What is Blackened Salmon?
Blackened salmon gets its name by the black, charred outside of the salmon fillets. The charring comes from a mix of spices, usually orange and red in color such as paprika, cayenne pepper or chili powder.
They’re mixed with butter or oil and brushed onto the salmon where it deepens in color as it’s baked or pan-fried creating the dark black outside whilst remaining orange and juicy inside.
Is Blackened Salmon Healthy?
Yes, blackened salmon is really good for you and is packed with healthy fats, omega 3, antioxidants and vitamins. Incorporating fish and seafood into your diet on a weekly basis is a great way to help maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Not to mention that this salmon just tastes so delicious!
How to Make this Blackened Salmon Recipe
- In a medium bowl, stir together pineapple, onion, jalapeño, lime zest and juice, and cilantro. Set aside, or refrigerate overnight.
- In a small bowl, stir together smoked paprika, salt, thyme, peppers, garlic powder, and sugar; set aside.
- Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, add butter, garlic clove, and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is barely browned, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons spice mixture; cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Place salmon on prepared sheet pan; brush both sides with blackened spice butter. Sprinkle tops of salmon with an additional ½ teaspoon dry spice mixture, if desired.
- Bake until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; set oven to high broil.
- Broil, watching carefully, until tops of filets are crispy, about 2 minutes. Serve salsa with salmon.
What’s Best to cook salmon, Butter or Oil?
Oil is often used because it has a much higher smoking point and doesn’t burn like butter does. If you’re cooking your salmon on a hot grill or skillet, oil would be your best option so the spice rub blackens but the tops don’t burn and give the fish a bitter, unpleasant taste.
Because this salmon is baked in the oven I used butter which won’t burn easily using this method. It also gives the salmon a rich and creamy flavor that you can’t get from oil.
What to Serve it with
I like to serve this salmon with a pineapple jalapeno salsa it’s the perfect mix of sweet, fresh and spicy flavors and goes perfectly with the blackened salmon but there are so many ways you could enjoy it, here are some ideas;
- Add the salmon to tacos with your favorite Mexican toppings
- A fresh salad would work well
- A homemade slaw would go great especially during the summer months
- Potatoes would be a great option from mash to roast potatoes or even potato salad
- Grilled vegetables
Top Tips and Variations for Blackened Salmon
- Make sure to use high-quality salmon from a sustainable source for best results and flavor.
- You can experiment with different herbs and spices to coat the salmon.
- Be careful not overcook the salmon as it will dry out, it doesn’t take long to cook but if you are unsure you can use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 145F.
- Be sure to preheat the oven so the cooking times do not change.
- Leftover salmon can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and eaten cold with salad or reheated in the oven.
If you’ve tried this oven-blackened salmon with pineapple-jalapeño salsa then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Oven-Blackened Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeño Salsa
Ingredients
For the Salsa
- 3 cups diced fresh pineapple 735g
- 2/3 cup minced red onion 100g
- 2 tbsp minced fresh jalapeño pepper 1 pepper
- 1 tsp lime zest 2g
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 30g
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro 25g
For the Salmon
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika 20g
- 2 tsp kosher salt 12g
- 1 ½ tsp dried thyme 2g
- 1 tsp ground black pepper 6g
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2g
- 1 tsp garlic powder 3g
- 1 tsp brown sugar 4g
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter 76g
- 1 garlic clove smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 salmon fillets'
Instructions
For the Salsa
- In a medium bowl, stir together pineapple, onion, jalapeño, lime zest and juice, and cilantro. Set aside, or refrigerate overnight.
For the Salmon
- Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, stir together smoked paprika, salt, thyme, peppers, garlic powder, and sugar; set aside.
- Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, add butter, garlic clove, and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is barely browned, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons spice mixture; cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Place salmon on prepared sheet pan; brush both sides with blackened spice butter. Sprinkle tops of salmon with an additional ½ teaspoon dry spice mixture, if desired.
- Bake until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; set oven to high broil.
- Broil, watching carefully, until tops of filets are crispy, about 2 minutes. Serve salsa with salmon.
Notes
- Make sure to use high-quality salmon from a sustainable source for best results and flavor.
- You can experiment with different herbs and spices to coat the salmon.
- Be careful not overcook the salmon as it will dry out, it doesn't take long to cook but if you are unsure you can use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 145F.
- Be sure to preheat the oven so the cooking times do not change.
- Leftover salmon can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and eaten cold with salad or reheated in the oven.
Nutrition
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After checking this blackened salmon feast, I am off to the market to buy some salmon so I can make this fabulous recipe today!