Smoky and sweet with a bit of heat, this spice-rubbed salmon is the perfect light dish for the New Year.
Once the New Year comes around, I’m like most people- ready to move on from all of the holiday indulgences and start focusing on some lighter, healthier dishes. 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!
I love dry spice rubs and they’re so easy to make yourself, there’s no need to buy them! Spice rubs are a great way to add a ton of flavor to a dish without adding a lot of calories or fat. And 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.
For sweetness, I used honey granules that I recently got in my latest Hatchery box. They are a nice way to add the flavor of honey to your dishes without the messiness of honey. If you don’t have it, you can substitute coconut sugar or light brown sugar. And if you like heat, feel free to double the cayenne. Who knew healthy could be so good?
For the perfect side dish, try my easy Sesame Roasted Broccoli.
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey granules (can substitute coconut sugar or light brown sugar)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Pat the salmon dry. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, honey granules, a ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together. Brush each salmon filet with ½ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle equal amounts of the dry rub on top, patting it onto the salmon so that it adheres.
- Heat a grill, grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium and spray with cooking spray. Place the salmon in the pan, seasoned side down and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2-5 minutes to desired doneness. Remove from pan and serve.
I love the sound of those honey granules and the salmon looks incredible. Great flavours!
Thanks, Corina!
Look at the beautiful crust on that salmon. I want to stick a fork in it…
Happy New Year!
Thanks Serena and Happy New Year to you too!
So beautiful! And the seasonings just sound delicious. Another wonderful Foodie Physician fish recipe! 🙂
Thanks so much Steph!
Yum! I love easy, nutritious and delicious meals like this. And gorgeous too! Happy New Year!
Thanks, Jessica! Happy New Year to you and your family!
I love making salmon. This beautiful dish is sure to be the next salmon recipe I make at my house. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you try it out! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
There's no denying, salmon is the best fish!
Definitely!
pinned, bookmarked and loved xoxo
Thanks so much Beverley! xoxo
You had me at sweet and smokey 🙂 My favorite spice combination-this salmon recipe looks amazing! Happy New Year Sonali!
The best combo! Thanks EA!
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!
That would be the best dinner party ever! Can't wait to hear how it went 🙂
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.)
I'm a total salmon fiend too! I hope you get to try it soon!
Oh yes! What a lovely flavour combination. I love the spicy flavour bomb that smoked paprika gives.
Me too! Thanks Cara!
That spice rub sounds so good! I would love to try a veggie version of this!
It would be super yummy on roasted veggies! Thanks Gen!
I love baking salmon, as I can make a meal in less than 30 minutes. This salmon looks so good!
Totally! Salmon is definitely my go to meal on a busy night! Thanks Lisa!
This is exactly the kind of dish I'm craving right now – that salmon looks like perfection in spice and texture.
Thank you my friend 🙂
This is my kind of meal…love the honey granules!
Thanks! They were awesome!
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
Thanks so much Jake, that's really nice to hear!
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!
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.