Blackened Salmon

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This tender, flaky Blackened Salmon recipe is pan-seared with cajun spices for an out of this world flavor. It's the perfect one pan meal for a quick and easy dinner.

blackened salmon pieces, served on wood board with fork & linen napkin

What is Blackened Salmon?

Blackening chicken, salmon (or other firm fish) means to coat it with a blend of spices and sear it in a skillet over high heart. We use no butter or oil (that's what makes it "blackened", crisp, and healthy!). The heat toasts the spices, so you get a crispy outside and a tender, flaky inside.

Like our Chicken Piccata or Easy Homemade Meatballs, this is one of our favorite weeknight recipes because it tastes great and doesn't require much time. We cooked some veggies in the pan before searing the salmon, making this an easy one pan meal.

Hint: Blackened Salmon is great served in tacos or over a Caesar Salad.

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What is Blackened Salmon?
Ingredients
Instructions
Storage
Expert tips
Farm Raised Salmon vs. Wild-Caught Salmon
More salmon recipes
FAQ
Related recipes
Blackened Salmon recipe

Ingredients

SALMON FILLETS: we like wild-caught salmon fillets like King (Chinook) Salmon or Sockeye (Red) Salmon
WHITE MUSHROOMS: Baby Bellas or Cremini Mushrooms (to serve with salmon)
CHERRY TOMATOES: small tomatoes like cherry or grape tomatoes (to serve with salmon)
JALAPEÑO PEPPERS: fresh jalapeño peppers (to serve with salmon)
OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
BLACKENED SEASONING: use store bought seasoning to save time, or you can make your own. See recipe below.
LEMONS: freshly squeezed lemon juice

*see recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Prepare the Vegetables: Clean tomatoes, jalapeños and mushrooms. Place them in a small mixing bowl and toss with half of the olive oil.
Prepare the Salmon: Cut salmon filets into 6-8 serving size pieces.
Make Blackened Seasoning: Combine 2 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano together in a bowl, to use as blackened seasoning mix for salmon (OR USE STORE BOUGHT SEASONING).
Cook Vegetables: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on top of stove until hot. Add vegetables and cook over high heat for 3 minutes. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and set the vegetables aside.
Coat Salmon with Blackened Seasoning: Return the cast-iron skillet to stove and heat to high. Coat both sides of the salmon pieces with blackened seasoning.
Cook Salmon: Place a few slices of salmon skin down in hot skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Turn salmon and cook another 3 minutes. Continue until all fish has been cooked (or reaches an internal temperature of 125°F).
Plate and Serve: Remove and place on serving plate. Add vegetables and squeeze lemon juice over both. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

blackened salmon pieces, cut on wooden serving board and garnished with lemon halves, tomatoes, and greens

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Storage

Blackened Salmon is best the day it is made.
Refrigerate it in an airtight container for no more than 2 days. Do not freeze.
Reheat in the microwave or in a sauté pan with olive oil or a pat of butter

Expert tips

Keep the skin on: For optimum flavor, we prefer a crispy, seasoned skin. If you don't like to eat it, you can always remove it after cooking.
Make sure your kitchen is ventilated: Open the windows and turn on the oven fan as you begin to sear the salmon. It is normal for the seasoning to create smoke. Don't worry, it's worth it!
Use a cast iron skillet for best results. This will create the best sear. A stainless steel pan will also work. Do not use a non-stick pan.

Farm Raised Salmon vs. Wild-Caught Salmon

We like to use WILD-CAUGHT SALMON for this recipe if we can. We prefer this variety because it is usually lower in fat and calories, but sometimes it is hard to find (especially during the winter months).
FARM RAISED SALMON works fine for this recipe. We just make sure to check to make sure it has a nice color and texture.

pieces of blackened salmon, served on wooden board, garnished with lemons, tomatoes, & greens

More salmon recipes

FAQ

What kind of salmon is best?

We like wild caught salmon because it is usually lower in fat and calories. Sometimes it is hard to find, so farm raised salmon works. Just make sure to check that it has a nice color and texture.

Should I remove the skin from the salmon before cooking?

For optimum flavor, we prefer a crispy, seasoned skin. If you don't like to eat it, you can always remove it after cooking.

How can I tell when my salmon is fully cooked?

Use a food thermometer to check the salmon has reached a temperature of 125°F. Alternatively, push down on the flesh with a fork. It should feel slightly resistant but give way easily.

🍅 Making this recipe?

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Blackened Salmon recipe

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Print Recipe

Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 ½ pound salmon fillet
8 oz package white mushrooms
½ pint cherry tomatoes
4 jalapeño peppers
3 oz olive oil
¼ C blackened seasoning
2 lemons

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Instructions

Clean tomatoes, jalapeños and mushrooms. Place them in a small mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.
Cut salmon into 6-8 pieces
Heat large cast iron skillet on top of stove until hot. Add vegetables and cook over high for 3 minutes.
Turn heat down to low and simmer for 4 more minutes. Remove from heat ands set aside
Return cast iron skillet to stove and heat to high. Coat both sides of all salmon with blackened seasoning*.
Place a few slices of salmon skin down in hot skillet and cook for 3 minutes. (Note: Make sure kitchen is well ventilated as seasoning will create a smoke. Don’t worry it's ok!)
Turn salmon and cook another 3 minutes. Continue until all fish has been cooked.
Remove and place on serving plate. Add vegetables and squeeze lemon juice over both.
Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Notes

MAKE BLACKENED SEASONING: Combine 2 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano together in a bowl, to use as blackened seasoning mix for salmon (OR USE STORE BOUGHT SEASONING).

This can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months.