Blackened Salmon

These Blackened Salmon filets are made with a homemade Cajun seasoning blend that creates a flavorful and slightly spicy crust, keeping the salmon moist and delicious. This recipe will walk you through how to create perfectly cooked flaky salmon by using a specific cooking technique using a very hot skillet.

If you love salmon recipes, you’ll definitely want to make my popular Salmon Patties, Fettuccine with Salmon Dill Cream Sauce, or Air Fryer Salmon and Asparagus.

To make the spice mixture, I started with my Cajun seasoning mix and added a bit of brown sugar. The small amount of sugar really helps with the blackening technique by sealing the crust and creating the most flavorful fish.

Why I love this recipe

• Perfect for busy weeknights because salmon cooks up quickly and easily
• Homemade blackened seasoning that uses a blend of spices you probably already have in your pantry

Ingredients needed

To make this recipe you will need fresh salmon filets (okay if they were previously frozen), melted butter, olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

For the blackening seasoning mix, you will need smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, and dried thyme.

How to make Blackened Salmon

Prep the salmon

Combine all spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well to combine.

Pat salmon filets dry and brush the flesh side with melted butter. Reserve any excess butter for later.

Spoon the blackening spices on top of the butter-coated salmon. Gently pat down to create a nice crust.

Cook the salmon

Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (my induction burner was set to 8 out of 10). When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and any remaining butter.

Place the salmon filets, seasoning side down with their skin side up, onto the oil-coated hot cast iron skillet. Cook until a golden to dark brown crust forms on the bottom. Try not to move them around much but you can gently peek underneath to see when they are done.

When the filets are ready to flip, gently lift them using a fish spatula and transfer them to a plate, skin side down. Then, use a rubber spatula to scrape as much of the seasoned butter into a small dish. This will be used to spoon over the salmon when it’s served. Return the skillet to the heat on the stove.

Place the filets back in the hot pan, skin side down, and continue cooking until the internal temperature of each filet reaches 125°F.

The skin should stick to the pan and you can use a spatula to lift the fish fillet off to serve. Spoon on additional melted butter from the pan, if desired, and a generous squeeze from a lemon.

How to serve Blackened Salmon

I enjoy this easy recipe for a weeknight dinner over mashed potatoes with a squeeze of lemon juice. Another option would be to swap the potatoes with steamed brown rice or cauliflower rice.

Another great way to enjoy this recipe is to make salmon tacos topped with shredded cabbage, mango salsa., and a squeeze of lime juice.

I actually think the best way to enjoy blackened salmon is to eat the leftovers on a big green salad the next day for lunch.

Recipe Tips

• Spice level – The amount of spice in this recipe was just hot enough that my son could eat it. If you are cooking for anyone who is sensitive to spicy foods, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper. Likewise, if you really like it hot, you can increase the cayenne. Just remember, a little goes a long way.
• Trust your thermometer – Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the salmon filets as well as their starting temperature. Cooking salmon over a high temperature can easily overcook the fish if you deviate from the cooking process. Just be sure to flip the salmon as soon as the spice blend has formed a crust on the first side, and then remove it from the heat when the thermometer says it has reached the desired temperature.
• Wild-caught salmon – Look for bright orange wild-caught salmon. Farmed salmon just won’t taste as good. Costco sells individual vacuum-sealed portions that are the perfect size for this easy blackened salmon recipe.

Storage and reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-5 days.

Instead of reheating the leftover salmon, I highly recommend eating it cold on a salad.

Cajun inspired recipes

If you love blackened salmon, you may want to try these favorites:

• Creamy Shrimp Pasta
• Crawfish Étouffée
• Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
• Crab Cakes with Remoulade sauce
• Shrimp and Cheese Grits

You can always add my Homemade Cajun Seasoning Mix to my Easy Alfredo Sauce recipe and serve this salmon recipe over homemade pasta with semolina as well!