Salmon’s New Favorite Seasoning
We don’t really think it’s possible to get in a salmon rut, because it’s really our favorite fish to prepare. But if you do find yourself making the same salmon with salt, pepper, and olive oil, we offer this easy blackened salmon recipe to change things up. It requires a little tour through the spice cabinet, but we love the opportunity to cycle through our spices to keep things fresh. We encourage you to make a batch of the blackened seasoning, and then you can have it on hand for chicken, fish, and tofu for a quick flavorful meal in the future.
Make The Best Blackened Salmon On The Stove Top
We’re going to baste these blackened salmon filets in a skillet on the stove top. This results in a tender, flaky filet every time because it cooks the salmon more gently than searing it directly in the pan. And it imparts tons of flavor because it introduces a separate fat (and that means flavor!) to the salmon as it cooks. You’ll love the taste of the seasoning blend, and the texture of this quick and easy preparation. And we couldn’t think of a better way to get all the good stuff salmon has to offer (y’ know, those Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and nutrients).
How To Make Blackened Salmon
Prepare the salmon. Place it skin side down on a plate and pat dry with a paper towel.
Make the salmon rub. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and seasonings.
Drizzle the salmon with olive oil. Rub the salmon with the spice mixture, completely coating it. This is not the time to be shy. The seasoning will form a tasty crust as you cook it!
Heat your skillet over medium. You don’t want a skillet that smokes, but you do want the temperature high enough to blacken the spices into a nice crust on the flesh side of the fish. Add olive oil to the pan. You can use your favorite non-stick or cast-iron skillet here. Once the oil is glistening, place the salmon flesh side down and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the butter to the pan and flip the fillets. Continue cooking over medium heat until the skin becomes crispy and the fish easily flakes with a fork, another 5-6 minutes. This is where we baste! During this time, occasionally tilt the pan, scooping the melted pan butter up with a spoon and drizzling it over the blackened salmon. A little tear forms in the corner of our eyes just thinking of y’all cheffing it up!
Transfer the salmon to serving plates, squeeze a little lemon juice over the filets and garnish with parsley if you’re feeling it.
What To Serve With Blackened Salmon
There’s so many delicious flavor pairings that work well with blackened salmon. Rice and salmon are notoriously good together, and any number of easy rice recipes would be perfect here: Lemon Rice, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Brown Rice, or cauliflower rice. You can serve blackened salmon with asparagus, and a simple preparation of Roasted Asparagus or Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Reduction would be perfect, or Asparagus Gratin with Gruyère & Panko for something a little richer. The question really becomes, what doesn’t go well with blackened salmon? To be honest, there’s not much that wouldn’t be great, but if you’re looking for potato perfection you could make Scalloped Potatoes, Crispy Smashed Potatoes, or on the side of our Classic Potato Salad. Sometimes you might want it to be the main dish, and the only thing it needs is a squeeze of lemon or lime juice! You could also make blackened salmon tacos or check out our Best Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipes, for more homemade spice blend ideas.
Blackened Salmon Ingredients
What is blackened seasoning made of? It’s a special combination of sugar, salt, and seasonings. Our blend calls for brown sugar, paprika (not smoked), garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground ginger, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Blackened seasoning tends to be a little less spicy than Cajun seasoning, which typically calls for black and white pepper, and sometimes chile peppers.
Tools You’ll Need
Parchment paper or foil (or a trusty silpat!)
Salmon Is Our Specialty, Check Out These Other Great Recipes
Salmon recipes give our inner Pacific Northwest a time to shine. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites for you to try next time you make salmon.
Easy Curry Salmon for a super flavorful meal.
These fabulous Salmon Burgers.
Roasted Salmon with Spring Pesto for fresh flavors and crunchy vegetables.
Salmon Pasta with Homemade Pesto when you need a no-brainer meal idea.
Did You Make This Recipe For Blackened Salmon?
Snap a photo of your snappy salmon meal and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
