Salmon Seasoning
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This Salmon Seasoning is the perfect dry rub for salmon prepared in a variety of ways. Whether you’re making baked salmon, grilled salmon, or healthy air fryer salmon, this rub will add a delicious amount of flavor to any salmon recipe! It’s easy to mix up in just 5 minutes, with 8 simple ingredients.
Table of contents
This salmon seasoning is a staple in my pantry. Rubbing it on salmon, then cooking it in the air fryer means that I can have a delicious dinner on the table in just 10 minutes!
But don’t worry if you don’t have an air fryer, you can also use this seasoning before you toss salmon on the grill or in the oven. The blend of herbs and spices adds wonderful flavor to salmon, any way you cook it!
This recipe is smoky, zesty, and my favorite way to season salmon! This rub is sugar-free, making it healthy, keto-friendly and whole30 approved. But if you like a little sweetness on your salmon, you can add brown sugar to the mix for a sweet and smoky rub!
Ingredients
- Smoked paprika – this adds the smoky flavor to the seasoning mix. If you’re not a fan of smoky flavors, you can use traditional paprika.
- Garlic powder (or granulated garlic) – the only difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated garlic. I prefer to use granulated garlic because it’s less likely to clump over time, than garlic powder.
- Onion powder (or granulated onion) – the only difference between granulated onion and onion powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated onion. I prefer to use granulated onion because it’s less likely to clump over time, than onion powder.
- Dried parsley – even in it’s dried form, parsley adds a bright, fresh flavor to this seasoning mix that pairs well with the other spices.
- Granulated lemon peel (or dried lemon zest) – I purchased the bag of dried lemon peel pictured above on Amazon. You can do the same, or you can find McCormick California lemon peel bottled on the spice aisle at most major grocery stores. You can also make your own dried lemon zest, and I’ll show you how in the blog post below.
- Black pepper – I recommend a coarse-ground pepper for this recipe, as it adds great texture to the seasoning blend.
- Sea salt (or kosher salt) – both sea salt and kosher salt can be used interchangeably when cooking. I prefer either kosher or sea salt, over table salt, in this seasoning mix because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
- Mustard powder – you may also see mustard powder labeled as dry mustard or ground mustard at the grocery store. They’re all the same and can be used interchangeably.
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Easy as that, in 5 minutes or less, you have the best salmon seasoning, perfect for adding great flavor to any salmon recipe!
How to make dried lemon zest
If you have an abundance of fresh lemons and would like to make your own dried lemon zest, simply follow these instructions.
- Preheat your oven to 170°F, or the lowest temperature setting on your oven. Most “warm” settings on an oven will be between 170°F – 200°F. This will work for drying out the lemon zest.
- Use a microplane to zest 3-4 large lemons to make 3 tablespoons lemon zest. You can always make more if you’d like!
- Spread the fresh lemon zest out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet of lemon zest in the oven for 20-25 minutes to dry it out.
- Remove the lemon zest from the oven and let it cool before preparing the salmon seasoning.
Recipe tips
- This recipe makes 6 tablespoons of homemade salmon seasoning. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click on the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update for the new serving size.
- I recommend using 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of salmon that you’d like to season.
- The salmon seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container in the pantry, for up to 6 months. After that the spice blend will not “go bad”, but both lemon peel and black pepper contain essential oils that will lose their flavor over time, once exposed to air.
- I recommend storing the seasoning mix in an 8 ounce mason jar or large spice jar. Label the salmon seasoning with a date and use the seasoning mix within 6 months.
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
- If you would like to make a sweet salmon seasoning, simply add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to this mix.
Ways to use it
There are a variety of different ways to cook salmon with this rub. Try the seasoning on salmon fillets using any of the following cooking methods.
- Air Fryer Salmon (pictured above) – follow the recipe linked to the left to air fry salmon and make the most amazing, fork-tender salmon.
- Grilled Salmon – heat a grill over medium-high heat. Rub 1 pound of salmon filets with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salmon seasoning evenly over the salmon. Place a piece of non-stick foil on the grill grate. Place the salmon skin-side down on the foil on the hot grill. Grill for 10 minutes per inch of thickness of the salmon.
- Oven Baked Salmon – preheat the oven to 425°F. Rub 1 pound of salmon filets with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salmon seasoning evenly over the salmon. Place the salmon skin-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Cook the salmon for 10-12 minutes.
- Pan Seared Salmon – Rub 1 pound of salmon filets with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salmon seasoning evenly over the salmon. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the salmon, flesh side down to the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Carefully flip the salmon and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes with the skin facing down.
Serve the salmon with smashed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or roasted carrots for a healthy meal.
Salmon is a also a delicious protein topping for salads. Try it on this Italian salad, grilled caesar salad, or spinach strawberry salad.
More homemade seasoning blends
Stock your pantry with all of these homemade seasoning mixes to add THE BEST flavor to every meal!
Salmon Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried lemon zest, *see notes below
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard, or mustard powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients a small bowl or mason jar.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Dried lemon zest notes: For this recipe, I purchased a bag of granulated lemon peel on Amazon. You can do the same, or you can find McCormick California lemon peel bottled on the spice aisle at most major grocery stores. You can also make your own dried lemon zest following the instructions below.
- Preheat your oven to 170°F, or the lowest temperature setting on your oven. Most “warm” settings on an oven will be between 170°F – 200°F. This will work for drying out the lemon zest.
- Use a microplane to zest 3-4 large lemons to make 3 tablespoons lemon zest. You can always make more if you’d like!
- Spread the fresh lemon zest out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet of lemon zest in the oven for 20-25 minutes to dry it out.
- Remove the lemon zest from the oven and let it cool before preparing the salmon seasoning.
- This recipe makes 6 tablespoons of homemade salmon seasoning. I recommend using 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of salmon that you’d like to season.
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
- If you would like to make a sweet salmon seasoning, simply add 2 tablespoons brown sugar to this mix.
- Refer to the blog post above for how to make air fryer salmon, baked salmon, grilled salmon, or pan seared salmon, using this seasoning blend.
Nutrition Facts
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