Smoky and sweet with a bit of heat, this Spice-Rubbed Salmon is the perfect quick and easy nutritious weeknight dish. It's packed with flavor and can be made in about 15 minutes! This dish is so versatile- it can be made on the grill, in the oven, on the stove, or in the air fryer!
This Spice-Rubbed Salmon is one of my go-to recipes on busy weeknights. When people ask me how it’s possible to cook healthy meals when you’re pressed for time, I point to recipes like this one. Not only is it healthy and delicious, it can be prepared in about 15 minutes!
Salmon is one of my favorite things to cook. Not only is it quick and easy to prepare, it's a true superfood!
Salmon is packed with health-promoting nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals. Read my post all about the health benefits of salmon.
The US Dietary Guidelines recommend that we all eat at least 2 servings of seafood per week and this dish is a great way to get one of those servings in!
Salmon dry rub
I love dry spice rubs and they’re so easy to make yourself, there’s no need to buy them! Spice rubs are also a great way to add a ton of flavor to a dish without adding a lot of calories or fat.
Check out my popular Grilled Spiced Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa or Tropical Fish Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa. Spice rubs are also convenient because most of us have a good number of dried spices hanging out in our pantries.
This is a great all purpose rub that works well on salmon but also on chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables. It has a combination of smoky, spicy and sweet flavors that balance each other out nicely.
It gets smokiness from chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika and a hint of spice from cayenne pepper. And to balance the savory flavors, I include a bit of brown sugar for sweetness.
How to cook spice-rubbed salmon
Another great thing about this salmon is that you can cook it in a number of different ways depending on your preference. If you have an outdoor grill, you can cook this on the grill. Otherwise, you can cook it on an indoor grill pan, in a skillet, in the oven or even in an air fryer.
Simply brush the salmon fillets with olive oil and season them with the dry rub. Then cook them using whichever cooking method you prefer. Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Side dishes to eat with salmon:
- Roasted Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes
- Sesame Roasted Broccoli
- Quinoa Fried "Rice"
- Lemon Risotto with Peas and Asparagus
- The Perfect Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Miso Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Tasty air fryer recipes
- Air Fryer Quesadillas
- Frozen Chicken Tenders or Nuggets
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Perfect Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer General Tso's Chicken
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!
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Did you try this recipe? If so, please leave a review below. I love hearing from you! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Did you try this recipe? If so, please leave a review below. I love hearing from you! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice-Rubbed Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry. To make the dry rub, mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl. Brush each salmon filet with ½ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle about ½ tablespoon of the dry rub on top, patting it onto the salmon so that it adheres.
- To grill the salmon on a grill:Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium high heat. Brush the grill rack well with oil. Place the salmon on the grill, seasoned side down and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes to desired doneness.
- To bake the salmon in the oven:Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the salmon on an oiled sheet pan and bake in the oven 8-12 minutes until it reaches desired doneness.
- To cook the salmon on the stove:Heat a nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat and spray with olive oil. Place the salmon in the pan, seasoned side down and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes to desired doneness.
- To cook the salmon in an air fryer:Heat an air fryer to 400°F. Spray or brush the rack with olive oil. Add the salmon to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook 6-10 minutes to desired doneness.
Susan H says
I'd like to serve this to guests with a yogurt sauce on the side. Can you offer suggestions for what I might add to the yogurt that would also serve as a nice accompaniment to the spice rub?
sonaliruder says
A yogurt sauce would be great with this dish! You can try a simple Cilantro Lime Aioli like the one in this recipe: https://thefoodiephysician.com/dining-with-doc-spiced-cod-sliders-with/
James Anderson says
Your recipe seems to be amazing. I'm already hungry, will definitely try this recipe.
John Ocean says
This recipe looks delicious, I love fish, and the salmon is always coming.
Thanks for sharing.
Barb Evenson says
New follower here! I love salmon in restaurants, but when I've bought it to cook at home, I can't get past the oily, fishy taste. Do you have any shopping tips? Thinner better than thicker? Specific type of salmon? Quality? Thanks for making cooking interesting!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much for your comment, Barb! The best quality salmon is usually going to be wild Alaskan salmon- it's leaner and has a pure flavor. Unfortunately, it's also going to cost more than farm-raised salmon so I try to stock up if it ever goes on sale. Regardless of which type of salmon you buy, make sure that it's as fresh as possible and doesn't smell fishy. I also find that salmon tastes "fishier" if you overcook it so I generally only cook it for a couple of minutes on each side until it's medium rare. Then I take it out of the pan and the residual heat will continue to cook it a little more. I hope you try this dish out- the flavorful rub should also counteract any fishy taste.
Joy and Feast says
The color on the salmon is beautiful, I had to comment. One of my favorite blogs to pop in on, keep up the great work.
Best,
Jake
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Jake, that's really nice to hear!
ann says
This is my kind of meal...love the honey granules!
sonaliruder says
Thanks! They were awesome!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
This is exactly the kind of dish I'm craving right now - that salmon looks like perfection in spice and texture.
sonaliruder says
Thank you my friend 🙂
Lisa Lin says
I love baking salmon, as I can make a meal in less than 30 minutes. This salmon looks so good!
sonaliruder says
Totally! Salmon is definitely my go to meal on a busy night! Thanks Lisa!
genevieve @ gratitude and greens says
That spice rub sounds so good! I would love to try a veggie version of this!
sonaliruder says
It would be super yummy on roasted veggies! Thanks Gen!
carashealthycraving says
Oh yes! What a lovely flavour combination. I love the spicy flavour bomb that smoked paprika gives.
sonaliruder says
Me too! Thanks Cara!
Farrah says
Yum!! 😀 I have all of these spices...but they're back in West Virginia, which (assuming my school doesn't screw me over on rotations) I won't be back at until mid-April. Looking forward to trying this recipe out though! *-* My friend would love this! (We're both major salmon fiends, hehehe.)
sonaliruder says
I'm a total salmon fiend too! I hope you get to try it soon!
Elizabeth Shaw says
I seriously need you and Mrs. Nutricioulicious to come whip up some salmon for me. I still can't take the plunge to buy and cook it! I do however have my mother in law in town this weekend who ALWAYS orders it when we go out. I will sneak a bite this weekend and let you know how I do- this looks to good to be missing out on!
sonaliruder says
That would be the best dinner party ever! Can't wait to hear how it went 🙂
EA-The Spicy RD says
You had me at sweet and smokey 🙂 My favorite spice combination-this salmon recipe looks amazing! Happy New Year Sonali!
sonaliruder says
The best combo! Thanks EA!
Beverley says
pinned, bookmarked and loved xoxo
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Beverley! xoxo
Rebecca Pytell says
There's no denying, salmon is the best fish!
sonaliruder says
Definitely!
@JodiDanenRD says
I love making salmon. This beautiful dish is sure to be the next salmon recipe I make at my house. Thanks for sharing!
sonaliruder says
I hope you try it out! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Jessica Levinson says
Yum! I love easy, nutritious and delicious meals like this. And gorgeous too! Happy New Year!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Jessica! Happy New Year to you and your family!
Steph @ The Grateful Grazer says
So beautiful! And the seasonings just sound delicious. Another wonderful Foodie Physician fish recipe! 🙂
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much Steph!
Serena Ball says
Look at the beautiful crust on that salmon. I want to stick a fork in it...
Happy New Year!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Serena and Happy New Year to you too!
Corina says
I love the sound of those honey granules and the salmon looks incredible. Great flavours!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Corina!