to put in 1/2 of the cayenne pepper, which was perfect for me.
    I also loved how easy it was to prepare, cook and cleanup-
    It was also lovely to look at , with the green kale complimenting the pink salmon
    Definitely will make again
    Joanne Crantz
    Although I love all your recipes, this was the first that I felt compelled to review, it was that good!!

  • Made this tonight and will definitely be making it again and again! So easy and delicious.

  • I just made this tonight. Excellent! Very easy to prepare too. I didn’t have any kale on hand so I used chard. It worked perfectly. Served with rice pilaf. The overall result is something that you would be quite satisfied getting in a high end restaurant.

  • I made this for dinner this past week and it was fantastic! The salmon and kale came out perfect. So easy for a weeknight meal. My 13 year old loved the kale!

  • Another great meal, thank you.

    • — Jennifer Kummer
    • Reply
  • I made this and it was delicious! I am not a big salmon fan but trying to eat healthier. My daughter loves Salmon and when she comes home from college she wants me to make this for her because I told her how good it was! Only thing was my Kale burned…LOL I followed the recipe so I don’t know why it burned. I am going to fix this again but going to roast the Kale separately. I cooked it on 400degrees for 15min. The Salmon came out perfect! I didn’t have a ribbed pan so I just used a regular sheet pan. Thank you so much for making the cookbook and sharing your recipes, you don’t know how much it means to me coming from someone who don’t know anything about cooking, to following your recipes and making delicious meals!

  • Made this for a weeknight dinner and it was fast and fabulous! Everyone loved it including small kids. Will definitely make this again!

    • This was so good and I’m not a big fan of kale. I used parchment paper on the sheet pan so cleanup was easy! Thanks for another winner!!

  • Made this for dinner tonight for the first time. It is delicious and easy to make on a week night. I served it with a bulgar salad. I told my daughter about the recipe so she can make it too. Thank you.

  • This was excellent! Perfect weeknight meal!!

  • This was absolutely delicious! I cut down on the olive oil and yielded great results. The honey and lime at the end is very complimentary and really makes the dish. I must have bought the wrong kind of kale because mine was burnt to a crisp but still yummy/garlicky. I’ll make this again! And soon 🙂

  • Hi Jenn! I am cooking dinner for several priests from our diocese, one of whom tries to eat a heart-healthy diet. As usual, I turned to you for help. 🙂 I was planning on making this salmon and kale along with your bulgur salad with cucumbers, chickpeas, and lemon as well as your roasted curried carrots. Will those flavors go together well on the plate? Thank you!

    • — Amanda Woodiel
    • Reply
    • Hi Amanda, How lovely of you! The flavors in the bulgur salad are pretty mild, so I do think it’d pair nicely. I’d probably make my roasted carrots with thyme instead of the curried version, just to avoid too many different flavor profiles. I hope everyone enjoys the meal! 🙂

      • You are such a help! One more thing…due to an allergy, could I sub quinoa for the bulgur? If not, I’ll just make something else for that person. (BTW, I’m also making your baked brie with rosemary and cherries for an app and the pavlova for dessert. The whole meal is à la Jenn!) 😍

        • Yep, quinoa will work well. 🙂

  • Couldn’t find Tuscan kale. Would Swiss chard work?

    • Sure, Mary — or curly kale.

  • Well I made this last night and lovin the sheet pan dinners in your recipes. I bought some sockeye salmon and the spices were right on with just enough of a kick and the drizzle of honey added a nice sweetness. The kale with garlic was delicious and I did remember to “massage” the kale with the oil, really does make a difference. I took your suggestion Jenn and paired the meal with your Cauliflower Puree with Thyme and Cornbread Muffin recipe altho I used 8in pan instead. Everything was a first for me and will definitely make everything again.
    This was easy and so good, everyone loved it. 🙏😋

  • I made this tonight and it was delicious! Easy, one pan, perfect blend of flavors and super healthy.

  • Another 5 star recipe; thank you Jen! I made it exactly as written and my husband, who isn’t a huge fan of salmon, said that he would eat this a few times per week. I loved the crispy kale, and the honey and lime juice and zest were perfect counterpoints to the spicy blackened seasoning.

  • I’m not a salmon fan so, I’m using the rub on chicken thighs that will be grilled. This rub sounds wonderful!

    • — Jennifer Smaldone
    • Reply
  • Can you substitute spinach for the kale in this recipe?
    Will spinach cook to fast?

    • I do think it would cook too fast and wouldn’t get nice and crunchy like kale. You could use broccoli or cauliflower florets (cut fairly small). Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with either of these!

    • I tried this recipe for dinner last night and it was delicious!! The only change I made was to take the salmon out about 1 minute and 30 seconds before ready to drizzle the lime and honey and then broil it for the remaining time. As usual your recipe didn’t disappoint!!

      • — Kathryn Flowers Glasco
      • Reply
  • Looks great! Can’t wait to try it!! What would you recommend as another side pls. Thanks for all your recipes Jen. My family is a huge fan!

  • The only way I’ll eat salmon is either blackened or cedar plank salmon done on my BBQ or in my oven if we’re not buried in so much snow using the BBQ on an uncovered sundeck would be out of the question.
    Love Alex Guarnaschelli and do have her The Home Cook book which I enjoy. I’d love to buy her new cookbook but being in Canada, the book is $43.73 CD which is a bit out of my reach at this time.
    I’ll sometimes order cookbooks from the US because they’re so much cheaper but that all hinges on the dollar exchange, export and duty charges being low enough they still keep the book price lower than Canadian prices. Unfortunately, because the exchange on the dollar has dropped in the last while the cookbook plus all other charges would have cost more than buying it in Canada.
    That aside
    Thanks for posting this great recipe!
    All the best
    Stay well

    • Try your local public library. Borrowing for free is a fun way to find recipes to see if it might be worth buying later.

  • Hi Jen-

    This recipe looks really great except I do not care for salmon. Do you think I could substitute another fish like cod?

    • Yep 🙂

      • Would you drizzle the honey over cod, too? I’m another salmon hater 😳

        • Yep – hope you enjoy!

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