Blackened Salmon
Heart-healthy blackened salmon delivers tasty, satisfying, and melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Add vegetables for a low-carb meal, or add rice for well-balanced goodness. What’s not to love?
Amazing things happen when you dredge the salmon in melted butter and Cajun spices, then cook it in a smoking hot skillet. As the spices char, their flavor intensifies, and the milk solids from the butter brown to beautiful darkness, adding more delicious goodness to our already magnificent salmon.
New Orleans is on my list of favorite places to visit. I can’t resist the beignets, jambalaya, and blackened redfish. If you live in a place where the redfish are overfished, please use another firm-fleshed fish that can take the heat. That’s why I’m doing salmon today.
What Is Blackening?
My hero of Cajun cooking, Chef Paul Prudhomme, invented this process. Melted butter and Cajun-style spices (thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, plus some heat) even make vegetables better. The high heat intensifies the flavors, browns the butter, and chars the spices. Yum!!!
How to Blacken Salmon Right
- Make the seasoning, season the salmon, then heat the butter until melted and bubbling.
- Sear the fillets for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they reach the desired degree of doneness, and set aside. Sauté the minced garlic, then add the vegetables. Serve as soon as they’re tender.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Trade up spices for a trip around the world. Chili powder, Italian seasoning, curry powder, and green sauce are all great choices.
- Add more veggies, such as potatoes, asparagus, green beans, squash, cabbage, and a lot more!
- Use butter for authentic blackened dishes. But if you prefer avoiding dairy for a healthier version, avocado and refined coconut oil work fine.
- Resist the temptation to flip your fish constantly for a better sear and to reduce the risk of it falling apart.
- Blanching your veggies first will retain more of their nutrients and a brighter color.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Store cooked salmon in airtight containers (glass is still best) for 3-4 days. To freeze the fillets for a quick weeknight dinner, store them in a freezer ziplock bag, squeezing all the air out you can, for up to 3 months.
Thaw or warm the salmon and top a Caesar salad, diversity bowl, or chowder for more satisfying protein.
Note: Store the veggies in a separate container as they tend to spoil faster when stored with the salmon.
What to Serve with Blackened Salmon
Enjoy a restaurant-quality meal with garlic mashed potatoes or dirty rice. A refreshing salad and freshly baked bread rolls will definitely round it out. Then add a hurricane and chess pie to take it over the top.
More Deliciously Heart-Healthy Salmon Recipes
This blog post was originally published in March 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Blackened Salmon
Ingredients
Blackened Salmon
- 4 6-ounce (170g) salmon steaks or fillets
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) melted butter (or vegetable oil)
- salt to taste (¾-1 teaspoon per pound)
- 3-4 tablespoons (20-28g) blackened seasoning
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter or replace with oil
Sauteed Vegetables (adapt variety to what you have)
- 1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, then cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) butter or cooking oil
- 2-3 teaspoons (10-15g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (15g) blackened seasoning
- 1 chayote halved lengthwise, then cut into diagonal slices about ½ inch thick
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into ½-inch-wide strips
- 1 large zucchini halved lengthwise, then cut on the diagonal into ½-inch slices
- ⅓-½ cup (80-115ml) water or broth (optional)
- salt to taste
Instructions
Blackened Salmon
- Brush the salmon lightly with melted butter, then season with salt and blackened seasoning.
- Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat for about two minutes, then melt the butter or heat a neutral-flavored cooking oil.
- Add the salmon to the pan, and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side or until it reaches the desired degree of doneness.
- Remove, let rest for about 5 minutes, and serve with the vegetables.
Sauteed Vegetables
- Optionally, blanch carrots by cooking them in a pot of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat oil or butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Then add garlic and blackened seasoning, and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Add the carrots, chayote (if including), red bell peppers, and zucchini. Sauté until just tender, tossing often. If it starts getting too dry, add ⅓-½ cup of water or broth to prevent burning.
- Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve piping hot with the salmon.
Tips & Notes:
- Fresh and frozen salmon both work fine. In fact, frozen salmon is usually fresher.
- Cast-iron skillets handle the high heat of blackening best. However, if you don’t have one, a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan works just as well. Non-stick will not work because the high heat will ruin the non-stick coating.
- Don’t forget to preheat your pan so the salmon doesn’t stick.
- The USDA recommends 145℉ (63℃) for safety’s sake. But if you have a safe source of salmon, medium rare is 125℉ (52℃). If the flesh flakes easily with a fork, you’re good to go.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
When salmon is “dreaded” . Did you mean to say dredged?
You caught me. Thanks for correcting me. Thank you so much.
I made this today. tasted amazing. Definitely a keeper.
Hi Ngozi,
So happy to hear this . Thanks so much!!!
Do you think I could make this with Berber instead of creole seasoning?
Sorry- I meant berbere. That was my phone
Hi Michelle. Yes, you can totally make this with berbere. Please let me know how it works out.
I made this the other day and was totally in LOVE with it. Very flavorful! I also made a few jars of the creole seasoning to share with family and friends. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Awesome! So glad to hear this. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
can’t find the recipe for the creole seasoning Imma
Right here https://www.africanbites.com/creole-seasoning/
Thank you Imma. I will be having salmon with a difference this evening.
I can’t wait to try this out. On my way to purchase some of the vegetables- already made the creole seasoning and will never buy store-bought again- YES! Could’t find basil but included everything else. So Flavorfull!!! Thanks Imma, you are my cooking goddess.
That is such a sweet thing to say. Thank you SO MUCH!!!!