A tasty Cajun-style rub gives this blackened salmon a wonderful flavor, and cooking it in a hot pan seals the juices in, keeping it juicy.
Ready in about 25 minutes, this truly quick entree is perfect for a busy weeknight. Even the leftovers are good!
I love salmon and make it often for my family. I also enjoy rainbow trout, which has a similar flavor profile. I like to make baked salmon, poached salmon, and salmon steak.
This blackened salmon is especially good. It's so flavorful - the spice combination is amazing. Blackening also keeps the inside of the fish extra juicy because searing it in a hot skillet seals the juices in. It works when making blackened halibut and blackened chicken, and it works here.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Dry rub: Kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper.
- Salmon fillets: Try to find fillets that are about the same size and thickness.
- Butter: The milk solids in the butter brown as we heat it and help with the blackening process.
Variations
- You can make the rub as spicy as you like. I add just a bit of cayenne for a hint of spice. You can double the amount and make it truly spicy.
- Instead of butter, you can use ghee (clarified butter) for frying the salmon. It's preferable to use butter because it promotes browning, but ghee should work too.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
You start by mixing the dry rub ingredients in a bowl. Then, rub the spices all over the fish.
Cook the salmon in butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, about 3 minutes per side. It won't be fully cooked at this point, but the outside will be nicely blackened.
Now, place the skillet in a 425°F oven for 5-7 minutes to allow the fish to finish cooking and reach an internal temperature of 145°F. After those 5 minutes, it should be juicy and perfectly cooked!
Expert Tip
The reason we finish the dish in the oven is to ensure that the salmon is fully cooked without charring the outside too much.
As an alternative, you can remove the skillet from the heat, tightly cover it with foil (or a tight-fitting lid), and allow the fish to finish cooking in the skillet's residual heat for about 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Blackening means coating the food in a mixture of spices and then cooking it in a hot skillet. The spice coating gets charred, giving the food a very dark, almost black appearance.
I like to use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. It's superb in terms of heat retention and does a really good job of blackening the fish.
As long as the skillet is well-seasoned and you use plenty of butter, there shouldn't be any issue with the salmon sticking to the pan.
Yes, but you should defrost it. In fact, one of the reasons I like making this recipe is that I always have frozen salmon on hand. But you do need to defrost it fully before using it in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this salmon with any side dish you like! It's truly versatile. I often serve it with one of the following side dishes:
- Roasted whole cauliflower
- Spaghetti squash noodles
- Carrot chips
- Roasted fennel
- Microwave sweet potato (not a low-carb side, obviously)
- Arugula salad, as shown in the photo below:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
I sometimes crumble them cold over a salad the next day for lunch. Or I use them in this Cobb salad instead of chicken.
More Salmon Recipes
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Recipe Card
Blackened Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 salmon fillets - 6 ounces each, skin-on, pin bones removed
- 4 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne.
- Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the seasoning mixture, pressing with your fingers to help the coating adhere.
- Heat the butter in a large 12-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl to coat.
- When the butter starts foaming, add the salmon fillets, skin-side down. Cook them undisturbed until their bottoms are blackened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the fillets to the other side and cook them for about 2-3 more minutes to blacken the skin side.
- Carefully, using oven mitts, transfer the hot skillet to the preheated oven. Let the fish finish cooking in the oven until its internal temperature reaches 145ºF, about 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the fish to plates, spoon the pan juices on top, and serve.
Video
Notes
- The reason we finish the dish in the oven is to make sure the fish is fully cooked without charring the outside too much.
- As an alternative, you can remove the skillet from the heat, tightly cover it with foil (or a tight-fitting lid), and allow the fish to finish cooking in the skillet's residual heat for about 5 minutes. It should reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
June
This was so good! I used smoked paprika but kept everything else the same. Thank you for a foolproof recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, June! Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback.