Cajun Grilled Salmon Recipe

What's the best way to find a great meal to add to your family's dinner menu rotation? Ask a chef what he or she serves their family for dinner! And when you ask Ting Dalton of Cook Simply at Home about some of her family favorites, you're definitely going to hear about this Cajun grilled salmon. "The mix of spices to make this Cajun seasoning works really well with this grilled salmon," says Dalton. "It's a real favorite in my house — and so quick and easy to make that you can easily enjoy this for a weekday dinner."

Ah, but what best to enjoy this savory salmon with? Dalton has a few ideas, saying: "Serving suggestions include roasted potatoes, green salad, or even couscous for a healthier option." Or you can go with broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or another classic hearty green. Just make sure you plan the cooking of your sides appropriately, because this salmon dinner really does take just 25 minutes total, so you don't want to pick a veggie or starch that might have you waiting around.

To make this meal, you'll of course need a few salmon fillets. You'll also need ground cumin, garlic granules, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, sea salt, vegetable oil, and optionally but recommended, a squeeze of lemon juice.

The first thing to do is to rub the oil evenly over all of the fillets, then set them aside. Next, you'll prepare that Cajun seasoning. To do that, mix together the cayenne pepper, the paprika, the garlic granules, the cumin, the dried oregano, the dried thyme, and the sea salt together in a small bowl. You can use a mortar and pestle if any of the spice "chunks" are on the larger side.

Before you apply the spice blend to the fish, first pat each salmon fillet dry with paper towels. Then generously sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning, making sure you get spices on all sides of the salmon. Leave the fillets to rest and soak in the flavor for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat up your grill (or a grill pan, which works fine) to medium heat.

Once the grill has heated up and the salmon has rested with the spice blend applied, go ahead and place the fillets on the grill. Grill the fish over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then flip the salmon and cook it for another 5 minutes, noting Dalton say it make take "a few more minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish." She adds: "Watch the salmon carefully, so it doesn't catch and burn."

The salmon is done cooking when it flakes easily with a fork. Get it off the grill and onto plates and then, optionally, drizzle over a bit of lemon juice. Then enjoy!