Blackened Salmon Alfredo

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Bold, creamy, and full of flavor-this Blackened Salmon Alfredo pairs spicy, smoky salmon with a luxuriously rich Alfredo sauce made from butter, garlic, cream, and Parmesan. The sauce is silky, savory, and perfectly balances the heat from the blackened seasoning, making every bite indulgent and satisfying.

A plate of creamy fettuccine Alfredo topped with a 3 ounce salmon fillet with blackened seasoning topped with parsley and accented with a habanero and serrano pepper. In the background is a bowl of blackened seasoning and a block of Parmesan cheese.

Why I Love This

Bold and Smooth: The combination here just can't get any better. The silky Alfredo sauce delivers rich garlic and umami flavors that sink deep into your soul, while the bold blackened salmon completes the flavor experience.
It's actually so simple: While this recipe has several components-the sauce, the fish, and the pasta-it's actually quite simple to put together, especially if you've made the sauce ahead of time. None of the steps are complicated; it's really just a matter of timing.
Seasonal Perfection: There's nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of pasta coated in rich, velvety Alfredo sauce, topped with tender, boldly seasoned fish. While it's perfect for the cozy chill of winter, it's just as delicious in the summer when fresh fish is at its best.

For another salmon recipe try my Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad or try my Spicy Alfredo Sauce for another exciting dish!

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Why I Love This
Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
FAQ
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Blackened Salmon Alfredo

Ingredients

Alfredo Sauce - you can use store bought Alfredo sauce but I highly recommend putting in the time and using my homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe for this dish. It's not complex or difficult to make I promise! You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to three days, making meal prep quick and seamless.
Salmon - fresh or frozen salmon works for this recipe. We prefer sockeye salmon but whatever is available will work just fine. If using frozen salmon, just ensure you thaw it before hand.
Blackened Seasoning - You can buy store-bought seasoning, but making your own is incredibly easy. I include my recipe in the recipe card and link to it here.
Pasta - your choice of pasta is fine. Fettuccine is my favorite and recommended but I also love bow-tie and rigatoni

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

A bowl of creamy homemade Alfredo sauce with cream cheese topped with parsley and positioned decoratively next to a napkin, spoon and block of Parmesan cheese.

Step 1: Prepare your Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese.

Individual glass bowls of the spices needed for the blackened seasoning - chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Step 2: Combine the spices for your blackened seasoning.

A 4 ounce red salmon fillet in a glass baking dish on parchment paper, lightly oiled and sprinkled with the blackened seasoning mix.

Step 3: Place your salmon fillet on a baking dish and lightly oil it with olive oil. Sprinkle the blackened seasoning evenly over the entire fillet. Gently rub the spices into the fillet.

A blackened seasoned 4 ounce red salmon fillet in a glass baking dish on parchment paper, baked to light flakiness.

Step 4: Bake for 12-14 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll know the salmon is cooked through when it flakes easily (*see note on recipe card about cooking fish to a safe temperature).

A small enameled pot with tenderly cooked fettuccine noodles.

Step 5: While the salmon is baking, cook your noodles according to the instructions on the box. Once tender, drain and rinse them and return them to their pot.

A small enameled pot with tenderly cooked fettuccine noodles covered in creamy Alfredo sauce.

Step 6: Pour the Alfredo sauce over the noodles. Allow the noodles and sauce to heat up over low heat if the sauce has cooled off.

A white plate with tender fettuccine Alfredo topped with a 4 ounce blackened salmon fillet trimmed with parsley.

Step 7: Top the pasta with your blackened salmon fillet and enjoy!

Hint: If your salmon still has the skin on, I recommend baking it that way. The skin locks in moisture as the salmon cooks and peels off easily when done, making it the simplest way to remove it.

Substitutions

Pasta - if wheat is an issue for you there are lots of noodle substitutions you can use such as rice noodles, bean noodles and gluten free noodles
Dairy - sadly I do not recommend trying to make this dairy free

Variations

Heat it up - add habanero peppers, chili pepper flakes or banana peppers while cooking the Homemade Alfredo Sauce to imbue heat into the dish. For a spicy version of the Alfredo sauce check out my Spicy Alfredo Sauce recipe here.
Less Spicy - if you're not into spicy food you can do a few things to tone this down. Try putting less seasoning on the fish, use less chili powder and no cayenne in your seasoning mix or simply omit the seasoning altogether. This is delicious with plain salmon as well.
Seafood Bliss - this recipe is also very good with halibut. You can use the same seasoning and the cook time won't even vary that much. Or to really change it up try adding salmon, halibut, shrimp and scallops! You can season them all the same way!

Equipment

For the Homemade Alfredo Sauce I like to use a heavy, cast iron pot as it distributes the heat well and helps to prevent the dairy products from sticking and burning. My favorite are my LeCreuset enameled pots.

For baking the salmon I simply use a glass baking dish or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Storage

The first few days: If you have leftovers I would recommend storing the pasta and salmon separately if you haven't already incorporated it together. If you have that's ok, the flavors may just blend together a bit more or turn a bit "fishy." Store the fish and sauce in airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing the Blackened Salmon Alfredo as the dairy in it won't thaw well and the texture of the sauce will change from velvet smooth to grainy while the fish will become watery and tough.

Reheating: There are a few options for reheating. You can do it in a pot on the stove top, ensuring you keep the temperature low and stir it often. We still don't want it to simmer, stick or boil. The second method is in the microwave. I would recommend doing so in 30-60 second bursts, and keeping it covered and the salmon tends to splatter even before it's heated through.

Top Tip

Don't overcook the salmon! Tender and lightly cooked salmon is delicious and easy to eat where dried out salmon is just plain awful! You can cook it to a minimum internal temperature or check for light flakes to know when it's done to perfection.

FAQ

How do you know when the Salmon is done?

This is slightly subjective to how each individual prefers it. USDA recommends cooking it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit but I prefer to check for flakiness rather than using a thermometer. Many chefs cook the salmon to a lower temperature than USDA's recommendation. Be sure to cook your fish to a food safe temperature or understand the risks of consuming under cooked fish.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can definitely make the Alfredo sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to three days prior to use. I would not recommend making anything else in advance.

What is the best salmon?

How specific shall I get? If you can get your hands on some Alaskan Copper River Red Salmon - that is the BEST. But any red (sockeye) salmon will be excellent.

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Comments

Jenice Wallace says

January 06, 2026 at 1:26 am

I love the combination of the spices on the salmon against the smooth and rich creaminess of the Alfredo sauce. It's such a contrasting yet complimenting pair that it really makes this dinner something special. And even more wonderful is that it's easy to bring together without a ton of dishes.