Name: Baked Blackened Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 lb salmon filet ((or 4, 4-6 oz pieces)); 1 tsp olive oil; 1 tbsp paprika ((smoked or regular)); 1 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp chili powder ((use cayenne if you prefer it spicy)); .5 tsp powdered onion; .5 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

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We are the queens of delicious salmon and easy dinners, Baked Blackened Salmon is the perfect addition to our salmon recipe collection! A simple combination of brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic and oregano is spread over a filet of salmon, baked and in about 15-20 minutes, you have perfect, flakey, salmon.

Blackened Salmon Recipe

Blackening is a technique that uses a blend of herbs and spices to form a crust on a piece of meat (usually fish but sometimes chicken, too!). The spices and herbs turn a dark color when cooked, resulting in a black-ish crust of seasoning. It doesn’t necessarily need to be spicy, you can make it as you please by adding more or less pepper, and chili powder. If you like it really spicy, you can even add crushed red pepper flakes.

How to Make Blackening Seasoning

Paprika
- You can use smoked, or regular. Here a link to is our favorite smoked paprika.
Chili Powder
- Use Cayenne Powder if you want it spicier.
Brown Sugar
- We prefer ours to be a little sweet. The sweetness really compliments the savory and salty notes. Use less sugar if desired.
Powdered Garlic
Powdered Onion
Dried Oregano
Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
- You can use ground, but fresh cracked is best.
Optional: Red Pepper Flakes for added spiciness.

Coat the salmon with a little bit of olive oil, followed by the blackening seasoning. I like a thick crust of seasoning on mine, but you can add as little or as much as you like. If you have extra, store it in an airtight container for next time- you can even use it on chicken or other types of fish!

Bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. We have a whole post on how to perfectly bake salmon if you want to read all about it here.

How to Bake Blackened Salmon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place salmon on foil lined sheet pan.
Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil on salmon.
Sprinkle blackening seasoning over salmon, as much or as little as you like.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until thickets part of salmon is 135 degrees Fahrenheit, keeping an eye on salmon temperature to ensure it does not overcook. Remove from oven at 135 degrees farenheit, allowing salmon to rest and come up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit during resting period.

I like to garnish mine with a little green onion for color, but I also find that fresh chopped cilantro goes very well with the zesty blackening seasoning as well. Serve with crispy smashed potatoes, easy rice pilaf, or oven baked white rice.

If you love this salmon recipe, here’s a few more we think you will like!

Cheers to easy weeknight meals! – Kathi and Rachel