Blackened Salmon

Grilled salmon fillet topped with a vibrant mango salsa, garnished with fresh herbs, served on a white plate.

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This Blackened Salmon is supremely crispy on the edges and juicy and tender in the middle, with an incredible chili lime flavor! It's fast and easy, made in one pan on the stove. The Mexican flavors make it great for pairing with rice and beans, or my favorite, top it with Mango Salsa!

Prep Time20

Cook Time7

Total Time27

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 324kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the marinade

6 salmon filets
1 tablespoon butter melted
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons lime juice from 1 large lime
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the spice rub:

2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For cooking, and to finish

2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil for searing
1 lime juiced, to garnish

Instructions

Prepare 6 salmon filets. If they are frozen, thaw completely. If they are very wet, pat each filet dry with a paper towel.
Prepare the marinade: In a medium bowl, melt 1 tablespoon butter.
Use a microplane grater to zest 1 lime into the butter, you should get about 1 teaspoon lime zest.
Cut the lime in half and juice it. You should get about 3 tablespoons lime juice, but a little more or less is okay! Add it to the bowl with the butter and stir.
Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir it all together.
Add the salmon filets to the marinade 1 at a time, turning each one as you add it, so it gets coated in the butter and lime. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the spice rub. On a plate, add all the spices: 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Stir it all together.
After 15 minutes, coat the salmon with spices. Lift a piece of salmon from the marinade and let it drip for a second. Then place it lightly on the spice mixture, then flip and coat the other side. Place the spice-coated salmon on a tray or plate. Continue with all the salmon.
Heat a large 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Let it preheat for at least 2-3 minutes, it should be a crazy hot (dry) pan.
Carefully add 1 tablespoon oil and use hot pads to swirl the oil to coat the bottom. Add the salmon filets one at a time, with plenty of space (at least 2 inches) between each filet. (I do this in two batches.) The salmon will sizzle and blacken right away.
Let the salmon sear for about 2 minutes on the first side, until you can see that it has blackened on the edges.
Drizzle another tablespoon of oil around the edges of the salmon in the pan, swirling to coat. Use a spatula to flip each piece of salmon, making sure the salmon lands on an oil-coated spot on the pan.
Continue searing the second side of the salmon over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes, until blackened.
Once it is well seared, immediately turn the heat down medium low. Let the salmon continue cooking on low for another 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness, until the salmon is cooked all the way through. The salmon should flake easily but will still be pink in the middle. If you have a meat thermometer, take the salmon off heat when the thickest part is about 120-125 degrees F. It will continue cooking off-heat. Do not overcook the salmon! Keep it nice and moist.
Remove the salmon filets to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Continue, turning the heat back up to medium high and adding more oil as necessary, until all the salmon is cooked.
Just before serving, squeeze additional lime juice directly onto each salmon filet.
Serve with Mango Salsa for the most amazing dinner experience. My favorite side dishes to serve it with are Mexican Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice. Drizzle the whole plate with Chipotle Mayo and garnish with Pickled Red Onions for a true feast!

Notes

CHICKEN: You can easily make this recipe with chicken instead of salmon. Chicken will take a little longer to cook. Look over the searing instructions on my Pesto Chicken recipe for a little more detail on the technique for chicken!

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