Blackened Salmon Fillets

I found this recipe on all recipes and it is good. I mean real good. We've had this a few times: it's fairly cheap, definitely easy, and without doubt, fast.

1. 2 tbsp ground paprika
2. 1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper
3. 1 tbsp onion powder
4. 2 tsp salt
5. 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
6. 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
7. 1/4 tsp dried thyme
8. 1/4 tsp dried basil
9. 1/4 tsp dried oregano
10. 4 salmon fillets, skin and bones removed
11. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, basil and oregano.

Brush salmon fillets on one side with 1/4 cup butter, and sprinkle evenly with the cayenne pepper mixture.


In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, cook salmon, butter side down, until blackened, 2 to 5 minutes.


Meanwhile, brush 1/4 cup butter and sprinkle with additional cayenne pepper mixture onto salmon.

Turn fillets, drizzle with any remaining butter and sprinkle with additional seasoning mix (if you choose), and continue cooking until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork.



The salmon when done this way is so easy, so fast, so delicious, and so beautiful in appearance. One thing I should warn you about is that it is easy be heavy-handed with the spices, especially when the recipe calls for so much spice. I usually have about 1/2 of the spices left in the bowl I mixed them in and save them for the next time. If you put all of the spices on the fish, you will have to scrape those spices right back off to eat it! Trust me, you should have spice leftover. Crank it up next time if you find it too easy on the tongue. Just don't go all in and regret it afterward that you'd ruined a nice salmon fillet.

A definite bonus of this recipe is that:

1. you can cook however many salmon fillets as you need (note I only cooked three, but the recipe can certainly allow 4-8)
2. the spice ratio is easily scaled up, and
3. I bet it would be good on chicken if you don't have or don't care for fish

Cheap: most costly component is the salmon, which typically starts at $3.99 a fillet on up. I buy mine in the frozen section at Costco, which is about $18/7 fillets or about $2.57 a fillet. The spices and butter we have on-hand, but assuming we had to buy these items and cost was divided for the recipe specifically, I'd guess $3 a fillet.

So for Rodney and me, this is a $9 meal for the salmon plus the extra cost for sides, in this case, steamed white rice and green beans, a total of approximately $12. (We buy rice in bulk and I'd guess the green beans were about $2/lb.)

Tastewise, once you get your groove on regarding how much spice you want on your fillet, there is no better way to do this fish. No need to fire up the oven or use the broiler pan and frying pans are simple to use and clean. Extra spices are easily stored in a small, formerly-held-something-you-bought (chili sauce? ginger?) jar.

Another ease is that instead of having sides you can simply top a great salad with the salmon and voila, there's a bitchin' meal. If you have this for dinner, prep an extra one to put on a plain salad for lunch.

Shit, this recipe is so good, I am now wondering why we don't have it every day.

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