Blackened Salmon
Servings: 4
Calories: 434kcal
Blackened Salmon is truly a taste sensation and could not be easier to make. You will probably get some smoke, so leave a window or door open to help circulate air. You may need to temporarily unplug your smoke detector. This recipe is mild-moderate spicy. For more heat, increase the cayenne to 2 tsp, for less heat, decrease it to 1 tsp, or ½ tsp.
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Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet or another sturdy skillet that can handle high heat.
Ingredients
- 4 7 oz salmon fillets either with or without skin
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar light or brown
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper See NOTES about spice level
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
For the Corn and Bean Salad
- 2 cups brown rice cooked, Instant is perfectly fine
- 1 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can fire-roasted corn drained, or regular corn, or thawed frozen
- ½ jar salsa or more, to tasted
- ¼ cup cilantro fresh, chopped, plus extra for garnish
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the fillets on a cutting board, skin-side down (if your fillets have skin). Rub a little oil over the tops of the fillets. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme.
- Use your fingers to press the seasoning mixture all over the top flesh of the fillets.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil (or butter) in a large sturdy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat until oil is just starting to whisp and a tiny bit smokey.
- Carefully, add the fillets to the hot skillet, flesh-side down. Use a spatula to gently press down on the fillets. Cook for about 4 minutes, until nicely blackened. (You will most likely produce a fair amount of smoke from the skillet).
- Carefully flip the fillets over and continue cooking for another 4 to 6 minutes, until the fillets easily flake, and are cooked through. You should reach an internal temperature of about 120°F (the fillets will continue to cook even after they are removed from the skillet. Then internal temp should rise to about 14o to 145°F).
- Serve at once, over the black bean and corn salad and garnished with extra chopped cilantro if desired.
Video
Notes
See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you like the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
This recipe has a bit of heat (spiciness) to it. If you like your blackened salmon to be spicy, then increase the cayenne pepper to 2 tbsp. For less heat, we recommend 1 teaspoon of cayenne. This will give that backend heat that you expect from blackening, but not too much. For even less heat, reduce the cayenne to ½ tsp.
If after about 9 minutes of cooking, the salmon doesn't look (or isn't) cooked through, with an internal temp of around 125°F, then keep in the skillet for another few minutes until cooked. The salmon will continue to cook after it's removed from the skillet. You'll want a final internal temp around 145°F.
Blackening often will produce smoke in your kitchen. You may want to consider unplugging your smoke detector, but DO NOT forget to plug it back in! Opening a window or door helps with ventilating and reducing smoke.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days. We don't recommend freezing blackened salmon.
To make the corn black bean salad, simply mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve warm or at room temp. It can be made several days in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1567IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 3mg