Creamy Cajun Salmon

Cajun Salmon

Cajun seasoning and salmon go together so beautifully. The salmon takes on the spice so well, and when you chuck in a few other goodies the whole thing just turns in to one heck of a good time!

Marinating Salmon

First thing you’ll want to do is whip together a quick marinade of cajun seasoning, lime juice and olive oil. This will work its way into the salmon and give it an extra punch of flavour. You only need to marinate for 20mins or so, I usually do it as I prep all the other ingredients.

What kind of salmon to use?

You’ll want to use boneless fillets, which are readily available in all supermarkets. I also highly recommend using skinless fillets. Salmon skin is at its best if it’s super crispy, but because here it’s wrapped in a creamy sauce here it tends to go a little soggy. Process shots: add cajun seasoning, lime juice, olive oil and s&p to shallow dish (photo 1), whisk to combine (photo 2), coat salmon fillets (photo 3), cover and marinate (photo 4).

How to make Cajun Salmon

When it comes to cooking the salmon, the best way is pan frying. By pan frying (as opposed to baking) you get more of a golden crust on the salmon (i.e more flavour). PLUS you get to baste the salmon in butter, which creates the base of the creamy sauce. In general here’s a few tips for pan frying salmon:

Room Temp – Like any meat, you’ll want the salmon fairly close to room temp. In this context that means just marinating at room temp, not back in the fridge. Non-Stick – Salmon is notorious for flaking apart in the pan, so ensure you are using a non-stick pan to help prevent this! Heat – You’ll want the heat on a high-medium. This will help create a nice golden crust on the salmon. Slightly undercook – You’ll want to cook the salmon about 80-90%. It will continue cooking outside the pan and when you add it back in the sauce.

Once you’ve cooked the salmon, remove from the pan and leave all that buttery goodness in the pan! Process shots: add salmon to pan (photo 1), fry, flip then add butter (photo 2), baste in butter (photo 3), fry until nearly cooked right through (photo 4).

Creamy Cajun Salmon

To be honest the salmon is delicious once it’s fried, but when have I not taken things a step further and doused something perfectly good in a creamy sauce? 😂

Creamy Cajun Sauce

This sauce itself is largely made from 4 components:

Stock – I use chicken stock but you can use veg stock if that’s what you have. Cream – Double/Heavy cream of course. Make sure it’s room temp so it doesn’t curdle when it hits the pan. Parmesan – This gives an extra layer of flavour to the sauce and compliments the salmon nicely (think parmesan crusted salmon!). White Wine – This helps cuts through the richness of the sauce and also helps deglaze the pan. You can sub stock if you can’t use alcohol.

Alongside this I love throwing in onion/garlic, sun dried tomatoes, extra cajun seasoning and baby spinach! Remember you’ve got that spicy, buttery goodness from frying the salmon too 😛 Process shots: add onion to leftover butter (photo 1), fry then add garlic (photo 2), stir in sun dried tomatoes and cajun seasoning (photo 3), add wine and reduce (photo 4), pour in cream and stock (photo 5), add parmesan (photo 6), add spinach and simmer (photo 7), add salmon (photo 8).

Serving Cajun Salmon

Once you’ve added the salmon back in just give it a good old slathering of the creamy sauce. I tend to serve this with rice or potatoes, but you can really serve with anything you fancy! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy cajun salmon shall we?!

How to make Creamy Cajun Salmon (Full Recipe & Video)

For another delicious cajun recipe check out my Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, Cajun Chicken with Avocado Corn Salsa and Creamy Cajun Chicken Thighs! For more similar recipes check out these beauties: