Honey Blackened Salmon

Cook up moist and flaky salmon fillets every time with this easy recipe! Grilled Honey Blackened Salmon is crispy on the outside and loaded with classic Cajun flavor with a hint of sweetness for the ultimate dinner.

We love to serve this salmon recipe with a classic Caesar salad, garlic parmesan zucchini chips or my oven roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic.

Smoky Grilled Blackened Salmon With Homemade Honey Butter

Blackened salmon is about to become your new specialty. This easy 20-minute recipe produces the most tempting grilled fish fillets of all time! Coated in a smoky, herby, garlicky, and lightly spicy seasoning blend and finished off with sweet honey butter, they’re incredibly tender and flaky with just the right amount of char.

Because it’s so quick and easy, this hearty main course is a foolproof option for potlucks and barbecues. Bold flavor meets flawless texture in every single bite. As the fish fillets cook, the line in front of the grill will grow longer and longer!

But, you can definitely make this for a filling weeknight dinner, too. When my family is short on time in the evening, this is a go-to recipe that everyone always devours!

Finally, if you’re looking for more easy salmon recipes, be sure to try this grilled honey sriracha salmon salad, this air fryer pesto salmon, and this maple glazed salmon as well!

Why You’ll Love This Blackened Salmon Recipe

This honey blackened salmon recipe will have your heart in no time. Here are a few reasons to work it into the meal plan ASAP:

• Perfectly flaky. This blackened salmon is melt-in-your-mouth tender. You’ll be absolutely hooked from the first bite!
• Sweet and spicy. The combination of sugary honey butter, spicy cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika on this salmon is just heavenly.
• Super quick. You can have this salmon prepped in 10 minutes, and then cooked in 10 more. It’s so easy!

What Does It Mean When Fish Is Blackened?

Blackening is a Cajun cooking technique with Creole influences that involves a signature spice rub crisping up against the surface of seafood or meat. The seasoning blend helps create that charred exterior while also infusing the fish (or meat) with savory flavor. Even though the outside gets dark and crispy (but not burnt!), the interior stays wonderfully moist and tender.

Recipe Ingredients

You don’t need much to create this crowd-pleasing dish – just the salmon fillets, the butter, and some seriously satisfying flavorings. Check out the printable recipe card below for specific quantities and the full set of directions.

For the Blackened Salmon

• Salmon Filets: Stick with skin-on salmon for the juiciest results.
• Smoked Paprika: This adds a complex blend of smoky, earthy, and slightly sweet flavor!
• Salt: To enhance the other seasonings and lock the moisture into the fish.
• Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: For extra savory (and subtly sweet) flavor.
• Oregano & Parsley: Dried is the way to go in both cases!
• Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is best.
• Cayenne Pepper: Feel free to add more or less of this for a hotter or milder flavor.

For the Honey Butter

• Unsalted Butter: Make sure to let this soften before you begin.
• Honey: I prefer raw and unfiltered honey, as it’s minimally processed.

How to Make Honey Blackened Salmon

It’s grilling time! If you’d like to cook your salmon on the stovetop instead of the grill, follow the same process with your grill pan or a cast-iron skillet.

• Prepare the spice rub. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, oregano, parsley, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl. Mix everything together and set the seasoning blend aside.
• Make the honey butter. Add the softened butter and honey to a small bowl. Use a spoon to mix them together, then set the honey butter aside.

• Heat the grill. Heat the grill to medium-high heat, around 350-400°F.
• Pat the salmon dry. Pat each fish fillet dry with a paper towel.
• Season the salmon. Season the flesh side of the salmon with the blackening seasoning. Gently rub it in so the seasoning sticks.
• Grill the skin side. Place the salmon fillets onto the grill skin-side down. Grill them for 6-8 minutes, or until the salmon releases.
• Grill the flesh side. Gently flip the salmon and grill the flesh side for 1-2 minutes, until slight grill marks appear.
• Remove the salmon from the heat. Remove the salmon from the grill once the internal temperature of the thickest part of each fillet reaches 145°F.
• Add honey butter. Immediately place a dollop of honey butter onto each salmon fillet.
• Enjoy! Garnish the salmon with parsley and lemon wedges before serving if you’d like.

Tips for Success

Making blackened salmon is an absolute cinch. The tips below will ensure that it comes out perfect!

• Use wild-caught fish fillets. Farmed fish are fattier and less flavorful than their wild-caught counterparts, so I don’t recommend using them. They’re also more likely to carry contaminants since they live in such close quarters.
• Don’t let seasoned salmon sit. Make sure you cook your salmon immediately after you season it. Otherwise, the salt will start to break down the proteins in the fish and draw out moisture instead of locking it in.
• Only flip once the fillets are ready. When the skin side of the salmon is done cooking, the fillets will release from the grill grates with ease when you go to flip them. If you notice some resistance, give them another 30 seconds or so and try again.
• Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Salmon is considered safe to consume when the internal temperature of the fish is at a minimum of 145°F. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of each fillet before you remove them from the grill to confirm that they’re fully cooked.

Serving Suggestions

This seafood favorite can be served in countless ways! Whether you pair your grilled blackened salmon with a couple of sides or incorporate it into another dish, everyone will end up with an empty plate in no time.

• Sides: Pair your salmon with some grilled vegetables, enjoy it alongside a grilled corn salad, or serve it over cilantro lime rice. Or, simply pair it with dinner rolls and extra honey butter!
• More Dinner Options: You could also serve blackened salmon over alfredo pasta or Mediterranean orzo pasta salad. Sometimes I cut it into pieces for tacos, too!
• Breakfast: Start the day off right by slicing your salmon into chunks and adding it to scrambled eggs!

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Got some leftover honey blackened salmon? Here’s how to save it for later!

• To store. Although it’s best when it’s fresh, leftover salmon will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days if you store it properly. Either keep the cooled fish in an airtight container or a resealable storage bag with all of the air removed.
• To reheat. Reheat it over medium-low heat on the stovetop until it’s warmed through.

Can I Freeze Blackened Salmon?

Sure you can – but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. The salmon’s taste and texture won’t be nearly as nice as it was when it was fresh. However, if you’re planning to use it for something like salmon soup or salmon patties, you can achieve satisfactory results.

Let the salmon cool completely, then wrap each fillet tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped fillets into a freezer-safe container or storage bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw out frozen salmon in the fridge before you use it.

More Easy Seafood Recipes

If you loved this blackened salmon recipe, be sure to check out more of these seafood dinners!

• Seared Scallops With Corn Relish
• Blackened Mahi Mahi Fish Burgers
• Fish Taco Rice Bowls
• Whole30 Salmon in Creamy Garlic Sauce
• Spice-Rubbed Baked Salmon with Avocado Salmon
• Creamy Tuscan Garlic Shrimp

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