Blackened Cod Recipe

Cooking our easy blackened cod recipe just takes 15 minutes from start to finish and makes a great option when you're looking for easy fish recipes. With bold spicy Cajun flavors paired with mild and buttery cod, this will be a recipe for blackened cod you'll use time and time again! It's a WHOLE LOTTA YUM! 

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Blackened Cod Fish

I first tasted blackened seasoning decades ago in a restaurant down in the South. I remember being shocked that pan-searing fish or chicken with the cajun blackened seasoning gives it a "burnt" appearance that doesn't taste burnt whatsoever! 

When you're looking for a way to season food beyond a simple spice rub, using a homemade blackening seasoning recipe is the way to go! it'll add a smokey slightly spicy kick to anything you use it with without overpowering the flavors of the recipe. 

If you've been wondering how to blacken cod or any time of fish, you're in the right place!

Serve the blacked cod recipe with green veggies like air fryer broccolini and palmini pasta. To make the blackened cod fish extra special, we highly recommend a drizzle of our lemon sauce with capers!

Love blackened recipes and want even more ideas? Then you'll adore our blackened chicken tenders recipe with our homemade blackened seasoning. 

Why You'll Love This!

• Our blackened cod recipe ingredients uses simple pantry items that are most likely in your spice cabinet.
• The bold and spicy seasoning mix adds a powerful punch of flavor that works for just about any cut of seafood or meat .
• Blackened cod fish is super healthy and low calorie! We add just a touch of oil and the cajun flavors in the spice mix make it taste amazing.
• With all-natural ingredients, no starch or no sugar, the blackening rub for the white fish is also keto friendly, low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30/paleo.
• Easy to customize and tweak to your own preferences!

Ingredient Notes

Our blackened cod recipe starts with a homemade blackened seasoning recipe but you of course can use your favorite creole or cajun seasoning blend from the grocery store. 

• fresh cod fish fillets (if you forgot to defrost your frozen cod, read how to thaw frozen fish quickly!)
• olive oil or melted butter
• Blackening seasoning (homemade or store-bought)

BLACKENING MIX

• sweet or smoked paprika
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• fine sea salt - some use kosher salt, just keep in mind kosher isn't as strong as sea salt so you might need to add a little extra.
• black pepper
• cayenne pepper
• dried oregano
• dried thyme
• optional - add brown sugar for a sweet touch (we did not but it would be tasty!)

** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **

Variations

Recipe Variations- use this exact same method for cooking salmon, chicken, or shrimp. The cooking time will vary depending on the type of protein you're using. We also love to use blackened cod to make blackened fish tacos! All you need is a batch of our cod, coleslaw mix, tortillas, and whatever toppings you desire. 

Equipment

• cast-iron skillet
• metal spatula
• digital meat thermometer (highly recommended) 

Step by Step Instructions

The process for cooking our blackened cod recipe is super simple. Make the 5-minute homemade seasoning mix, brush both sides of the fresh cod fillets with oil, season, and then sear in a hot skillet until the cod fish recipe is cooked through. 

Make the Spice Mix

In a small bowl combine all of the blackened seasoning ingredients. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. If you're using store-bought blackened seasoning, skip this step.

Prep the cod by drying the cod fillets with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. The fish won't blacken as well if the fish has too much water in it.

Season the Fish & Pan Fry

Brush both sides of the fresh cod fillets with olive oil or melted butter.

Evenly sprinkle the spice mixture on top of the fish, the bottom, and making sure to get the sides of each cod fillet too. Using clean hands to pat the seasoning on the fish works best and prevents the spices from falling off into the pan during cooking.

Grease the large cast iron skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Make sure your stove exhaust fan is on to prevent smoke in your kitchen. 

Lay the cod face down in the large skillet and cook it for 3 minutes until the seasoning turns dark brown almost black and the fish starts to pull away from the edges of the plan. Flip the fish over with a metal spatula and continue cooking the fillets for 3-4 more minutes until both sides are browned and the internal temperature of the fish is 145 F when tested with a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the fish.

Serve the seasoned cod immediately and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• If you love spicy food, feel free to increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the homemade spice recipe.
• Store-bought blackened seasoning works well, or you can use spice labeled as Cajun or Creole since they're all very similar ingredients. Cajun is often a tad spicier than blackening seasoning.
• You'll need 4 fish fillets that are about 5-6 ounces each. Try to get fish that's an even thickness so it'll all be done cooking at the same time. Our package came as 2 fillets that we cut in half, one was about ½" thick and the other was 1" thick.)
• Melted butter can be used in place of olive oil, however, butter has a lower smoking point than olive oil and could increase the smoke in the kitchen or could possibly burn.
• We highly recommend the use of a digital meat thermometer! It'll keep the fish from potentially overcooking. According to the USDA, the internal temperature of cod should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
• A cast iron skillet is ideal and will work better than a non-stick skillet.

Common Questions

More Cod Recipes

• Fish taco bowls
• Thai cod curry
• Air fryer breaded fish (from frozen)