Author Archives: saltandserenity

Maple Aleppo Glazed Salmon & Crispy Sheet Pan Rice

I’ve watched enough episodes of Beat Bobby Flay to know one thing: if he adds crispy rice to a dish, he wins. Every. Time. There’s just something irresistible about those golden, crunchy bits that steal the spotlight. I’ve always been firmly on Team Potato, but crispy rice has always held a certain magic. The only problem? Making it on the stovetop means babysitting it—carefully adjusting the heat, listening for the sizzle, hoping you don’t burn it.

Enter this Maple Aleppo Glazed Salmon with Crispy Sheet Pan Rice. The oven does the work, and the result is pure sheet pan sorcery. Sweet and spicy maple Aleppo glazed salmon, cooked until tender and flaky, nestled into a bed of crispy, golden rice. No stirring. No stress.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Weeknight-friendly, but elegant enough for guests

Sweet-spicy glaze with mellow heat from Aleppo pepper

Golden crispy rice, no stovetop required

One pan = easy cleanup

Keys to Crispy Rice Success

Use medium or short grain rice. Sushi rice or Calrose work beautifully. Long grain tends to separate and dry out too much.
Start with cold, cooked rice. Fresh rice is too wet and will steam instead of crisp. Leftover rice from the fridge is ideal.
Balance the flavours in the rice. A little soy sauce adds salt, lime juice brings brightness, and green onions add a fresh bite. Seasoned rice = crave-worthy rice.
Heat your sheet pan in the oven until it’s smoking hot. This jumpstarts the crisping process as soon as the rice hits the pan.
Crisp the rice before adding salmon. The rice needs about 15–20 minutes to get golden and crunchy. Add the salmon after that for perfect timing.
Don’t let the glaze hit the pan. Maple syrup burns easily, so spoon the glaze directly onto the salmon, not the rice or pan.

Sticky Maple. Slow Heat. Crispy Rice.

This isn’t just salmon—it’s sheet pan sorcery. The kind of dinner that feels like a spell: no stovetop, no stress, just golden crackle and sweet heat. The kind of dinner that lingers—quietly impressive and deeply satisfying.

Grab the full printable recipe below.

Maple Aleppo Glazed Salmon and Crispy Sheet Pan Rice

Sticky maple, slow heat, and golden, crispy rice—this sweet and spicy sheet pan salmon is simple to make, yet quietly spectacular.

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Servings

Calories 541 kcal

Equipment

1 9×13 inch sheet pan

Ingredients

For the Crispy Rice

1 Tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil, for pan
3 cups cold, cooked short grain rice, like sushi rice
1 Tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil, for rice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 green onions

For the Salmon

780 grams skin on salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

For Garnish

2 wedges fresh lime
2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
reserved sliced dark green onion tops
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

For Crispy Rice

Pour 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil onto a 9×13 rimmed sheet pan and place on lower rack of your oven. Preheat oven to 425°F.
Thinly slice green onions, separating the dark green tops for garnish.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, white and light green onion parts, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, soy sauce, and lime juice. Wet hands with cold water and mix until well combined.
Once oven is preheated, remove sheet pan and spread rice mixture into an even layer. Return pan to oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, until rice begins to crisp and turn golden around the edges.

For the Salmon

In a small skillet, combine soy sauce, maple syrup, and Aleppo pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
After rice has baked for 15–20 minutes, remove sheet pan from oven. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, on top of the rice. Spoon glaze over the salmon.
Return sheet pan to oven and bake for another 10–12 minutes, until salmon is cooked through.
Garnish with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, reserved sliced green onion tops and toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

It is important to start with cold, cooked rice for this recipe as it has had time to dry out and will resist clumping .It will crisp up perfectly on the hot sheet pan.

Sushi, or any short grain rice, works best for this recipe as long grain rice can dry out more quickly than it’s short grained sister. For 3 cups cooked leftover cold rice, you will need to start with 1.5 cups of dry rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 43gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 601mgPotassium: 1084mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 3mg

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More Easy Weeknight Dinners to Love

I’d love to hear from you if you try this!

Pistachio Crunch Ice Cream Bars

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If you’re as obsessed with pistachio desserts as I am, you’re in for a treat. These Pistachio Crunch Ice Cream Bars are inspired by the luxurious flavours and textures of the viral Dubai Pistachio chocolate bar — but reimagined as a frozen summer dessert. Two layers of creamy pistachio ice cream sandwich a crunchy, buttery kataifi-pistachio filling, all enrobed in a thick shell of chocolate and topped with a white chocolate drizzle, toasted pistachios and gold sprinkles. They look extra (and taste like it), but they’re surprisingly easy to make — no churning required. Most of the time is hands-off while everything chills and sets. Trust me: this is the kind of dessert you’ll want to keep stashed in your freezer all summer long.

Watch me make them:

Keys to Success when making Pistachio Crunch Ice Cream Bars

1. Use store-bought ice cream — but let it soften first. You don’t need an ice cream maker for this recipe. Just use your favourite pistachio ice cream, but let it soften in the fridge for about 30 minutes before spreading. It’ll glide into the pan much more easily and create smooth, even layers.
2.Start with good quality ice cream. I bought Basking Robbins Pistachio- Almond ice cream.
3. Toast the kataifi gently. Kataifi is shredded phyllo and burns quickly. Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly until it’s evenly golden and crisp. You’re aiming for toasty, not smoky.
4. Press the filling firmly and evenly. After toasting the kataifi and mixing in the pistachio paste, spread it gently over the first ice cream layer and press it down. This helps the layers stay neat when slicing later. Use the back of a measuring cup to help get everything smooth.
5. Freeze in stages. Let each layer freeze before adding the next — this helps keep them distinct and prevents melting during assembly. The final freeze (at least 4 hours or overnight) is essential for clean slicing and smooth dipping.
6. Use a deep container for dipping. Pour your melted chocolate into a narrow, deep container (a 4.5” x 2.5” deli container works well). It gives you a clean, even dip and minimizes waste.
7. Work quickly when dipping. Keep your bars frozen until just before dipping. If they start to soften, pop them back in the freezer for 10–15 minutes before continuing.
8. Make it fancy. A drizzle of white chocolate, a sprinkle of pistachios (and maybe a touch of edible gold) elevates these from simple frozen treats to showstoppers.
9. Pistachio Paste vs. Pistachio Butter vs. Pistachio Cream.
This recipe calls for pistachio cream. Pistachio paste, pistachio butter, and pistachio cream may sound similar, but they’re quite different. Pistachio paste is made from finely ground pistachios, often roasted, with no added sugar—just pure, intense pistachio flavour. Pistachio butter is also made from ground pistachios but is usually raw or lightly roasted and may be slightly looser in texture; like other nut butters, it’s meant for spreading and eating on its own. Pistachio cream, on the other hand, is a sweet spread made with pistachios, sugar, and often milk or white chocolate. It has a smooth, dessert-like consistency—think of it as pistachio’s answer to Nutella.