When I think of meals that feel special but are secretly simple, this Orange Salmon with Citrus-Olive Gremolata lands right at the top. Warm spices, juicy citrus, flaky roasted fish, and a vibrant olive gremolata spooned over the top. It’s the kind of dish that looks fancy, tastes incredible, and still comes together quickly and on one sheet pan.
I actually came up with this after one of my slow Saturday farmer’s market walks. We didn’t have a plan, just a craving for something bright, herby, and a little different. I saw a bunch of parsley, a bin of Castelvetrano olives, and the most beautiful oranges and boom. Dinner practically wrote itself.
Love Salmon? You can also check out my Creamy & Delicious Tuscan Salmon Recipe!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
One pan: Minimal dishes, zero stress. It’s giving “effortless elegance,” with no sink full of regret.
Citrusy, savory, and herby: Hits every Mediterranean flavor note: bright, bold, and balanced.
Naturally gluten-free & packed with healthy fats: A feel-good meal that tastes like a treat.
Meal prep magic: That citrus-olive gremolata keeps like a dream in the fridge and makes everything it touches better.
Orange Salmon with Citrus-Olive Gremolata Video
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Ingredient Notes
Salmon: Look for fresh, firm fillets of similar thickness so they all reach 125°F at the same time. The second bake with citrus slices on top is short. Only 14 minutes, so starting with evenly sized pieces means nothing overcooks while you wait on a thicker piece.
Oranges and Lemons: Both go into the sauce, and sliced oranges and lemons sit directly on top of the salmon. As they roast the citrus releases its oils and juices directly onto the fish, basting it from above while the sauce does the work from below.
Castelvetrano Olives: The olive that makes this gremolata. Castelvetrano olives are bright green, mild, buttery, and slightly sweet, completely different from a briny kalamata or a sharp green Manzanilla. Their mellow flavor lets the parsley and lemon in the gremolata shine rather than competing with them. If you love a good green olive in a Mediterranean spread, my Mediterranean Hummus Bowl uses Manzanilla olives for a similar briny pop.
Citrus-Olive Gremolata: Parsley, Castelvetrano olives, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil chopped and stirred together until bright green and glossy. Gremolata is traditionally a simple Italian garnish of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, and adding the olives here turns it into something heartier that can stand up to the richness of the salmon.
Baby Potatoes: They get a 20-minute head start so they are nearly tender by the time the salmon joins the pan, which means everything finishes at the same time. The smoked paprika ties the potatoes to the warm spices in the salmon sauce so the whole pan tastes cohesive rather than like two separate dishes sharing a pan.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Used in the potatoes, the salmon sauce, and the gremolata, which means it is doing a lot of work across this dish. Use a good one. The flavor comes through in all three components and a neutral oil would flatten the brightness of the citrus and the richness of the olives. My Mediterranean olive oil guide has everything you need to choose a good bottle.
Substitutions & Variations
No Castelvetrano olives? A mild green olive like Cerignola works as a substitute. Avoid kalamata or other very briny olives here, the gremolata is meant to be bright and mellow, not sharp.
Want more heat? Add the optional pinch of red pepper flakes to the gremolata. It adds a gentle warmth that plays nicely against the sweetness of the citrus and olives.
No baby potatoes? Quartered Yukon Golds work well in the same time, just make sure the pieces are a similar size to the halved baby potatoes so they roast evenly. I use the same potatoes in my Baked Red Pepper and Garlic Drumsticks for the same reason.
Want a fresh herb swap? Basil brings a completely different but equally lovely twist to the gremolata if parsley is not your thing.
FAQ
Yes, just thaw it fully and pat dry before marinating. Fresh is best, but frozen works in a pinch.
You can sub with bottled lemon juice or orange juice, but the zest adds a lot of flavor, don’t skip it if you can help it.
Absolutely. It keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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⭐️ Recipe
Orange Salmon with Citrus-Olive Gremolata
Ingredients
Salmon and potatoes
- 4 5 oz salmon fillets skin on or off
- 1 lb baby potatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 oranges sliced
- 3 lemons sliced
Citrus herb sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
Citrus-olive gremolata
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- ⅓ cup Castelvetrano olives chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
Roast the potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Halve the baby potatoes and add them to a sheet pan with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Toss until evenly coated and roast for 20 minutes.1 lb baby potatoes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Make the sauce and gremolata
- While the potatoes roast, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, paprika, lemon juice, and orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, ½ teaspoon paprika
- In a separate bowl combine the chopped parsley, chopped Castelvetrano olives, minced garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using. Stir until bright green and glossy. Set aside.½ cup flat-leaf parsley, ⅓ cup Castelvetrano olives, 1 garlic clove, Zest of 1 lemon, Juice of ½ lemon, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, Salt and black pepper to taste, Optional pinch of red pepper flakes
Add the salmon
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Move the potatoes to one side and nestle the salmon fillets. Brush each piece of salmon generously with the citrus herb sauce. Top each fillet with a slice of orange and a slice of lemon.4 5 oz salmon fillets, 3 oranges, 3 lemons
Bake and serve
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 14 minutes, or until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 125F and flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove from the oven and discard the citrus slices from the top of the salmon. Plate the salmon and potatoes and spoon the gremolata generously over the top. Serve immediately.
Harry J says
That looks great! That Salmon is so juicy. What would you say the secret is to getting the salmon that juicy?
Marsha says
I’m making the recipe tomorrow. Just one question, do the peppers get roasted with the salmon ?
Thanks.
Lola Jay says
Hi Marsha. Yes, the peppers just roast with the Salmon! Hope you enjoy!