This easy homemade blend of herbs & spices is the ideal seasoning for Salmon and other meats.
I love fresh Salmon and was excited to find some at Costco the other day. Blackened Salmon for dinner!!…I was so looking forward to it, until I reached into my spice rack to find barely a teaspoon of my favorite Pike’s Place Market (Seattle) spice rub left. Now what? I really didn’t want to go to the store again…but I had my heart set on Blackened Salmon (and there’s no stopping me when I crave it). So I just had to figure our my own seasoning mix to re-create the flavors of theirs that I love so much.
And I DID!
Looking over the ingredients on the store-bought spice mix bottle I had, and referencing a couple of recipes online (like this one by BetterWithCake.com) …I realized I had just about everything I would need in my spice rack and pantry to make it. Tweaking the quantities of the ingredients slightly and adding fennel seeds (a must cos it adds a little licorice-like flavor when you bite into the seeds that compliments the fish beautifully) which my Pike’s place rub I had…I was so proud to have made my own spice blend. It is so nice knowing exactly what’s going into what you’re eating – no MSG; no artificial flavors and preservatives; no gluten. Just a straight up herb and spice mix.
Smoky and charred with a little kick of heat, topped with tangy lime juice…the Salmon I made turned out exactly the way I wanted. So I just had to share the recipe with you.
Now, I haven’t specified any quantities, just merely a method as it all depends on how big or little your fish fillets are. You can also cook the fish any way you like- in a pan if they are small; on a grill; or in the oven. I chose the oven as I had a large 2lb fillet and wanted to cook it whole. Just remember not to be afraid to to char the spices on the fish a little….as that is the whole point of “Blackened” seasoning. So if you’re using the oven I’d suggest 425F for about 15-20 minutes (this may differ if your fillet is thicker or thinner) until the fish is just about tender then stick it under the broiler for a minute or two to char it. And whatever you do…don’t forget a squeeze of fresh lime over the fish before you eat it. It is a MUST to kick up the flavors with a zesty punch. You won’t regret it!
- Salmon fillet
- Olive oil
- Blackened Seasoning (see below)
- Salt to taste
- Lime juice
- 2 tbsp smoked Paprika
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1-2 tsp cayenne powder (depending on spice level)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (lightly crushed, to release more flavor)
- 1 tsp salt
- Simply measure out and mix all the ingredients for the blackened seasoning.
- Pre-heat your oven to 425F. Lightly drizzle olive oil over your Salmon and using your fingers or a brush spread it to coat the fish. Generously sprinkle the blackened seasoning all over the salmon to coat it evenly. Repeat on the other side.
- You can pan fry the salmon, if using smaller fillets on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the fillets). Or simple bake it at 425F for 15-20 minutes (and if it isn't blackened enough stick it under the broiler for an extra minute or two).
- Serve the fish hot with a sprinkling of fresh lime juice and some extra lime wedges!
- I lightly crushed the fennel seeds to release its aromatic licorice-like flavor before adding it to the mix.
- If you have the skin on the salmon, just season the one side- it's plenty of flavor
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I love blackened salmon! Your recipe looks amazing and easy – I’ll definitely be making this!
I used this recipe and it turned out absolutely PERFECT! Thanks for this awesome blackened salmon recipe!
looks great. im gonna try this
tried it out with some minor variations…its a great recipe
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Trying. It looks great
looks try… im a chef in Norway and cook about 40 kg of salmon every week to a coretemp of 45 degrees which go up about 55 after resting …. if u do this in the oven you have to have a professional one … go up to 300 degrees and have it in about 10 min so that the spices turn black…. at home you best do it in a pan at high temp to get the salmon Blackened….
Hello. I love this recipe. Do you cook thosbwith skin off?
I cook it on the skin. The skin tends to peel off super easy once it’s cooked. 🙂
Could you briefly sear in a pan at high temperature allow to cool and finish in the oven .Having a party so would love to do some prep in advance
You could, but I don’t see how that would save much time and you always risk drying out the fish. Prep the seasoning and even put it on the fish ahead of time. It’s a quick 15-20 mins in the oven to finish it.