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Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad: Smoky, slightly spicy salmon, roasted with Cajun seasoning, tossed with the yummiest Caesar dressing, and topped with homemade breadcrumbs. The salad has a tahini-based Caesar dressing with toasted sesame seeds mixed in. It’s a great dinner from spring through summer YUM!
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For the longest time, I never made a Caesar salad. As a kid, I had a memorable experience with Caesar salad.
I was out to lunch with my Nonnie on one of our usual Saturday lunch-shop dates. We always had a blast, I greatly miss those days! She took me to a Champps restaurant at an outdoor mall called Cocker Park back home in Cleveland. I ordered the Caesar salad with chicken.
I shoveled it down, thought it was pretty delicious!
A few years ago, I made my own Caesar salad, and now I love it so much. Today’s salad is made with my tahini Caesar dressing. I love a mayo-based dressing, but I wanted the tahini with this salad. It turned out so delicious. In fact, my dad said this was one of his favorite dishes in a while. I do add lots and lots of parmesan, so there’s that, too!
The Details
Ingredients
salmon
- Â salmon
- cajun seasoning
- olive oil or melted butter
breadcrumbs and Salad
- ciabatta bread
- garlic
- salted butter
- mixed salad greens or shredded romaine
- fresh basil
- parmesan cheese
- toasted sesame seeds
- avocados
dressing
- extra virgin olive oil
- toasted sesame oil
- tahini
- lemon juice
- dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- grated garlic
- parmesan cheese
Special Tools
For this salad, it’s helpful if you have a food processor (20% off now on Amazon), but it’s also totally fine if you don’t! You will need a sheet pan and a couple of mixing bowls.
Steps
Step 1: cook the salmon
I season the salmon simply with Cajun seasoning, then add butter, and roast until crispy. That’s it! I wanted to keep the process and steps as simple as possible to make this quick!
Step 2: the breadcrumbs
I like to start with the breadcrumbs. Every salad is made better with crunchy breadcrumbs, especially a Caesar. You need that crunch.
I love making mine with torn ciabatta, garlic, and flaky sea salt, then adding butter. These breadcrumbs are so easy to make—simply toss and crisp in the oven. Homemade vs. store-bought are definitely worth a little extra effort.
Step 3: the dressing
While everything is baking, mix the dressing. Sometimes, I use a food processor, and sometimes, just a jar. Either way, mix everything until creamy.
Olive oil, toasted sesame oil, tahini, lemon juice, dijon, Worcestershire, garlic salt, pepper, and parmesan. The tahini is just as creamy as mayo but with some added flavor. It’s so addicting with the parmesan mixed in. It’s a great option for anyone who prefers not to use mayo!
Step 4: toss the salad
Next, the salad greens. My personal favorite mix is shredded romaine and arugula. Then, I always do the biggest handful of whatever fresh herbs I have on hand: basil, dill, cilantro, and/or parsley. I used basil for this salad!
When you’re ready to serve the salad, toss it with the dressing, then add the breadcrumbs, avocado, and salmon.
A gorgeous and delicious salad that requires little effort!
And if you’re hosting friends for dinner, you could also try this Lemon Parmesan Sesame Salad. It never disappoints and doubles as the prettiest centerpiece for any spring/summer table!
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Tomato, Peach, and Burrata Salad
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Lastly, if you make this Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad
IngredientsÂ
salmon
- 1 1/2 pounds salmon, cut into 1 inch strips or chunks
- 3-4 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- olive oil or melted butter
Breadcrumbs and Salad
- 2 cups torn ciabatta bread
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 6 cups mixed salad greens or shredded romaine
- 1 cup mixed fresh herbs: basil, dill, thyme
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 – 2 avocados, cubed or sliced
dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
InstructionsÂ
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Rub a sheet pan with oil.2. On the sheet pan, add the salmon strips/chunks and Cajun seasoning. Gently toss the salmon to coat. Add oil or butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the salmon is crispy on top.3. During the same time, make the breadcrumbs. Toss together the ciabatta, garlic, and a pinch of salt with butter slices. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until toasted. If desired, pulse into fine crumbs in the food processor. 4. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to thin the dressing. Taste and adjust the salt.5. In a large salad bowl, mix the greens, parmesan, and sesame seeds. Pour over the dressing, add the breadcrumbs, avocado and salmon. Serve and enjoy!Â
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious, and so satisfying. My husband raved about it. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Kristin,
Happy Sunday! Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
This was the first HBH recipe that was an epic fail! Salmon tossed with evoo and cajun seasoning -bread, butter, and garlic tossed and into the oven it all went. Made dressing and then went to retrieve fish and bread. Bread was completely burnt, but that was fine. I had homemade croutons from a friend. Went to dress salad and tasted dressing. ICK! Into the garbage it went . I had a 1/4c of TJs Buttermilk Ranch in fridge that I used. We sat down to eat, and OMG, the salmon was so salty we could not eat it. I guess I used the wrong kind of cajun seasoning! My husband has moved on to PB&homemade Jelly. Ill just call it for the night! After writing this I see the not so nice comments about salty cajun seasoning and how the cook should have read the label. I having been cooking successfully for a long time. I don’t use this type of seasoning and had no idea about the varying salt content. Note to self: read the reviews first and ignore the nasty comments! Magpies are happy tonight!
Hi Carole,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. So very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! If you want to try my homemade cajun seasoning next time, you can find that mix here:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/essentials/
Again, my apologies!
Hello, I just received your cookbook for Christmas and love it!!!!! Now I’m locked in to your website. I was thinking of making this for a Galentine’s get together and baking the salmon the day before. Have you ever made this with the salmon chilled? Thanks!
Thanks so much for your kind message, Janice! So glad you are loving the cookbook!
I have never served this with cold salmon, but I think that would be okay for you to do! I hope you love this recipe!
such an amazing recipe, tastes like a restaurant and very easy to make! a new staple!
Hey Savanna,
I’m grateful you tried this recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I don’t like salmon and I have tried it multiple times. I loved this recipe!!! My husband said it was one of my better dishes and all my kids loved it too. I recommend it and I will be making it again.
Hey Andrea,
Happy Friday! Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
This turned out delicious! I served the blackened salmon on the side and did roasted sweet potatoes as well. The sweet potatoes balanced the tangy dressing in the best way. My 3 year old loved it all too. So yummy, will definitely make again! Thanks for the delicious recipe.
Hey Hannah,
Amazing! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great day!
The Cajun seasoning was way too salty for this amount of salmon. Ruined the dish unfortunately
Hi Kayla,
So very sorry to hear this, thanks for trying the recipe and your feedback. xx
Try finding a Cajun seasoning with less salt in it! Instead of leaving one star like it’s T’s fault you didn’t check the sodium level of the Cajun seasoning you picked out 🙄
If you love Hummus, this is the recipe for you. All the ingredients I had in my pantry or fridge.
Thanks so much, Leah! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Hope you are having a nice week! xx
Very Good! Will keep this in my salad meal rotation. Avocado was a nice touch.
Hi Peg,
Happy Monday! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, love to hear it turned out well for you! Have the best week:)