Sheet Pan Salmon Meal Prep Bowls

Salmon is the fastest way to hit 45g of protein without eating another chicken breast. The miso and honey glaze does two jobs here: it tastes good and it caramelizes into a light seal that keeps the fillet from drying out during a reheat. Broccoli goes on the pan first because it needs ten minutes more than the fish does. Everything comes off one sheet pan in 22 minutes.

Ingredients

• 4 (6 oz) skin-on salmon fillets
• 3/4 cup dry short-grain brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 1 lb broccoli florets
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425F and start the brown rice, which needs about 40 minutes, so get it going before anything else.
2. Whisk the miso, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce into a smooth glaze. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
3. Toss the broccoli with a little oil and salt, spread it on a sheet pan, and roast 10 minutes until the edges start to char.
4. Push the broccoli aside, add the salmon skin side down and the edamame, brush the fillets generously with the glaze, and roast 10 to 12 more minutes until the thickest part hits 130F.
5. Divide the rice among four containers, set a fillet on top, and pack the broccoli and edamame beside it rather than under the fish so the bottoms stay crisp. Scatter the sesame seeds and scallions.
6. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat at 50% microwave power for 60 to 75 seconds only, or skip reheating entirely and eat it cold, which is genuinely better.

Tips

• Pull the salmon at 130F, not 145F. It carries over a few degrees on the pan and then gets a second dose of heat in the microwave, so anything cooked to done on Sunday is dry and chalky by Tuesday.
• Reheating salmon at full power is what creates that fishy smell in the office kitchen. Half power for barely over a minute, or cold straight from the container, avoids it completely.
• Frozen fillets work if you thaw them overnight in the fridge and blot them very dry. Surface water dilutes the glaze and it slides off instead of caramelizing.

FAQ

Does salmon really keep for meal prep?

Three days, not four. Cooked salmon holds its texture and flavor for about 72 hours, so make this on Sunday for Monday through Wednesday and plan something else for the back half of the week.

Can I substitute cod or another white fish?

Yes, but cod is much leaner and cooks faster, so roast it 8 minutes and expect around 36g of protein per bowl instead of 46g. It also does not reheat as gracefully as salmon.

What if I do not have miso paste?

Use 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce plus 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. You lose some depth, but you keep the salt and the sugar that make the glaze caramelize.

Can I use white rice to save time?

Yes, and it drops the total to about 20 minutes. Protein stays roughly the same and calories fall by about 30 per bowl, though you lose a couple grams of fiber.

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