I’ve got a simple, healthy and incredibly flavorful dinner for you.
Here it is: Cajun salmon for the win!
Yes, I like exclamation points. This salmon is seriously incredible.
It’s that easy to make at home. I’d deliver it with a beer, a glass of wine, or a few cans of your favorite sparkling water (mine’s passionfruit).
One of our favorite comfort dishes is a creamy cajun chicken penne — we could happily eat it every week. Eddie requests it often, which is notable because when I ask what he wants for dinner he usually answers that he just ate and can’t think of anything.
He really always says that. It’s inconvenient when my brain goes on autopilot.
I love salmon and I’m always experimenting with new flavors. Lately Eddie hasn’t been as enthusiastic about salmon — maybe I served him too many dry fillets — so I wanted something bold and spicy he couldn’t resist. I took inspiration from that cajun chicken dish and made my own cajun blend because I was out of store-bought seasoning. The mix turned out so good I’ve been making a big batch and Eddie has been sprinkling it on everything.
The salmon is coated in a spicy, buttery rub and finished with a pat of salted lime butter that melts over the hot fish, adding brightness and richness.
It takes far less than 30 minutes to prepare — the longest part is measuring spices. Serve with rice and asparagus or another spring vegetable for an easy, satisfying meal.
30 Minute Cajun Salmon with Salted Lime Butter
Yield:
4
30 minutes
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Ingredients
- 1 (2 pound) salmon filet
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- pinch cayenne pepper
Salted Lime Butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 lime, zest freshly grated
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat the broiler to high and position the oven rack about 6 inches below it.
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Place the salmon on a baking sheet and brush with grapeseed oil (or rub with 1 tablespoon of the lime butter). In a bowl, combine the paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes and cayenne. Sprinkle the spice blend evenly over the top of the salmon and press gently to adhere.
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Broil the salmon 6 to 8 minutes, until just opaque and flaky. Remove from the oven and top with a few teaspoons of the salted lime butter so it melts over the hot fish. Serve with rice and lime wedges for squeezing.
Salted Lime Butter
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Stir together the butter, lime zest and coarse sea salt until combined.
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I’m thinking margarita.