Louisiana Creole · Dinner

Blackened redfish

Name: Blackened redfish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Louisiana Creole
Ingredients: 4 skinless red drum fillets, 6 to 7 ounces each and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick; 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon sweet paprika; 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Red drum fillets coated with clarified butter and a measured Louisiana spice blend, seared in blazing-hot cast iron for a dark aromatic crust and moist center.

About 35 minTotal

About 35 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

4 skinless red drum fillets, 6 to 7 ounces each and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

Clarify the butter: melt it gently, skim the foam, and pour the clear butterfat away from the milky solids. Combine paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, and oregano.
Set a dry, on an outdoor grill or under powerful ventilation. Heat until very hot and dull black but not white-hot. Keep a lid and dry towel nearby and protect yourself from smoke and splatter.
Pat fish completely dry. Dip both sides lightly in clarified butter, letting excess drip off, then apply a thin, even spice coating. Place fillets in the skillet without crowding and carefully spoon 1 teaspoon clarified butter over each.
Cook about 2 minutes until the underside is dark brown rather than ashy, flip once, spoon over another teaspoon butter, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until the center reaches 145°F and flakes at its thickest point. Let the skillet recover between batches and serve immediately with lemon.

LouisianaLouisiana cooking traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Blackened redfish is closely tied to Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme, whose high-heat cast-iron method coated buttered fish in a dark aromatic spice crust and helped propel Cajun cooking and redfish into national attention.

Chef Paul Prudhomme popularized blackened redfish at K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans in the early 1980s. Blackening is a specific butter, spice, and very-hot-cast-iron technique; the dark crust is browned butter solids and spices, not burned fish. The dish crosses Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole restaurant traditions. Buy legally harvested, responsibly sourced red drum; do not substitute red snapper while calling it redfish. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Stay close to the historic K-Paul’s technique while reducing needless butter volume, specifying a thin spice coat, safe ventilation, and responsibly sourced true red drum.

Sources

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