Crowd-Pleasing Baked Salmon Fajitas

Typically, I cook salmon every Monday. Lately, my go-to salmon meal has been Baked Salmon Fajitas. Mondays are my busiest day, so this sheet pan dinner is perfect. It’s also a crowd-pleaser because you can make it Paleo, Keto, low-carb, gluten-free, or grain-free, or serve it with a flour tortilla.

Salmon Fishing in Alaska

Like man Alaskans, I always have salmon in the freezer. So, I’m always looking for different ways to cook it. I know that sounds spoiled, but what can I say? I am. During red (sockeye) salmon season, people literally scoop fish out of the river with giant nets. It’s called dip netting and it’s a great way to fill a freezer.
You can also go “fishing” for salmon, but I don’t much care for this. Most salmon fishing is done shoulder to shoulder with tons of other people. You throw your weighted hook in the water and watch it drift downstream. Then you plop it upstream again … and again … and again, hoping your hook will drift into a salmon’s mouth.
The most fun I ever had salmon fishing was when we hired a guide to fly us into a secret spot. We were close enough to the ocean that the silver salmon were still attaching our streamers.

Oh, I was also about 36 weeks pregnant. Thank God waders are made for overweight men 😊

Why Try Baked Salmon Fajitas?

• They are yummy. Life is too short to eat food you don’t enjoy.
• Salmon is sooo good for you. Omega-3s and Astaxanthin, anyone? (Here is a good article if you want to know more.)
• Sheet Pan Supers are the best. Everything cooks on the pan, so clean up is a breeze.
• Salmon Fajitas is one of the most versatile meals ever! The serving options are endless, so you can make just about anyone happy.

Pulling Pin Bones

I highly recommend pulling the pin bones out of the fish before you cook it. This is especially important if you are feeding kids. If you don’t pull out pin bones, you have to chew really carefully. To pull out the pin bones, you need a pair of tweezers. Run your finger along the midline of the fillet. When you find a bone, pull it out with your tweezers. Different parts of the fish have different numbers of bones. If your fillet comes from closer to the tail, you will find fewer bones. When you think you have them all, double check

How to Make Bakes Salmon Fajitas

1. Place a sheet pan in the oven to preheat at 425° F. These are the sheet pans I use. I love them because they are a higher quality so they don’t warp and use them ALL the time with these silicone mats. Silicone mats make clean up even easier because food doesn’t stick to them. Most of the time, I wash only the mat, not the pan.
2. While the oven is preheating, mix together the spice mix. The coconut sugar is optional. I find that the coconut sugar balances the flavor nicely and adds only a couple grams of carbs to the meal. When I’m in Ketosis, I leave it out. It’s totally up to you.
3. Coat onions and peppers in oil and 1-2 teaspoons of the spice mix. I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. Extra virgin olive oil would work but cooking with expensive EVOO is kind of a waste because it will lose that great olive taste. Other oils, such as vegetable and canola, have a high Omega-6 fat content, which increases inflammation. The way they are made also causes the fats to oxidize, which damages DNA and tissue in your body. Here is a good article about the dangers of vegetable oils.
4. Place on the baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables have started to brown on the edges.
5. Take the pan out of the oven and it down to 250° F. Studies also show that higher-temperature cooking degrades astaxanthin (a killer antioxidant found in salmon). If you totally want to geek out check out this PubMed article.
6. Place the salmon fillets on the pan. Sprinkle each with about ½ teaspoon seasoning. It’s ok to guess on the measurement; personally, I like the freedom of just eyeballing it.
7. Bake all together for about 12-15 minutes more, until the salmon just flakes with a fork. Cooking the salmon at a lower temperature prevents it from drying out and makes the texture delightful. When I first started cooking salmon, I cooked the heck out of it. I did not want it to be undercooked. Slowly, I have seen the light. I would rather eat salmon undercooked than overcooked.

Serving options

• Keto – over a bed of greens or cauliflower rice
• Paleo – cassava tortillas, you can buy them or make your own
• Gluten-free – over rice
• Conventional – corn or flour tortillas

Garnishing options

• Lime
• Cilantro
• Jalapenos
• Salsa
• Cabbage Slaw
• If you eat dairy Cotija Queso Fresco, sour cream, or plain greek yogurt

Enjoy!

*This post was adapted from a post I originally did for Open Sky Fitness.

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