Blackened Redfish is a Gulf Coast classic that turns two fillets and a hot cast iron skillet into a restaurant-worthy dinner in about 10 minutes. The blackening seasoning caramelizes the second it hits the melted butter, forming a deeply flavorful, slightly spicy crust while the inside stays tender and flaky. No skimping on butter here; that’s part of what makes it so good!
With only a few steps, it’s perfect for a busy weeknight, but it’s special enough for a casual dinner with friends, too. Three things matter most in this recipe: fresh fish, make sure your cast-iron skillet is hot before the fish goes in, and don’t walk away once it does; it cooks fast!
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Quick Look at the Recipe
- Ready in: 10-11 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best for: Quick weeknight dinner, Sunday supper, casual dinner with friends
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Partially. You can make your seasoning blend ahead, but this dish is best when made and eaten immediately.
- Taste and Texture: Redfish found in the grass flats of the Gulf has a mild taste, similar to red snapper; it's a bit firmer than grouper, with smaller flakes and pinkish flesh that turns white when cooked, again like red snapper. The blackened seasonings caramelize when it hits the hot butter, forming a tasty crust on the fillets and providing great flavor.
- Equipment: Well-seasoned cast-iron skillet
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Why This Recipe Works
- Redfish has a mild, non-fishy flavor and firm flesh, making it perfect for blackening; plus, the fillets hold together beautifully in a hot skillet.
- I based this recipe on my Blackened Grouper, one of the most popular recipes on the blog, and the technique transfers beautifully. The blackening seasoning is a simple mix of pantry spices, and a touch of brown sugar helps the crust caramelize and adds just a hint of sweetness.
Key Ingredients
Simple ingredients. You can find the complete measurements in the recipe card below.
- Redfish fillets: You need about ¾ pound, or two skinless fillets about 5 to 6 ounces each, roughly ¼ to ⅓ inch thick to serve two people.
- Butter: Used to coat the redfish fillets and sear them in the hot skillet.
- Blackened seasoning: You will also need a handful of pantry spices for the blackening seasoning: paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and kosher salt. Nothing fancy; you probably already have most of this in your spice cabinet, and if you are missing one, no worries – make it anyway. It will still be delicious.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can substitute any white fish, such as grouper, sea bass, cod, mahi-mahi, or snapper, for the redfish in this recipe.
- You can use purchased blackening seasoning instead of making your own; I’ve had good results with both Paul Prudhomme’s blackened seasoning (he’s the original blackened redfish recipe creator!) and Old Bay’s blackened seasoning. I still like to stir in a little brown sugar either way; it helps the crust caramelize and adds a slightly sweet note.
- Leftover homemade blackening seasoning keeps for months in an airtight jar. I usually double the recipe so I always have some on hand.
How to Make Blackened Redfish
- Combine all the blackening seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and brush both sides of the fillets.
- Top each fillet with about a tablespoon of seasoning, patting it in with your fingers, then flip and repeat on the other side.
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Let it melt and heat up until the butter just starts to smoke, between 325-350°F. Add the fillets without crowding the pan (work in batches if needed). Let them cook undisturbed for 3 minutes
- Carefully flip with a fish turner and cook another 2-4 minutes, until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Fish is done when it reaches 145°F in the thickest part.
- Serve immediately with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover blackened redfish will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently in a skillet over medium-low heat just until warmed through; the microwave works in a pinch, but it can toughen the fish. Leftovers are also wonderful cold for breakfast (I love it that way; my husband, not so much!), or you can use them to make my homemade fish cakes.
What to Serve with Blackened Redfish
At our house, serving this with my cheesy grits is an unspoken rule. Either my American coleslaw, purple cabbage coleslaw, or spicy coleslaw is a must, and my crispy Southern hush puppies round out a quick, easy, and delicious seafood dinner.
Blackened Redfish FAQs
Yes. Thaw them completely in the refrigerator first, then pat them very dry before seasoning; you will only get the caramelized crust with a dry fillet.
The flesh should be opaque all the way through and flake easily with a fork. If you’d rather not guess, an instant-read thermometer reading 145°F is your green light.
Cook them a little longer in the skillet, then if they still haven’t reached 145°F, finish in a 400°F oven to make sure they cook through without burning the crust. Just don’t let them go longer than 7 minutes total on the stovetop.
Open a window if you don’t have a strong exhaust hood, or move outside and blacken the fish on your grill instead; it takes a bit more attention to regulate the heat, but you’ll skip the smoke altogether.
No, while the blackened seasoning includes several spices, the overall heat level is fairly mild. However, if you are worried about the heat, you can dial back or eliminate the cayenne pepper.
Sharon’s Tips
- If you are cooking two fillets, you will have leftover blackening seasoning, which should be enough to coat two more fillets.
- The redfish I tested this recipe with was from my son-in-law Adam, who caught them fishing from his kayak in the harbor behind our beach house and graciously shared them with us. How great is that?
- Fresh-off-the-hook Gulf fish is hard to beat, but redfish isn’t commercially harvested the way grouper and snapper are, so depending on where you live, you may only be able to find it frozen. If that’s you, thaw the fillets completely in the refrigerator, then pat them extra dry before adding the butter and seasoning because excess moisture is the enemy of a good crust.
Yes, that’s me! I couldn’t resist sharing this one - there’s nothing like landing your own redfish, though the fillets in this post came from Adam!
- Fair warning: this recipe does produce smoke! If you are like me and don’t have a great exhaust range hood, open a window, or your smoke alarm will start singing. I’ve also cooked this in my cast iron skillet on the grill outside - it’s a little trickier to regulate the temperature, but you skip the smoke issue entirely.
- I tested this recipe with fillets that were ¼-inch thick, maybe just a smidge more. If yours are thicker, say, closer to ½ inch, like the ones in my Blackened Grouper recipe, they’ll need a little longer in the skillet, and if they aren’t up to 145°F, finish them in a 400°F oven to make sure they cook all the way through without scorching that beautiful crust. Either way, don’t leave them on the stovetop longer than 7 minutes total.
- If you have blackening seasoning stuck to the bottom of your cast iron skillet, add about a half-inch of water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent, then put it on the stove over medium heat. Let the water come to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes, then let it cool; any stuck particles will wash right off.
More Blackened Seafood Favorites
And if you like this technique beyond seafood, I’ve also got recipes for Steakhouse-Style Blackened Steak, Blackened Cajun Chicken Alfredo, and Blackened Pork Chops.
Join the conversation
Now I want to hear from y’all: what do you think of this blackened redfish recipe? Did you make it, and were you surprised by how quick and easy it is? If you did, please come back and leave a star rating and a comment to let me know how it turned out. Your comments help other readers and makes my day!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones, and I hope you come back soon!
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Recipe:
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Easy Blackened Redfish
Equipment
- well-seasoned cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 12 ounces skinless redfish fillets, about ¼-⅓ inches thick
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 lemon
- Blackening seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine all blackening seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and mix well
- Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the fillets.
- Top each fillet with about a tablespoon of the seasonings and pat it in with your fingers. Turn the fillet over and repeat.
- Add three tablespoons of butter to a well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Let the butter melt, and the skillet heat up until the butter starts smoking (between 325-350°F)
- Add the fillets (don't crowd them). Let the fillets cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Use a fish turner to carefully turn the fillets, then cook for another 2-4 minutes, depending on fillet thickness, or until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily when pierced with a fork. If you use a meat thermometer, it should read 145°F when inserted in the thickest part.
- Serve immediately and top each fillet with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Notes
- The redfish I tested this recipe with was from my son-in-law Adam, who caught them fishing from his kayak in the harbor behind our beach house and graciously shared them with us. How great is that?
- Fresh-off-the-hook Gulf fish is hard to beat, but redfish isn’t commercially harvested the way grouper and snapper are, so depending on where you live, you may only be able to find it frozen. If that’s you, thaw the fillets completely in the refrigerator, then pat them extra dry before adding the butter and seasoning because excess moisture is the enemy of a good crust.
- Fair warning: this recipe does produce smoke! If you are like me and don’t have a great exhaust range hood, open a window, or your smoke alarm will start singing. I’ve also cooked this in my cast iron skillet on the grill outside - it’s a little trickier to regulate the temperature, but you skip the smoke issue entirely.
- If you are cooking two fillets, you will have leftover blackening seasonings, and it should be enough to coat two more fillets.
- I tested this recipe with fillets that were ¼-inch thick, maybe just a smidge more. If yours are thicker, say, closer to ½ inch, like the ones in my Blackened Grouper recipe, they’ll need a little longer in the skillet, and if they aren’t up to 145°F, finish them in a 400°F oven to make sure they cook all the way through without scorching that beautiful crust. Either way, don’t leave them on the stovetop longer than 7 minutes total.
- If you have blackening seasoning stuck to the bottom of your cast iron skillet, add about a half-inch of water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent, then put it on the stove over medium heat. Let the water come to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes, then let it cool; any stuck particles will wash right off.
Sharon Rigsby
One skillet, one lemon, and about 10 minutes — this might be the easiest seafood dinner you’ll ever make.