Cajun Blackened Fish with Sweet Peppers Recipe

polenta, fish and peppers in a white bowl

4.75 from 16 votes

Cajun Blackened Fish with Sweet Peppers Recipe

Cajun Fish with Sweet Peppers is a quick stove-top meal with spiced fish and tender sweet peppers. Finish the dish with a quick lemon-butter sauce that mellows out the bold, zesty Cajun flavors.

Serve over polenta, grits, rice, quinoa, or couscous.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fish dish, gluten free, seafood

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $10.00

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Skillet

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Honey
1 1/2 pounds Fish, sliced into 3-inch pieces (see note)
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
5 teaspoons Cajun / Blackening Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
3 Tablespoons Cooking Oil, divided
3 cups sliced Bell Peppers, use a mix of red and yellow / orange (I like to use baby sweet peppers in this)
1 cup thinly sliced Red Onion
4 stalks Green Onions, thinly sliced
Cooked polenta, grits, rice, quinoa, or couscous, for serving

Instructions

Combine butter, lemon juice, cumin, and honey in a small bowl (no need to stir them together, just measure them into a bowl together). Set aside.
Pat fish dry with paper towels. Stir cornstarch, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper into fish stir until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a large skillet with 1 Tablespoon cooking oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add bell peppers and onions with a pinch of salt. Saute until very tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside, covered to keep warm.
Return skillet to heat and add remaining 2 Tablespoons cooking oil. Working in batches (and adding more oil as needed) sear fish until flakey and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to the covered bowl with peppers and onions.
When all of the fish is cooked, add butter-lemon juice mixture to heated skillet. Cook, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until butter is completely melted and sizzling.
Remove pan from heat and stir in green onions. Pour butter sauce over fish and peppers.
Serve fish and peppers over polenta, grits, rice, quinoa, or couscous.

Notes

Fish - Almost any type of fish will work, but look for boneless, skinless filets to make them easy to slice. I prefer a firm white fish like Mahi Mahi (used in the recipe photos above) or Snapper, but a more tender fish like cod will work. Salmon also works well.

Cajun Seasoning / Salt - If using store-bought Cajun / blackening seasoning check the ingredients (or taste it before adding it to the fish). Most varieties include salt, but if for some reason yours doesn’t, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt when you add the Cajun seasoning.

Want to make your own Cajun seasoning? Just combine the following:

1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika (sub regular paprika)
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper (preferably fresh-cracked)
½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, more or less to taste

Nutrition