Blackened salmon on the grill offers a smoky, spicy flavor that's perfect for summer cookouts. It's quick to prepare and pairs beautifully with fresh salads or grilled vegetables or cheesy polenta.

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In the land of salmon, it’s mandatory to have lots of way to enjoy salmon. And most of them are easy little recipes that don’t feel like recipes-most of them are not worth sharing. But Grilled Blackened Salmon is our new favorite way to enjoy fresh salmon.

And thank goodness because it’s salmon season again and we’re sure to have a surplus. If you have a surplus of fresh salmon too OR you just love salmon and want to try something new then try this recipe.

A plate with Cajun-seasoned salmon, white rice, and stir-fried vegetables.

What about the Heat?

If you don’t like heat reduce the cayenne in the spice mix and you’ll still get the full flavor just not spicy. And this isn’t super spicy to begin with.

So if you LIKE it spicier then make it hotter with more cayenne! Or add red pepper flakes. Or use both if you like to live dangerously.

Three seasoned salmon fillets on a white plate, with a red and white striped napkin on the side.

What You Need to Make Blackened Salmon

The spice list looks long but it’s worth it. You could use a premade mix but the only problem with that is that you can’t control the heat level.

salmon fillet
light olive oil
smoked paprika
paprika
oregano
thyme
chili powder
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
ground black pepper
mixing bowl
metal spatula
gas grill

Once again if you don’t like a lot of spice and heat reduce or skip the cayenne.

Two salmon fillets with a spice rub cooking on a barbecue grill.

To skin the salmon or to not skin the salmon

I don’t skin salmon that I cook on the grill. I like to lay salmon skin side down on the grill and let it cook. Once it’s cooked I use a metal spatula to remove it from the grill, leaving the skin on the grill. It makes cooking salmon on the grill so easy!

I do this every time I grill salmon. It’s almost like having a little pan under the salmon while grilling it keeping direct flames or flair-ups off the salmon. When the grill cools the salmon skin simply pops right off the grates of the grill. And if you like to you can eat the salmon skin.

How Long To Cook Salmon on the Grill

The general rule of thumb for how long to cook salmon covered on the grill on medium heat is roughly 6-8 minutes. But all grills cook differently some cook hotter in different places on the grate. Others, like mine, get overly hot with the lid shut so you may need to use a piece of folded foil to vent it lightly so it doesn’t catch on fire. Know your grill and how it cooks and proceed as needed.

Your best bet, regardless of how your grill cooks, is to check early to ensure the fish isn’t already cooked at the 6-minute mark. And then check every 2-3 minutes until it’s cooked through.

The finished temperature of salmon, according to the USDA, is 145°. You can cook salmon and check for doneness by looking for opacity in the meat, or if it flakes. And if that doesn’t feel like something you trust then use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. Either way works, you need to feel comfortable with the method you choose.

What to Serve With Blackened Salmon?

Somany sides go with this salmon, like this arugula salad! Or this Smoky Charred Corn sounds fantastic and would pair so well!

Close-up of a plate with grilled salmon, white rice, and mixed vegetables.

Our Other Favorite Ways to Enjoy Salmon

We always have a freezer full of salmon, it’s a perk of living in Alaska. But the same exact people who catch and fill the freezer with it, get tired of eating it. So I’ve become really creative in the “get people to eat more salmon” aspect of our lives. We love beer batter salmon. And I make lox quite a bit. And of course Salmon Tacos, those can be a weekly occurrence in our house with zero complaints! Here’s a new one for me, and I can’t wait to try it, Gochujang Salmon.