Are you looking for a new weeknight dinner that is absolutely bursting with bold, smoky, and spicy flavor, and is on the table in under 30 minutes? A meal that is as healthy and vibrant as it is incredibly delicious? This amazing, from-scratch Blackened Salmon with Charred Vegetables is that perfect meal. We’ll show you how easy it is to create that iconic, restaurant-quality “blackened” crust at home for a truly unforgettable and satisfying seafood dinner.
This isn’t just another salmon recipe; it’s your definitive guide to mastering the classic Cajun technique of “blackening.” Forget bland, boring fish. This foolproof guide will walk you through creating your own flavorful spice blend and searing your salmon to perfection, resulting in a super-flavorful crust and an impossibly moist and flaky interior. Paired with a rainbow of sweet and smoky roasted vegetables, this is a complete, one-pan (mostly!) meal that will become an instant favorite.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Healthy & Flavorful Meal
What makes this Blackened Salmon so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, bold flavor and its wonderfully simple preparation. The secret to the entire dish lies in a generous coating of a from-scratch blackening seasoning, a classic Cajun spice blend that creates an intensely flavorful, dark crust when seared in a hot skillet. This beautiful, flaky salmon is served over a bed of sweet, tender, and lightly charred roasted vegetables, including zucchini, red bell pepper, and red onion. It’s a complete, well-balanced, and stunningly delicious meal that is packed with protein, healthy fats, and nutrients.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Bold Dish
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and a powerful, homemade spice blend to create its signature smoky and spicy flavor.
- The Homemade Blackening Seasoning (The Secret to Flavor!):
- Making your own spice blend is the key to an incredible, fresh flavor, and it’s so easy! A classic blackening seasoning is a savory and smoky blend of: smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. The smoked paprika is the non-negotiable secret ingredient that provides that signature, smoky flavor.
- The Salmon: For the best, most delicious result, look for high-quality salmon fillets that are about 1-inch thick. You can use either skin-on or skinless fillets for this recipe.
- The Charred Vegetables: A simple, fresh, and colorful medley of zucchini, red bell pepper, and red onion is the perfect, sweet and smoky counterpart to the spicy salmon. Roasting them at a high heat is the key that makes them wonderfully tender and brings out their natural sweetness.
Step-by-Step to the Best Blackened Salmon
This delicious meal comes together in two simple, parallel stages.
Part 1: Make the Seasoning and Roast the Vegetables
- For the Homemade Blackening Seasoning: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Instructions for the Vegetables:
- First, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl, toss your sliced zucchini, sliced red bell pepper, and sliced red onion with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Spread the vegetables in a single, even layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and have beautiful, lightly charred and browned spots.
Part 2: Cook the Perfect Blackened Salmon
Step 1: While the vegetables are roasting, prepare your salmon. Pat your 4 salmon fillets completely dry with a paper towel.
Pro Tip: Patting the fish very dry is the number one secret to getting a beautiful, crisp crust and preventing it from sticking to the pan!
Step 2: Rub the salmon fillets generously on all sides with your prepared blackening seasoning.
Step 3: Heat a large skillet (a cast-iron skillet is perfect for this!) over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 4: Carefully place the seasoned salmon fillets in the hot skillet. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side.
Step 5: Flip the salmon and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side, until the spice crust is a deep, dark, reddish-brown and the salmon is cooked through to your desired doneness.
Part 3: Assemble and Serve
Serve the hot, blackened salmon fillets on top of a generous portion of the warm, charred vegetables. Garnish with some fresh lemon wedges for squeezing.
Blackened Salmon (Healthy 30-Minute Meal!)
A healthy and flavorful one-pan (mostly) meal featuring pan-seared blackened salmon served with a medley of charred, roasted vegetables. A colorful mix of zucchini, red bell pepper, and red onion are tossed with smoked paprika and olive oil, then roasted in a hot oven until tender and slightly charred. While the vegetables are roasting, salmon fillets are coated in a blackening seasoning and seared in a hot skillet until they are cooked through and have a classic blackened crust. The salmon is served on top of the vegetables with fresh lemon wedges.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
- 2 tbsp blackening seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, red bell pepper, and red onion with the olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the seasoned vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until charred and tender.
- While the vegetables are roasting, rub the salmon fillets on all sides with the blackening seasoning.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until the seasoning is blackened and the fish is cooked through.
- Serve the seared salmon fillets on top of the roasted vegetables.
- Garnish with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over the fish.
Notes
- This is a complete, healthy meal that is both gluten-free and low in carbohydrates.
- Cooking the vegetables and salmon concurrently makes for an efficient workflow, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- A hot skillet is key to achieving the ‘blackened’ crust on the salmon without overcooking the inside.
What to Serve With Your Blackened Salmon
This beautiful dish is a fantastic, all-in-one meal that has your protein and your vegetables all on one plate. If you’d like to round it out, here are a few simple suggestions:
- A Hearty Grain: Serve the salmon and vegetables over a bed of fluffy quinoa, brown rice, or some creamy polenta.
- A Cooling Sauce: The bold, spicy flavor of the salmon is fantastic when paired with a cool and creamy sauce, like a simple avocado crema, a dollop of sour cream, or a tangy tartar sauce.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a bright vinaigrette is a perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, savory salmon.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by preparing the entire homemade blackening seasoning (it will keep in an airtight container for months!) and chopping all your vegetables up to 2 days in advance.
- Storage: Store any leftover salmon and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Use a Different Fish or Protein: This delicious and versatile blackening seasoning is also absolutely fantastic with other firm, white fish like mahi-mahi, cod, or redfish. It’s also incredible with shrimp or boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Make it a One-Sheet-Pan Meal: For an even easier cleanup, you can cook the entire meal on one pan! Simply roast your vegetables for about 15 minutes first. Then, push the vegetables to the sides of the pan, add your seasoned salmon fillets to the center of the pan, and return it to the oven for another 10-12 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.
- Make it on the Grill: This is a perfect recipe for the grill! You can cook your vegetables in a grill basket over a medium-high heat. For the salmon, simply grill it over a direct, high heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
Enjoy The Ultimate Healthy & Flavorful Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This Blackened Salmon is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to be both incredibly fast and wonderfully elegant. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite for busy weeknights.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the difference between “blackened” and “burnt”?
This is the most important question! “Blackened” is a specific Cajun cooking technique where a piece of protein (usually fish) is coated in a generous amount of a specific spice blend and then cooked in a very hot skillet. The milk solids in the butter (if used) and the spices themselves toast and char, creating a dark, crispy, and incredibly flavorful crust. It is not burnt! The inside of the fish remains perfectly moist and tender.
Q2: What is the secret to a perfect, crispy crust on salmon?
The number one secret is to pat your salmon fillets completely dry with a paper towel before you season them. Any excess moisture on the surface of the fish will create steam in the hot pan and will prevent that beautiful, crisp crust from forming.
Q3: How do I know for sure when my salmon is cooked through without it being dry?
The salmon is perfectly cooked when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. You can check for doneness by inserting a fork into the thickest part of the fillet and gently twisting it. If the fish separates easily into beautiful, flaky layers, it is done. Be careful not to overcook it!
Q4: Can I make this blackening seasoning ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! It is a fantastic idea to make a large batch of this homemade blackening seasoning and store it in an airtight jar in your spice cabinet. It will keep for several months and is fantastic on all sorts of fish, chicken, and even vegetables.
Q5: Is this recipe spicy?
As written, this recipe has a medium level of heat from the 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the spice blend. If you would like a milder dish, you can reduce the amount of cayenne pepper to 1/2 or 1/4 of a teaspoon. If you love a lot of heat, feel free to increase it!