Easy Blackened Fish is seasoned with smoky, slightly spicy blackened seasoning and baked into a sheet plan meal with zucchini and carrots or vegetables of your choice. For less heat just take the cayenne red pepper down a bit! Your family will love this healthy, filling meal that is easy to clean-up. 

EASY BLACKENED FISH 

We try to eat seafood at least once a week in my house which means I need a variety of recipes on hand to keep things interesting. 

My family tends to eat salmon and different types of white fish the most.

We love this Mediterranean Salmon, Baked Cod with Lemon and Black Sea Bass and make those recipes often. I also like to make this Air Fryer Cod and then add it to these Easy Cod Fish Tacos. 

Today’s Easy Blackened Fish recipe is another recipe one I have started making. It has a bit of spice and smokiness in the spice rub which I especially love. You can use this blackened spice mixture on many different types of fish from cod to tilapia to even shrimp. 

When I make this blackened fish recipe I like to create this sheet pan meal with carrots and zucchini.

You can add any vegetables you have on hand like bell peppers, onion or broccoli. I like the layer of lemon slices to bring some brightness and a bit of sweetness to the fish.

You can also squeeze lemon on top of the fish at the end of baking to help brighten the dish. 

BEST TYPE OF FISH TO USE IN THIS RECIPE

I think the fish that works best with this blackening seasoning is the white fish varieties. Many people like to make blackened tilapia, blackened catfish and blackened mahi mahi.

I also often see blackened cod which is one of my favorites.

Some other great options are below:

Shrimp would be a nice option with this spice blend. I would cover the shrimp with olive oil and then toss them in the spice blend before sautéing. 

White, lean, and flaky: Black sea bass, branzino, flounder, rainbow smelt, red snapper, rainbow trout, weakfish (sea trout), whiting

White, lean, and firm: Alaska pollock, grouper, haddock, Pacific cod, Pacific halibut, Pacific rockfish and striped bass 

HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS BLACKENED FISH RECIPE?

First, Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the carrots, zucchini and minced garlic in a medium mixing bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and chives and mix well.

Next, pour the vegetable mixture onto a sheet pan and place in the oven for 25 minutes.

Melt the butter or set the olive oil in a shallow bowl. Combine spices for blackened seasoning and dredge fish first in the butter or olive oil and then in seasoning.

Then heat a large skillet on the stove on medium high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and sear fish 1 minute per side. Remove from heat.

Remove veggies from the oven. Create a bed of lemons on top of the veggies for the fish. Place fish on top of lemons.

Finally place the sheet pan back into the oven for 10 minutes. Check the fish and remove once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

Remove from heat and top with fresh cilantro.

WHAT IS BLACKENING SEASONING?

If you eat blackened seafood often you might notice that the blend of spices depends on the chef that is making the food. The seasoning I created uses the following:

• Smoked paprika
• Cayenne red pepper
• Garlic powder
• Cumin
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Onion Powder
• Sea Salt
• Black pepper

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN CAJUN, CREOLE AND BLACKENED SEASONING?

You might be wondering what the difference between these three are. From my experience Cajun tends to be more spicy, Creole includes a blend of herbs and Blackened seasoning tends to fall somewhere in between. 

WHAT VEGETABLES CAN I USE IN THIS SHEET PAN MEAL?

I used carrots and zucchini in this recipe but there are lots of options that would work great. 

• Bell peppers
• Celery
• White or red onion
• Tomatoes
• Green beans
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower