Every red-fleshed fish lover should know how to make blackened salmon. A beautiful char appears on the surface of the fish with a help of a special cooking technique and a blackening spice blend. You can use blackened salmon anywhere you like but I want to offer you a delicious spinach & orange salad!
You won’t find a bigger salmon fan than me. Uh-uh. When I’m in a restaurant I always order salmon. My favorite sandwiches are the ones made with salmon. When I am fed up with all the food in the world there is still one thing I am happy to see on my plate… Salmon. If not for the price, I would have it on a daily basis. 3 times a day.
This blog is literally packed with fresh salmon recipes for every palate. Spicy Korean, bourbon-glazed, salmon wellington, to name a few of my absolute favorites. And the list goes on and on. I am not even talking about smoked salmon recipes, which are also in abundance on the blog.
Considering my deep love for this fish, it’s funny that I tried blackened salmon for the first time in my life only a few weeks ago. I might have heard something about it some time ago, but it was left unnoticed by me. My initial thoughts were “so people are burning food intentionally now… strange”. If it weren’t for a friend of mine, I don’t know if I would ever find out that “blackened” doesn’t mean “burnt” at all! That famous char on the surface of salmon appears with a help of a special cooking technique in combination with a flavorful Cajun-style spice blend.
Today you can find a special blackening seasoning on supermarket shelves but it’s easily doable at home. Just mix kosher salt, paprika, dried thyme, ground black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and ground white pepper and you are good to go! I have fallen in love with this spice blend. The flavor is amazing!
Ok, you have a seasoning on hand, how to make blackened salmon with it? Everything is pretty easy, my dear friend. You just need a large, heavy skillet (cast iron is the best option), a few tablespoons vegetable oil, and that’s it! Now just heat the oil until smoking hot, coat the fish with the spice mix, and throw it in the skillet. Easy peasy. Cook for 3 minutes on one side and 3 more on the other one, and voila – your blackened salmon is ready! Keep in mind that there can be some smoke, so turn your exhaust fan on high or open a window.
As for the ways to use it, there are plenty of options. The most obvious one – you can just stuff the blackened salmon into your face without any side at all. Brutally. It will still be crazy delicious because of all the spices. Or you can make tacos. Or… Let me offer you a recipe for a fantastic salad featuring our article’s hero, spinach, red onion, bell pepper, oranges, and a gorgeous dressing. I’m telling you, guys, it’s something! I would have never thought about pairing salmon with oranges but after the very first bite, I was sold.
This salad can be easily served as a main-course meal. Considering the ease of preparation, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner! I hope this post taught you how to blacken salmon and showed you the advantages of this cooking technique. If you love this red-fleshed fish as much as I do, try it! Oh, and the salad. I will repeat it numerous times in the future. No doubt about it.
Don’t leave without checking out more salmon recipes I have on the blog. Here are a few of my favorite ones.
- Easy Furikake Salmon
- Easy Salmon Ramen
- Teriyaki Salmon Soba Noodle Bowls
- Za’atar Salmon with Lemon Herb Couscous
- Creamy Salmon and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
For the blackening spice:
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
For the salmon:
- 4 skinless boneless salmon fillets (6 oz. or 170g each)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the salad:
- 6 oz. (170g) baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 red bell pepper , sliced
- 2 navel oranges , peeled, white pith removed, cut into pieces
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- ground pepper , taste
Instructions
The blackened salmon:
- Mix all the spices together.
- Coat each salmon fillet with 1/4 of the spice blend.
- In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until almost smoking hot. Place the salmon fillets (don’t overcrowd) and cook for about 3 minutes on one side until they blacken. If the salmon is blackening too quickly, reduce the heat. Turn the fish and cook for 3 minutes more, until almost opaque. Transfer to a plate.
The salad:
- In a big bowl, place the spinach, onion, bell pepper, and oranges.
- To make a dressing, combine all the ingredients in small jar with a lid. Shake to blend.
- Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss. Top with the salmon fillet. Enjoy!
20 Comments
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
December 1, 2016 at 6:35 pmWow, that doesn’t even look like salmon with how beautifully grilled you got it! I love a good salad recipe! That dressing sounds insanely delicious.
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:38 pmIt really is crazy delicious, Sophia 😉
Lynne Curry
December 1, 2016 at 6:38 pmSince I live in the Northwest, I’m a big salmon fan, too. I generally like to keep things very simple (you know, to celebrate the fish) and this recipe *really* does that while adding a ton of interest.
Such a great technique to put in my back pockets (and from an excellent cookbook author I know, to boot)! Seriously craving this blackened salmon with your salad idea; perfect match up. Thanks!
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:40 pmI am so glad you liked it, Lynne! This spinach-orange salad is really a perfect match to a blackened salmon 🙂
Shinee
December 1, 2016 at 6:45 pmWe eat salmon pretty often around here, but have to admit I never cooked blackened salmon. You made it pretty easy, so definitely trying this next time I cook salmon. And that spice mix is quite simple, just need to get some white pepper!
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:41 pmYou won’t regret trying it, Shinee 🙂 It’s really that easy!
Julia (@imagelicious)
December 1, 2016 at 7:00 pmGorgeous fish and beautiful plating! I love the spices and herbs in the blackening mixture. Interesting idea of adding thyme. I love thyme but never thought of adding it to fish
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:45 pmThyme is one of my favorite herbs for fish seasoning 😉
Platter Talk
December 1, 2016 at 7:02 pmI love salmon atop a salad. Your recipe is what I’m using next time that I put one together.
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:52 pmYou will love it!
Diana
December 1, 2016 at 7:05 pmThese spices sound absolutely delicious! I love salmon and I will have to try this recipe. Pinning for later!
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:53 pmIf you love salmon then you’ll undoubtedly love this recipe 🙂
Helene D'Souza
December 1, 2016 at 7:24 pmI am a massive salmon lover and cajun spice is another favorite seasoning of mine! You hit my soft spot here with your recipe. I have never seen a blackened salmon recipe though, kind of intrigued. Thanks for sharing!
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 1:55 pmThank you for stopping by to comment, Helene!
Heather @Boston Girl Bakes
December 1, 2016 at 9:16 pmI’m with you I order salmon every time too! And it totally bums me out when they over cook it..such a shame so I love cooking it at home too so i know it comes out great…but never tried blackened salmon..can’t wait to try it 🙂
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 2:00 pmI hate overcooked salmon too, Heather. You will love this recipe, though!
Florentina
December 1, 2016 at 10:09 pmI love blackened salmon and can’t wait until wild Alaskan salmon is in season to make this way! Yummy!
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 2:02 pmI envy you so much that you can get wild Alaskan salmon. It’s not possible in my town or even country 🙂
GiGi Eats
December 4, 2016 at 5:36 amSALMON! Salmon does no wrong. NONE AT ALL! I adore it so so so so so much! I honestly don’t think it needs ANY seasonings at all, but I will take it ANY WAY I can!
Jovita
December 8, 2016 at 2:04 pmTry this recipe Gigi and you’ll change your mind about the seasonings!