Mediterranean Salmon (One-Pan, 30-Minute Meal)

This easy one-pan Mediterranean salmon dinner comes together in just 30 minutes. The recipe features staples of Mediterranean cuisine: rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, lemon, oregano, and feta cheese. It's healthy and gluten-free. Easy enough to make on a busy weeknight and fancy enough to entertain guests.

Mediterranean Salmon with Rice, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta Cheese - in a cast iron skillet.

Healthy dinner high in protein and fiber

You'll be in love with this flavorful Mediterranean salmon. It's loaded with bright and fresh flavors and features traditional Mediterranean ingredients, such as rice, chickpeas, lemon, olives, feta cheese, and oregano. This main dish is packed with healthy omega-3s, fiber, and other nutritious ingredients. It's gluten-free, high-in-protein, and appropriate for a Pescatarian diet - a vegetarian diet that incorporates seafood. It takes only 30 minutes and requires one cooking pan. The cleanup is minimal - perfect for busy weeknights. My other favorite quick and easy salmon recipes are salmon with mango salsa and cilantro-lime salmon.

Mediterranean Salmon with Rice, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta Cheese - in a cast iron skillet.

How to make Mediterranean salmon - a quick overview

First, the salmon is seasoned with smoked paprika, dried oregano, and red chili flakes and pan-seared on the stovetop until tender and flaky.
Then, you will combine cooked rice with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, and feta cheese in the same skillet where you cooked salmon.
Add the salmon on top, and your dinner is served! 30-minutes, one-pan! The cleanup is a breeze.
Mediterranean salmon is like a Summer on a plate - bursting with flavors, and colors, and packed with so many good-for-you ingredients! It is sure to become a family favorite with both kids and adults!

Why make it

Healthy recipe. Salmon is packed with protein and is a great source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. It's also a natural food source of vitamin D. This recipe also features veggies and is packed with fiber (chickpeas). It's healthy, gluten-free, high-in-protein, high in fiber, and appropriate for a Pescatarian diet.
30-minute one-pan meal. Mediterranean salmon is a quick and easy recipe that takes only 30 minutes (and one pan!) yet tastes and looks like a restaurant-quality main course! It's a great choice for a simple weeknight dinner, and the cleanup is minimal. Or, serve it for special occasions (parties, anniversaries, holidays) to impress your family and friends.
Flexible and easy to adjust. This recipe will work with other types of fish, such as trout, halibut, cod, or sea bass. You can use couscous, orzo, or small-shaped pasta instead of rice. As far as the veggies, the sky is your limit. Add/subtract your favorite veggies or whatever veggies you need to use up. My favorites are tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, bell peppers, and spinach.

Mediterranean Salmon (30-Minute, One-Pan Meal)

This easy one-pan Mediterranean salmon dinner comes together in just 30 minutes. The recipe features staples of Mediterranean cuisine: rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, lemon, oregano, and feta cheese. It's healthy and gluten-free. Easy enough to make on a busy weeknight and fancy enough to entertain guests.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Mediterranean salmon

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 573kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Salmon

2 lb salmon fillets
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil divided

Mediterranean rice

1.5 cups cooked jasmine rice
15 oz chickpeas canned
6 oz cherry tomatoes (2 colors) sliced in half
⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced
¼ cup green olives sliced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Feta cheese mixture

6 oz feta cheese diced into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried oregano or more
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano optional
fresh oregano for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook salmon on stovetop

Heat a large, high-sided skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat for about 4 minutes to heat it up.
I used salmon fillets with skin-on. Season the top of the salmon with smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried parsley, red chili flakes, and salt, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub the spices on top of the fish.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot skillet. Add salmon skin side up and cook on medium-high heat for 4 minutes, undisturbed.
Flip the salmon to the other side, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Carefully slide a wide spatula between each salmon fillet and the skin to carefully separate the flesh from the skin. Remove salmon (without skin) to a plate.
Remove skins from the skillet. You can eat them later or discard them if you don't like them.
Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels.

Make Mediterranean rice in the same skillet

Add cooked rice, drained chickpeas, sliced cherry tomatoes, and sliced olives, to the same, now empty, skillet.
Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and reheat on medium heat, stirring everything to combine. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, if you like.
Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Make feta cheese mixture

In a medium bowl, combine cubed Feta cheese with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano (add more to taste), 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano (if using).
Mix so that the herbs and olive oil coat the cubed Feta cheese.

Assemble

Add half of the feta cheese mixture to the skillet with rice and mix thoroughly.
Add cooked salmon to the skillet with rice and reheat on medium heat.
Top the rice with the remaining feta mixture. Sprinkle fresh oregano on top of the Mediterranean salmon and rice. Serve.

Nutrition

Mediterranean Salmon with Rice, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta Cheese - in a cast iron skillet.

What kind of salmon to use

Individual salmon fillets. These can be purchased fresh or frozen. They usually don't have skin on. They are individually cut and usually, each fillet represents one serving.
Large salmon fillet usually has skin on them. It's great for serving a crowd. You can slice a large salmon fillet into smaller fillets.
Varieties of salmon. Buy the freshest and the most high-quality salmon fillets you can find. I prefer to use either Scottish salmon or Skuna Bay salmon, but, really, any high-quality salmon fillets will work in this recipe. Popular varieties are sockeye and king salmon. Use the fish as soon as you buy it - within a day - don't let it sit in the fridge for days.

Traditional Mediterranean seasonings

To keep things simple, I used smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried parsley, black pepper, and red pepper flakes for this salmon recipe. However, you can use a wide variety of spices and herbs to elevate this dish. Some of the most popular Mediterranean seasonings are listed below:

Herbs. Basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, lavender, bay leaf, sage, tarragon, thyme, dill, and cilantro.
Spices. Turmeric, saffron, coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, black pepper.

Substitutions and variations

Fish. This recipe will work with many types of fish, such as salmon, trout, halibut, sea bass, cod, mahi-mahi, and other similar fish. I recommend using fish fillets.
Rice. I used jasmine rice. You can also use basmati rice, any long-grain rice, or Arborio rice.
Pasta. If you're looking for other popular Mediterranean diet choices in place of rice, I recommend couscous or orzo. You can also make this recipe with short-cut pasta, such as bow-tie (farfalle), spiral pasta (fusilli), penne, or rigatoni.
Beans. I recommend garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or cannellini beans. You can even use cooked lentils.
Lime or lemon will work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!
Veggies. My favorite veggies for Mediterranean salmon are chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, arugula, and spinach.
Cheese. You can use grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Mozzarella cheese instead of or in addition to Feta cheese.

Storage Tips

Fridge. Store leftover cooked Mediterranean salmon (together with rice) refrigerated, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer. This recipe is freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep! Freeze this dish for up to 2 months.

How to reheat

Stove-top. Reheat over low-medium heat in any kind of appropriately sized cooking pan. Separate salmon from rice to keep fish intact. Add a small amount of olive oil when reheating, and stir the rice often. Flip the salmon a couple of times to heat it through and be careful to keep it intact.
Microwave oven. Reheat the Mediterranean salmon in a deep, high-sided microwave-safe dish (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave oven, stir the rice mixture well. Return to the oven and reheat for 30 more seconds or more, until heated through.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, the Mediterranean salmon freezes well since it doesn't have any cream. It's a perfect recipe for your weekly or monthly meal prep! While this meal can be frozen with tomatoes in it, it's probably the best to freeze it without the fresh tomatoes, and add them only when serving.

Mediterranean Salmon with Rice, Chickpeas, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta Cheese - in a cast iron skillet.

What to serve with it

Mediterranean salmon is a complete meal that doesn't need any side dishes. The only thing that can make it better is a side salad. Here are some easy and healthy ideas: