This Blackened Redfish with Mango Salsa is one seriously flavorful seafood dinner. The redfish is coated in butter and Creole seasoning, then cooked in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet until it develops that signature dark, spicy crust. We serve it with a fresh mango salsa, which adds the perfect sweet and tangy contrast to the bold, buttery fish.
Blackened Redfish was created by legendary Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme around 1980 at K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans. The dish became a nationwide sensation and helped turn blackening into one of Louisiana cooking’s most famous techniques.
When I recently got a hold of a couple of nice redfish filets, I just had to make this iconic dish. And since we had some fresh mangos, Alpana decided to serve it up with some of her famous Mango Salsa.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
For exact ingredient amounts, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you will need:
- Redfish – Redfish is perfect for blackening because its firm, meaty fillets hold up beautifully to the intense heat of the cast iron skillet. If you can’t find redfish, red snapper, grouper, snook, mahi mahi, cobia, or catfish are all great alternatives. Choose fairly thick fillets so they stay juicy while developing that blackened crust.
- Creole Seasoning – I use my homemade Creole seasoning, which has plenty of paprika, herbs and spices. You can use a good store-bought Creole or Cajun seasoning instead, but keep an eye on the salt, as some commercial blends can be quite salty.
- Butter – Butter is essential to the classic blackening technique. The fish gets dipped in melted butter before being seasoned, then a little more is drizzled over it as it cooks in the screaming-hot skillet. I use salted with my homemade Creole seasoning, but I would recommend unsalted with store bought varieties.
- Mangoes – Use ripe, sweet mangoes, but make sure they are still firm enough to dice cleanly.
- Red Bell Pepper – Adds crunch, sweetness and beautiful color. Yellow or orange bell pepper works equally well.
- Tomatoes – Roma, Campari, cherry or grape tomatoes all work great.
- Cilantro – If you’re not a cilantro fan, simply leave it out rather than replacing it with parsley.
- Jalapeño – For a little kick in the salsa. Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder salsa, or leave some in for more heat. Serrano pepper is a great choice if you want it hotter.
- Lime Juice – This is what ties the whole salsa together. Freshly squeezed lime juice is definitely the way to go here. Start with a little, taste, and keep adding until the salsa has that perfect sweet-tangy balance.
- Salt and Pepper – Season to taste after everything is mixed together.
How to Blacken Redfish
Make the Mango Salsa: Start with the mango salsa so it has some time to chill while the fish cooks. Simply mix everything together and pop it in the fridge. We often make it a few hours ahead, which gives all those fresh flavors some time to mingle.
Get the Redfish Ready: For really good blackened fish, you want that cast-iron skillet screaming hot. I heat mine over high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes before the fish goes anywhere near it.
Meanwhile, I dip the redfish fillets in melted butter, let the excess drip off, then generously sprinkle both sides with Creole seasoning. I press the seasoning on lightly rather than rubbing it into the fish.
Blacken the Fish: Once the skillet is extremely hot, I add the fillets to the dry pan and drizzle a little more melted butter over each one. They only need a few minutes per side to develop that beautiful dark, blackened crust.
As soon as the fish is cooked through, I get it out of the skillet and serve it right away with plenty of that chilled mango salsa.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Get the skillet extremely hot – This is the key to proper blackening. Heat your dry cast-iron skillet over very high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. The intense heat quickly creates that characteristic dark crust without requiring a long cooking time.
- Consider cooking outside – Blackening creates a tremendous amount of smoke. I like placing my cast-iron skillet directly on a very hot gas grill. You get all the benefits of the traditional cast-iron method without filling your kitchen with smoke.
- Use a dry skillet – Don’t add oil or butter directly to the skillet before adding the fish. The redfish is dipped in melted butter first, which provides all the fat you need.
- Don’t confuse blackened with burned – You want a very dark crust with a mixture of black, deep brown and mahogany areas. If the entire surface turns uniformly charred and tastes bitter, the seasoning has gone too far.
- Use fairly thick fillets – Fillets around ½ to ¾ inch thick are ideal. Very thin pieces can overcook before you develop that beautiful blackened crust.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet – Leave some room between the fillets so the skillet stays screaming hot. If you’re making a larger batch, cook the fish in batches and let the skillet heat back up between them.
- Make the mango salsa ahead – I prefer making the salsa at least 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This gives the lime juice and salt a little time to mingle with the mango, tomatoes, peppers and onion. Give it another taste just before serving and adjust the lime and salt.
Leftover and Storage
Blackened Redfish is definitely best enjoyed fresh from the skillet, when that flavorful crust is at its best. If you have leftovers, store fish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Note that it will develop a more fishy flavor while storing.
For reheating, I prefer a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes per side, just until the fish is warmed through. You can also reheat it in a 350°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Keep the mango salsa in a separate container so the juices don’t soften the crust. The salsa is best within 1 to 2 days. Give it a good stir before serving, as the mangoes and tomatoes will release some juice as they sit.
You can make it part of a second meal by cooking our Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa or Baked Salmon with Mango Salsa.
More great fish recipes:
Bermuda Fish Chowder
Southern Fried Catfish
Maple Pecan Salmon
Fish in Parchment
Tuna Tataki Bowl
Greek Baked Fish
Baja Fish Tacos
Blackened Redfish with Mango Salsa
Blackened Redfish with Mango Salsa is boldly seasoned and cooked in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet, then topped with fresh, sweet and tangy mango salsa.
Ingredients
Mango Salsa
- 2 mangoes, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- 1-2 small tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
- ½ jalapenõ, finely chopped
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- lime juice, to taste
Blackened Redfish
- 2 redfish filets (about 8oz each)
- 4 tablespoons butter (I use salted)
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
Instructions
- Mix together all mango salsa ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate while cooking the fish. (I often make the mango salsa several hours in advance so it is nice and chilled).
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, until extremely hot.
- Melt the butter and put it in a shallow dish. Dip each fillet in the butter on both sides and let the excess drip off. Sprinkle the filets with approximately ½ tablespoon Creole seasoning per side. Press it on lightly rather than rubbing it in.
- Place the fillets in the hot, dry skillet. Immediately drizzle about 1 teaspoon of the remaining melted butter over each fillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside develops a deeply browned and blackened crust.
- Flip the fillets and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the second side is nicely blackened and the fish is cooked through. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets.
- Remove the redfish from the skillet and serve immediately with prepared mango salsa.
Notes
- Redfish – Redfish is perfect for blackening because its firm, meaty fillets hold up beautifully to the intense heat of the cast iron skillet. If you can’t find redfish, red snapper, grouper, snook, mahi mahi, cobia, or catfish are all great alternatives. Choose fairly thick fillets so they stay juicy while developing that blackened crust.
- Creole Seasoning – I use my homemade Creole seasoning, which has plenty of paprika, herbs and spices. You can use a good store-bought Creole or Cajun seasoning instead, but keep an eye on the salt, as some commercial blends can be quite salty.
- Butter – Butter is essential to the classic blackening technique. The fish gets dipped in melted butter before being seasoned, then a little more is drizzled over it as it cooks in the screaming-hot skillet. I use salted with my homemade Creole seasoning, but I would recommend unsalted with store bought varieties.
- Get the skillet extremely hot – This is the key to proper blackening. Heat your dry cast-iron skillet over very high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. The intense heat quickly creates that characteristic dark crust without requiring a long cooking time.
- Consider cooking outside – Blackening creates a tremendous amount of smoke. I like placing my cast-iron skillet directly on a very hot gas grill. You get all the benefits of the traditional cast-iron method without filling your kitchen with smoke.
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 599Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 15gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 210mgSodium 4226mgCarbohydrates 57gFiber 9gSugar 48gProtein 42g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former worldwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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