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This tender and flaky baked Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata is a colourful showstopping main. Cook it alongside your favourite greens and top it with a chunky olive gremolata for a complete meal. The best part? It’s on the table in under 30 minutes!

This is almost a one-pan dinner. It’s more like a one-pan and one-bowl dinner. And I’ll happily wash an extra dish if the result is a meal like this Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata!

It’s maximum taste and minimal clean up!

You can use any combination of citrus you like, including lemons and limes, and different kinds of oranges like navel, cara cara and blood orange. A mix of citrus looks great for the finished dish, but if all you have or want to use is lemons, then go for it.

For a festive lunch or dinner party, cook a side of salmon instead of individual salmon fillets and serve it whole right at the table – people will love it.

Why you’ll Love this Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata Recipe

Delicious showstopper. The salmon and greens are dotted with an orange, honey and Aleppo pepper butter that melts into a tasty sauce. The sliced citrus looks pretty but imparts a lovely fresh flavour. Add the green olive gremolata on top and you get a zippy and bright topping that complements the citrus salmon perfectly.
Quick and easy. A little slicing, a little mixing and the oven takes care of everything else! It’s on the table in under 30 minutes.
Versatile. You can add your favourite greens to this Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata to make it a complete dish. I’ve used asparagus but you can sub that out for broccolini or green beans without having to alter the cooking time. Roast a tray of potatoes at the same time to serve as a side, or place a whole cooked salmon fillet on your favourite grain bowl.

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Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this mouth-watering citrusy and zippy recipe:

For the Citrus Salmon:

Butter. The base of the ‘marinade’ that will melt and flavour the salmon and asparagus as it cooks. No basting required!
Honey. The perfect match to all the citrus, just a little is added to the butter marinade.
Mixed citrus. You’ll need at least 12 thin slices of mixed citrus and around 4 tablespoons of fresh juice for both the salmon and gremolata. I used a lemon, a navel orange and a blood orange. But don’t let my choices stop you, any citrus will work well and be just as tasty!
Garlic. Just a little so the butter sauce is balanced and not overly sweet.
Aleppo pepper. Offers a little hum of bright heat that compliments the citrus in the recipe. Can easily substitute for chilli flakes.
Salmon. I used 4 individual salmon fillets as that’s what was easiest and most economical for me. You can definitely use a whole side of salmon if you can get your hands on it, especially for a fancy dinner party main. Just be sure to check your cooking times if you’re not cooking individual fillets.
Asparagus. I used asparagus but you can easily swap them out for broccolini or green beans without changing the cooking time.
Salt and pepper. Because everything needs a little seasoning.

For the Green Olive Gremolata

Parsley. The star of any gremolata. I prefer to use flat leaf parsley as it’s a much nicer eating experience than curly parsley.
Garlic. Balances out all that parsley.
Citrus zest and juice. Pick your favourite citrus and use that. Or use one kind for the salmon and a different one for the gremolata.
Green olives. The surprise but not unwelcome guest to this gremolata recipe. Use whichever green olives you like, or even black kalamata olives, if you prefer.
Olive oil. Or extra virgin olive oil. Grapeseed oil at a push. But don’t use coconut or vegetable oil for this recipe.

Find the exact quantities in the recipe card below.

How to Make this Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata Recipe

You can serve this Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata straight from the pan, and people can help themselves to a fillet and asparagus. A side of roast potatoes or a crisp salad wouldn’t be unwelcome!

Here’s the quick rundown on how to make the recipe:

Slice the fruit. Thinly slice your lemon, orange and blood orange, keeping the rest of the fruit whole. You’ll need 12 thin slices of mixed citrus, 4 tablespoons of fresh juice and lemon zest for the gremolata. Place the citrus slices in slightly overlapping pairs onto a lined baking tray, reserving 4 slices for the top.
Make the butter marinade. Add the softened butter, 2 tablespoons of citrus juice, honey, garlic and Aleppo pepper to a small bowl and mash until combined. Don’t worry if not all the liquid gets worked into the butter, we’ll be using all of it!
Prepare the salmon. Pat the salmon fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Lay each fillet on top of the citrus slices. Fill the gaps between the salmon and the sides with asparagus and then dot the marinade butter all over the fish and vegetables. Top each salmon fillet with citrus slice and pop the whole tray into the oven! Bake for 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.
Make the gremolata. While the salmon bakes in the oven, pick up your knife and make the really quick and easy Green Olive Gremolata by finely chopping the parsley, roughly chopping the green olives and mixing them together with garlic, lemon zest and juice and olive oil.
Serve. When the salmon is flaky and tender, remove it from the oven. Scatter some of the gremolata over the fillets and serve, with extra gremolata on the side.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days. While you can easily warm it up in the microwave, the salmon will dry out a little. I recommend using leftover citrus salmon by flaking it and adding to an omelette or a grain bowl; topped with the green olive gremolata, of course!

Can’t get enough of salmon dishes? Try these recipes too:

Have you made this Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata yet? What mixed citrus did you use? Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know. Or take a pic and tag me over on Instagram, I love seeing what you guys are making from the blog!

Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata

This tender and flaky baked Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata is a colourful show-stopping main. Cook it alongside your favourite greens and top it with a chunky olive gremolata for a complete meal. The best part? It’s on the table in under 30 minutes!

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Course: Festive, Main Course, Mains, Seafood

Cuisine: Western

Diet: aleppo pepper, asparagus, blood orange, blood oranges, Green olives, honey, lemon, parsley, Salmon

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 16

Total Time: 26

Servings:

Author: Eff | Food Daydreaming

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Citrus Salmon

1 lemon
1 orange
1 blood orange
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
4 salmon fillets, skin off
Salt and pepper
2 bunches asparagus

For the Green Olive Gremolata

½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove microplaned
Lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons citrus juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup green olives, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C.
Slice 12 slices of mixed citrus, 4 slices each of lemon, orange and blood orange. With the remaining half fruits, squeeze and reserve 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice and orange juice. Set aside.
1 lemon, 1 orange, 1 blood orange
In a small bowl add the butter, honey, orange juice, garlic and Aleppo pepper and smash together to mix well. (It doesn’t matter if all the liquid doesn’t incorporate into the butter, just mix it all well.) Set aside.
2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using 8 of the citrus slices, place slightly overlapping pairs on the baking tray, reserving 4 slices. Pat the salmon fillets dry and place one fillet on top of each pair of citrus slices. Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
4 salmon fillets, Salt and pepper
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus spears and place onto the baking tray in a single layer in between the salmon fillets.
2 bunches asparagus
Dot the butter mixture on each salmon fillet and in and around the asparagus. Top each salmon fillet with 1 of the reserved citrus slices.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes for individual fillets (or 15-18 for a whole side), or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily*, and the asparagus is tender.
While the Citrus Salmon is baking, prepare the Green Olive Gremolata. Add the finely chopped parsley to a bowl and microplane in the garlic and lemon zest, if using. Add the lemon juice and the olive oil, followed by the green olives, and mix together (you shouldn’t need to season with salt if you’re serving it with the marinated citrus salmon). If the ingredients are not slightly clumping together, add a teaspoon more of olive oil and mix again. Set aside.
½ cup parsley, 1 garlic clove microplaned, Lemon zest, 2 tablespoons citrus juice, 4 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup green olives
When the salmon is cooked through to your liking and the asparagus is tender, remove the baking tray from the oven. Salmon is cooked when its no longer translucent and it gives and starts to flake when you gently press the top of the fillet*.
Spoon some of the Green Olive Gremolata over the salmon fillets and serve with extra gremolata on the side.

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Notes

The rule of thumb when cooking salmon is to bake it for 4-6 minutes per half inch of thickness in a 190C degree oven. Salmon is cooked through when it’s no longer translucent and flakes when pressed.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @food_daydreaming or tag #fooddaydreaming on instagram. I love seeing what you all come up with!

Nutrition

Citrus Salmon with Green Olive Gremolata