blackened salmon fillet on a white plate
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Blackened Salmon Recipe with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Dr. Axe – Many of us don’t get enough fish in our diet. The average American eats about four ounces a week, which is half of what’s recommended for most adults. (1) One complaint I hear often is that fish is too tricky to cook — or that it doesn’t taste great. Wait until you try this blackened salmon recipe!

Wild-caught salmon is one of my favorite fish to eat. It’s loaded with nutrients that are hard to come by elsewhere. This blackened salmon recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. You likely already have everything necessary on-hand, and, best of all, it’s fool-proof. Whether you think you like fish or not, you’ll want to at least try this blackened salmon.

What Goes Into Blackening Seasoning?

What makes this salmon so simple to prepare — and so delicious — is the blackened seasoning. One question I get often is: Is blackening seasoning the same as Cajun seasoning? Blackening seasoning and Cajun seasoning are quite similar. Most of the herbs and spices in this recipe are Cajun-style.

So, how do you make blackened seasoning? I’ve done that by adding smoked paprika, which gives this salmon that “charred” flavor you’d get if you were using an outdoor grill, and what makes it not just Cajun-style, but blackened as well.

Is blackened season spicy? Only if you want it to be! The smoked paprika in this recipe adds a little kick, but not too much. You can add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper if you want to increase the heat here.

Do You Eat the Skin of Salmon?

This is something people wonder about often. The answer is, it depends. I prefer removing the skin unless I am grilling the salmon. If that’s the case, leaving the skin on can result in extra texture thanks to the skin becoming nice and crispy.

Another question I get asked often is do you cook salmon with the skin on or off? Again, since I usually prefer eating my salmon skin-free, I remove it. How do you remove skin from salmon? It’s actually much easier than people think and the more you do it, the better at it you’ll become.

Start by placing the salmon fillet on a cutting board. I find it helpful to sprinkle the tail end of the fish in salt to get a firm grip. Next, while holding the tail end, use a sharp knife to cut between the fish and the skin. You want to be cutting in the opposite direction from where the tail is.

Keep holding the end and continue cutting along the length of the salmon. Then simply remove and toss the skin.

Blackened Salmon Nutrition Facts

Once the fish is skinned, it’s ready for cooking. Here’s what you’ll get in one serving of this blackened salmon recipe without dressing:

  • 484 calories
  • 47.16 grams protein
  • 28.91 grams fat
  • 8.52 grams carbohydrates
  • 1.33 grams sugar
  • 4.739 grams omega-3 fatty acids (325 percent DV)
  • 7.21 micrograms vitamin B12 (300 percent DV)
  • 231.9 micrograms vitamin K (258 percent DV)
  • 3,724 IUs vitamin A (160 percent DV)
  • 2 milligrams vitamin B6 (155 percent DV)
  • 18.32 milligrams vitamin B3 (131 percent DV)
  • 579 IUs vitamin D (97 percent DV)
  • 0.93 milligrams vitamin B2 (84 percent DV)
  • 3.89 milligrams vitamin B5 (78 percent DV)
  • 45.8 milligrams vitamin C (61 percent DV)
  • 0.57 milligrams vitamin B1 (52 percent DV)

As you can see, this blackened salmon recipe really packs a nutritional punch!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 small salmon filets, about 3–4 ounces each
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups massaged kale
  • 1 lime, quartered for garnishing
  • Creamy avocado cilantro lime dressing

How to Make Blackened Salmon

I’ve served this fish as a blackened salmon salad nestled on kale, but you can serve this salmon any way you’d like. You could use this recipe for blackened salmon tacos, for instance, or serve this with sweet potato fries instead of kale. Once you try the recipe as-written, I’m sure you’ll be looking for as many ways as possible to incorporate it into your menu.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large pan over medium heat, warm oil.
  2. While pan is heating, combine, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until well-combined.
  3. Coat salmon evenly with seasonings.
  4. With tongs, place the salmon filets in the heated oil. Cover and fry each side for about 5–10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
  5. Serve over massaged kale and top with creamy avocado cilantro lime dressing, or a dressing of your choice.
  6. Enjoy!

This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.
For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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