This Broiled Sheet Pan Tandoori Salmon features skinless salmon filets coated in a tandoori spiced yogurt mixture, broiled along with cherry tomatoes and garlic. Broiled tandoori salmon could not be easier to make – or faster – at only 20 minutes total for the whole meal. You’re going to love this incredibly flavor-packed Indian inspired recipe that’s easy enough for a weeknight but delicious enough for special occasions!
Tandoori refers to an Indian method of cooking in a tandoor, which yields high heat. A broiler is a great substitute for a tandoor and yields a beautiful dark char on top of the salmon and the tomatoes which gives it so much flavor. But flavor aside… my favorite thing about using the broiler? How FAST it is!
Lately I’ve taken to using my broiler more and more. Part of this was because my oven broke for a few weeks and my “bake” setting didn’t work. But what I discovered was that broiling some veggies like asparagus and broccoli, and proteins like chicken thighs and fish, was far better than roasting. It’s like taking a grill indoors. You get gorgeous charred spots and a deeper flavor.
BUT BUT BUT. Also. It’s SO FAST! There’s no significant preheating necessary, for one thing. I usually give my broiler a few minutes to warm up for good measure. But unlike roasting, you won’t be waiting for like half an hour for the oven to get warm. And because of the high heat, it cooks much faster! This entire sheet pan of salmon and tomatoes only needs about 10 minutes to cook.
You do have to keep a close eye on it (due to the fast cooking at high heat) and broiling won’t be a good substitute for everything. But for this tandoori salmon, it’s literal perfection. Let’s get to it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Salmon – the star of the show, though this could also be made with other fish like cod (keeping in mind that different types of fish cook differently).
- Tandoori Masala – This is a spice mix that can be found at grocery stores or online – I personally use the Diaspora Co. Tandoori Masala. Try to find one with NO sodium/salt in it. You can also make your own tandoori masala. It’s mild; not spicy.
- Plain Greek yogurt – preferably full fat.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes – The tomatoes really are a star here, but I think this whole recipe would be really nice with cauliflower or a similar quick-cooking veggie with or instead of the tomatoes.
- Garlic
- Cilantro – leave this out if you don’t like it.
- Lemon wedges – for serving, optional but reallllly nice.
- Pickled red onions – again, optional, but realllllllly nice. It’s easy to make your own pickled red onions!
- Salt, Pepper, Olive oil
How to make Tandoori Salmon with Burst Tomatoes
First, you’ll marinate the salmon in a mixture of yogurt, tandoori masala spices, olive oil, and salt. The mixture will be quite thick – make sure the salmon is coated really well. For best results, let it marinate in the fridge for 1-6 hours. But if you don’t have time, you can just cook it right away.
In a bowl, mix together cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped garlic, olive oil, and salt. Dump that onto a sheet pan and move everything to the edges, leaving a nice oil coating in the middle. Then, add the yogurt covered salmon to the middle of the sheet pan, using a spatula or spoon to get any excess yogurt and spread it evenly on top of the fish.
Finally, cook it on the top rack of the oven, about 8-10 inches under the broiler for about 10 minutes. You’ll need to keep a close eye on it! Depending on your oven, its age, and whether its gas or electric, the broiler may yield stronger or weaker heat.
Once the top of the fish gets nice, even char marks and the tomatoes have burst and blackened on top a bit, you can move it to the lower rack in the oven if the salmon isn’t cooked yet. I cook until the salmon reads 125 – 130 degrees F in the middle of the thickest part (though the FDA recommendation is 145 degrees, which can yield a dry texture – this all depends on your risk tolerance). A quick read meat thermometer makes easy work of this.
Serve the salmon and tomatoes sprinkled with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lemon, and pickled red onions, atop rice or with naan for soaking up all of the delicious juices!
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t let the salmon marinate for too long, otherwise the acids in the yogurt will start to break down the fish (similarly to how lime juice works in ceviche).
- Ask your fish person at the grocery store to cut a center piece of salmon into four evenly sized filets at 6 oz. each and take the skin off – it will make your life much easier to have this already prepared!
- If you HAVE to use a tandoori masala mix that has salt in it, bear in mind it may be quite salty. I recommend eliminating added salt from the yogurt marinade and maybe only using half the amount of the spice mix.
Other Indian Inspired Recipes
Other Sheet Pan Meals
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Sheet Pan Tandoori Salmon with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 4 salmon filets about 6 oz. each, preferably with the skin removed, see notes
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt preferably full-fat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons tandoori masala see notes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Tomatoes + Serving
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- lemon wedges for serving, optional
- pickled red onions for serving, optional (see notes)
- naan bread or rice for serving, optional
Instructions
- In the bottom of a shallow container or bowl big enough to fit the salmon, mix together the ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons tandoori masala, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Then, add the 4 salmon filets and flip around to coat, using a spoon or spatula (or you hands) if necessary to get a nice thick even coating. Cover and place in your fridge for 1-6 hours (if you're short on time you can skip this – see notes! This is a great time to make your pickled red onions if using – see notes for more on this as well!).
- When you're ready to cook, preheat your broiler and place the top oven rack 8-10 inches away from it.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the 3 cups cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Dump onto a sheet pan and spread out evenly around the edges of the sheet pan, leaving the center empty (but still coated in oil from the tomato mix).
- Add the marinated filets of salmon to the center of the sheet pan. Use a spatula or spoon to get any excess yogurt mixture and spread evenly on top of the salmon pieces.
- Place the sheet pan on the top rack under the broiler. This is important: WATCH IT CAREFULLY! Your broiler may be stronger or weaker depending on whether you have gas or electric. It will need about 10 minutes of cooking time total, and you should take it out when the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F (see notes). The tomatoes will burst and get blackened a bit on top, and the top of the salmon should char nicely and evenly. If it's all nice and charred but the salmon isn't fully cooked, just move the sheet pan to the bottom rack away from the direct heat for the remainder of the cooking time until the salmon is fully cooked.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle everything evenly with the ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing, pickled red onions, and naan bread or rice if desired.
Notes
- For the salmon, if you go right to the fish counter at your grocery store, you can ask them specifically to cut the salmon into four portions and remove the skin for you. It will make your life much easier! Ask for the filets to be relatively the same thickness and size from the center of the salmon, so they cook evenly. If you’re using frozen, defrost completely before using, and try to get pieces that are about the same size as each other.
- Tandoori Masala is a spice mix you can find at many grocery stores or Indian specialty stores. You can make it yourself if you want. I used the Tandoori Masala from Diaspora Co., a spice shop I always wholeheartedly recommend both for quality and their ethical practices. I recommend looking for one that’s sodium free! If you must use one with sodium, make sure to omit the added salt in the yogurt mixture, and perhaps use less overall spice mix since those things tend to be super salty if there is salt included.
- You can easily make pickled red onions by adding sliced red onions to a 2 cup mason jar, pouring white vinegar in halfway, adding 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt (for a standard mason jar size), and pouring boiling water in to top off the rest of the jar (I pour it from my tea kettle). Shake it up and stick it in your fridge for a couple hours. Here’s more on how to make your own pickled red onions!
- Marinating the salmon: Be sure not to do it for too long. I wouldn’t go more than about 6 hours. Otherwise, the acidity from the yogurt will start to break down the fish, similarly to how lime or lemon juice does in ceviche. If you’re short on time you can skip marinating altogether if you want – if you do this, you may want to add a little more salt and seasoning to the yogurt mix.
- For the internal temperature of the salmon: While I recommend 125-130 degrees, and many chefs recommend this as well for the best texture, please keep in mind that the FDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. The amount you cook it will depend on your personal risk tolerance; please talk to a medical professional if you have concerns about this. Here’s my favorite meat thermometer to use for things like this – it’s super accurate and fast!
- This recipe was adapted from this Tandoori Fish Recipe from Diaspora Co.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Foodiewife
I will order the spice. As of late, I’ve been obsessed with Mediterranean and Indian flavors. This looks healthy and flavorful. Great recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you love it! It’s so flavorful!