Our Blackened Salmon is an absolutely delicious, flavorful salmon recipe that is so easy to make! Perfect with dill sauce or in a salmon caesar salad! An easy weeknight dinner that your whole family will love.
The BEST Blackened Salmon Recipe
If you are at all on the fence about making salmon at home, you have to try this recipe! It is so simple and delicious – a dish I just keep coming back to. First, you will coat them in an amazing blackened seasoning mixture, give them a quick sear, and then finish cooking them in the oven. In a matter of minutes you will have restaurant-quality salmon!
Love These Blackened Flavors?
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Blackened Chicken or Blackened Shrimp!
What You Will Need
- salmon fillets – we love using fresh salmon fillets with the skin on the bottom. You could also use frozen salmon but you will want to make sure it is fully thawed before prepping.
- blackened seasoning – we love this blackened seasoning that is super easy to throw together – such an amazing blend of spice that tastes amazing!
- olive oil – a little on the salmon and a little in the pan to give your fillets that perfect sear.
How To Cook Blackened Salmon
Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel.
Mix up the blackened seasoning ingredients and use it to coat the outside of the salmon fillets.
Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the fillets. Give them a quick rub to make sure they are fully covered in seasoning and olive oil.
Place the fillets (skin-side up) in a hot cast iron skillet to give them a quick sear – this creates an amazing crust! Flip the fillets over and place the skillet in the oven at 400 degrees F.
Cook them for about 10-14 minutes, or until fully cooked.
Best Ways To Serve Blackened Salmon
We love serving this with a nice dollop of salmon dill sauce, jasmine rice, and some roasted broccolini – you could use cauliflower rice if you prefer too! It would also be great on top of a Salmon Caesar Salad or in these Blackened Salmon Tacos!
Recipe FAQ
- How Should I Cook Blackened Salmon? In this recipe we seared the fillets in a cast iron skillet and then transferred the skillet to the oven to finish cooking the salmon at 400 degrees F. Another great option would be to grill the salmon. If you prefer that option, simply prepare the salmon as-directed and then follow our instructions on how to grill salmon!
- Spice: feel free to add a bit more cayenne pepper if you want it extra spicy.
- How do you know if salmon is done? Gently press down on the top of the fillet with a fork to see if the salmon flakes, meaning that the flesh easily separates from each other at the white lines that run across the fillet. You could also use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Fully cooked salmon should reach 145 degrees F at it’s thickest part (per USDA). If you want a medium finish to your fish then look for a temperature between 125-130 degrees F.
- Should you eat the skin on salmon? This is totally up to you! It is completely safe to eat the skin. Some people eat it and some people choose not to eat it. We like to cook it with the skin on, but then we remove it from the skin when eating. You could also cut the skin off the salmon fillet before cooking, if you want.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Grilled Salmon Salad
Teriyaki Salmon Bowl
Smoked Salmon Salad
Salmon Poke Bowl
Blackened Salmon (+ Dill Sauce)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
An absolutely delicious Blackened Salmon recipe that is so easy to make! Perfect with dill sauce or in a salad!
Ingredients
Dill Sauce:
- 1/2 cup sour cream (regular or dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Blackened Salmon:
- 4–6 (6oz) salmon fillets, skin-on
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Instructions
- Make Sauce: Combine the Salmon Dill Sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir to combine. Taste and adjust any flavors, as necessary. Store in fridge until ready.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pat salmon dry with clean paper towel.
- Make Seasoning: Combine blackened seasoning: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover salmon with blackened seasoning
- Oil: Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over seasoned salmon; rub into each fillet.
- Sear: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add 1 tablespoon of oil; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear salmon (skin-side up) for approx. 1-3 minutes (or until there is a good char). Flip salmon over so skin side is down.
- Bake: Move the entire pan to the oven (middle rack and uncovered) and let cook 10-14 minutes or until fully cooked (it should flake apart easily with a fork).*
- Serve: Carefully remove from oven and serve immediately with the Dill Sauce.
Notes
- Serving Suggestions: we love using this in a Salmon Caesar Salad! Otherwise, serve with roasted broccolini and baked potato or some brown rice OR in a Blackened Salmon Taco.
- Grilled Salmon: simply use the blackened seasoning and follow our post on how to grill salmon!
- Spice: feel free to add a bit more cayenne pepper if you want it extra spicy.
- *Internal temp of salmon: fully cooked salmon should reach 145 degrees F. at it’s thickest part (per USDA). If you want a medium finish to your fish then look for a temperature between 125-130 degrees F.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with dill sauce
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 468.2 mg
- Fat: 24.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.8 g
- Protein: 40.2 g
- Cholesterol: 97.5 mg
Jenny says
This salmon is SO GOOD!! I cook my steaks & chicken using this method with a cast iron skillet, not sure why I didn’t think to try salmon. Plus, the seasoning is great, it’s a winner!!
Erin says
So awesome to hear, Jenny!
Doris says
This recipe is so good!
Erin says
I never leave reviews but this salmon and dill sauce was seriously amazing. I served mine over rice and made a little salsa of cucumber, pickled red onion and avocado – so good!!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Erin!!
Mindi says
Made this tonight with fresh wild caught sockeye salmon. Omg, soooo delicious!!!
Mitch M. says
So so good! And easy too! Didn’t have fill on hand, so used fennel leaves instead. Also used dairy-free sour cream and it was amazing. Def recommend!
Sara says
Easy and absolutely delicious!
Marisa says
We love salmon, but got tired of cooking it the same way with the same seasoning. I saw this recipe and knew I wanted to try it! It is incredibly simple but gives such a punch of flavor! This recipe will be one of our go-to’s now! We didn’t have the dill sauce, and were probably missing out but it is incredible without it.
Meg says
Tried the recipe this week it was soooo good! The dill sauce is to die for and it pairs perfectly with the salmon!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed this one, Meg!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review!
S Marevka says
My husband won’t stop talking about this recipe! He loved it so much that he wants to make it a permanent recipe in our rotation. So GOOD!! Thank you
Erin says
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review!
Sarah says
So easy and delicious! I tend to lean towards the same ole salmon recipe, but saw this and so glad I tried a new way of fixing salmon!
Erin says
So glad you tried a new recipe too! Yay!
Erica Sands says
My family doesn’t normally like salmon and this recipe changed everything. It is crispy and delicious on the outside and flaky and soft in the middle.
Erin says
Yay!! That’s awesome to hear, Erica!
Keri says
So good, can’t wait to make again!
Erin says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Keri!!
Carol says
This Blackened Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce was easy to make; easy follow directions and not time consuming.
The outcome was so very delicious! I have made this recipe a few times for my husband and I and it’s a hit every time. Definitely a favorite and has a spot in my cookbook pages of recipes.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Carol! This is one of my favorite recipes as well 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Linda says
I have been wanting to make this recipe since I first saw it. Finally did on Valentine’s Day for my husband -who if you’ve seen my comments before doesn’t like fish very much- and he loved it! He has liked all of Erin’s salmon recipes but I think this was his fav. So good ! Try her other recipes too – I love them all- Teriyaki and baked with thyme . Hard to pick which I like the best. Love your recipes Erin!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Tanya Ghantous says
I often make salmon and quite often the same way. I saw this recipe on Instagram and decided to try something new. Not only did I have all the spices in my cabinet but it was so easy to prepare and quick! The result was a beyond mouthwatering, savory and crispy meal . My fiancé immediately exclaimed it had to be a do-over so it will take priority in our rotation! I’m looking forward to it! Pan seared and exactly 10 minutes in the oven at 400 served with vegetables from our garden. I cannot wait to tell my 25 year old son about it as he has discovered cooking fish with his girlfriend is fun and nutritious. I used fresh Atlantic Salmon from my home country Canada from Trader Joes.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Tanya!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
April says
Easy, delicious dish! My whole family loved it even the toddlers.
Erin says
So glad everyone enjoyed it, April! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂 I really appreciate it!