Pacific Coast Salmon & Blackberry Sheet Pan Dinner
Welcome to the 🗺️ Great Canadian Food Passport 📍Stop #1 – British Columbia
Cook Your Way Across Canada
Your Canadian culinary adventure begins on the spectacular West Coast, where towering mountains, rugged shorelines, wild Pacific salmon, and abundant berry harvests have shaped British Columbia’s rich food culture for generations.
This Pacific Coast Salmon & Blackberry Sheet Pan Dinner is one of British Columbia’s two Official Passport Recipes. Complete this recipe to earn your first Passport Stop before continuing your journey across Canada.
This Pacific Coast-inspired dinner pairs wonderfully with:
- Sparkling lemonade or iced tea
- Wild rice or herb rice pilaf
- Warm crusty artisan bread
- A crisp garden salad with a light vinaigrette
- Steamed green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts
🍁 British Columbia Passport Progress
🍁 This province has 18 Canadian recipes
⭐ 2 are Official Great Canadian Food Passport Recipes
Official Passport Stops
✅ Passport Stop #1
Pacific Coast Salmon & Blackberry Sheet Pan Dinner (You’re Here!)
⬜ Passport Stop #2
Nanaimo Bars
Complete both Passport Stops to finish British Columbia before moving on to Alberta.
🧭 Your Passport Challenge
As you cook your way across Canada, each province and territory features two hand-picked signature recipes that represent its unique culinary traditions.
For every Passport Recipe, you’ll:
✔ Cook an authentic regional recipe
✔ Learn a fun fact about the province or territory
✔ Check off your Passport Stop
✔ Stamp your printable Great Canadian Food Passport
✔ Continue to your next Canadian destination
By the end of your journey, you’ll have completed 26 Official Passport Recipes—two from each of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
📥 Download Your FREE Great Canadian Food Passport
Keep track of your progress with our printable Passport!
Inside you’ll find:
• Passport progress tracker
• Traveller information
• Space to check off all 26 Passport Recipes
• Completion certificate
📥 Download the FREE Great Canadian Food Passport here.
Download updated editions as new Passport Recipes are added.
Pacific Coast Salmon & Blackberry Sheet Pan Dinner
Fresh Pacific salmon, vibrant vegetables, and a rich blackberry balsamic glaze come together in this beautiful one-pan meal inspired by the incredible flavours of British Columbia.
The province is famous for its wild Pacific salmon, fertile berry-growing regions, breathtaking coastline, and farm-fresh produce. This recipe celebrates those iconic ingredients by pairing flaky roasted salmon with sweet blackberries, tangy balsamic vinegar, roasted baby potatoes, crisp asparagus, and fresh herbs for a meal that’s simple enough for a weeknight yet elegant enough for entertaining.
Whether you’re exploring Canada’s regional cuisine for the first time or revisiting favourite family recipes, this sheet pan dinner offers a delicious taste of the Pacific Coast while helping you complete your first Great Canadian Food Passport stop.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 40 minutes
- Easy one-pan dinner with minimal cleanup
- Sweet, savoury, and packed with fresh West Coast flavours
- Naturally gluten-free
- Perfect for family dinners or entertaining
- One of the 26 Official Great Canadian Food Passport Recipes
🍁 Traveller’s Checklist
Before leaving British Columbia…
☐ I cooked Passport Stop #1.
☐ I downloaded my Great Canadian Food Passport.
☐ I checked off this Passport Stop.
☐ I learned something new about British Columbia.
☐ I’m ready for Passport Stop #2.
🌲 British Columbia Fun Fact
British Columbia is home to five species of Pacific salmon and produces some of Canada’s finest blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cranberries. Its diverse landscape stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, making it one of Canada’s richest agricultural and seafood regions.
(Recipe ingredients and instructions follow.)
🧭 Continue Your Canadian Adventure
✔ Completed this Passport Stop?
Next, complete:
⭐ Passport Stop #2 – Nanaimo Bars
Once you’ve finished both British Columbia Passport Stops, continue your journey to Alberta, where your next two signature recipes are waiting.
🍁 Explore more British Columbia recipes
🗺️ Return to the Great Canadian Food Map
📖 View all Great Canadian Food Passport Stops
Happy cooking—and we’ll see you at your next destination!
Pacific Coast Salmon & Blackberry Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- For the Salmon
- * 4 Pacific salmon fillets (about 6 oz / 170 g each)
- * 2 tablespoons olive oil
- * Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Blackberry Balsamic Glaze
- * 1 cup fresh blackberries
- * ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- * 2 tablespoons pure Canadian maple syrup
- * 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- * 2 cloves garlic, minced
- * 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- * 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- * ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- * ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetables
- * 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
- * 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
- * 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
- * 2 tablespoons olive oil
- * 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- * 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- * Salt and pepper, to taste
- For Garnish
- * Fresh thyme
- * Fresh parsley
- * Lemon wedges
- * Fresh blackberries (optional)
Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare the Oven
- Preheat your oven to **425°F (220°C)**.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with olive oil.
Step 2 – Roast the Potatoes
- In a large bowl, toss the baby potatoes with the olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Spread the potatoes onto one side of the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
Roast for **15 minutes**.
Step 3 – Make the Blackberry Balsamic Glaze
- While the potatoes are roasting, combine the blackberries, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Cook for **8–10 minutes**, stirring occasionally and gently crushing the berries with the back of a spoon until the sauce thickens slightly.
- For a smoother glaze, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. For a more rustic sauce, leave the berries intact. Set aside.
Step 4 – Prepare the Vegetables
- Place the asparagus and red onion into the same mixing bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Toss until coated.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the vegetables beside the potatoes.
Step 5 – Add the Salmon
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the salmon fillets onto the remaining space on the baking sheet.
- Brush each fillet generously with the blackberry balsamic glaze, reserving a few tablespoons for serving.
Step 6 – Roast Everything Together
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for **12–15 minutes**, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of **145°F (63°C)**.
- For a beautifully caramelized finish, switch the oven to **broil** during the final **1–2 minutes**, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Step 7 – Serve
- Arrange the roasted potatoes, asparagus, and red onion onto serving plates.
- Top with a salmon fillet.
- Drizzle with the reserved blackberry balsamic glaze.
- Garnish with fresh thyme, chopped parsley, extra blackberries if desired, and lemon wedges.
- Serve immediately
Notes
* Wild Pacific salmon offers the most authentic West Coast flavour, but farm-raised Atlantic salmon works beautifully as well.
* Yukon Gold potatoes become wonderfully creamy inside while crisping on the outside.
* If your asparagus spears are very thin, add them during the last 10 minutes of roasting to keep them crisp-tender.
* Fresh blackberries provide the brightest flavour, but frozen blackberries can be substituted without thawing.