Salmon is one of my favorite fish to enjoy at home because it’s so simple to prepare and is great in a variety of dishes where it’s served solo, mixed into salads, formed into croquettes, or sandwiched between some crusty bread and some fresh veggies. I love preparing whole salmon fillets since they’re so low-maintenance and don’t require much work in the kitchen.

I wanted to recreate the flavors of a spicy and smoky fish sandwich I had during my restaurant serving days so I decided to use Spice Tribe’s The Cooking Gene line, specifically the Mr. Wesley Jones Antebellum BBQ Spice. A solid amount of heat from chiles, a good balance of sweet and spice, with a hint of smokiness. A sturdy fish like salmon could take on these bold flavors, so I went with it. This recipe is more of a guide really, since the technique is what results in super flaky and moist fish. I find that slow roasting salmon at a lower temperature is a foolproof method for preventing overcooked or dry fish. When I have smaller portions of fish, I go with a high-heat method like a pan sear, but for the larger sized fillets, slow is the best way!

You can pair this salmon with a grain like couscous or fonio (which I’ve been love with recently, do some Googles!) and a simple, green salad. I mixed everything together and it was such a great lunch! And since I cook solo, I roasted the whole fillet and then portioned the leftover flaked fish into small plastic storage bags and froze them for another day. Great for prep since the salmon can be enjoyed hot or cold! Let’s get cooking!

Smoky BBQ Salmon

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

1 1.5-2lb whole, skin-on salmon fillet

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed 

Kosher salt, as needed (see note)

Spice Tribe x The Cooking Gene Mr. Wesley Jones Antebellum BBQ Spice, as needed

1 pint grape tomatoes 

1 large red onion, cut into large chunks 

Note: my rule of thumb for seasoning any kind of protein (seafood included), is 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. How much your fillet weighs will determine how much salt to use in this recipe so just be mindful! And the good thing about Spice Tribe’s blends? They don’t have any salt so you can go crazy with the seasoning on that front.

Preheat oven to 300°F. 

On an aluminum foil or parchment lined baking sheet, place the salmon fillet and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil all over. Liberally season with kosher salt and rub into the fish, following with the BBQ spice. Let the fish sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Toss the grape tomatoes and red onion chunks on either side of the fish, rubbing them with any excess olive oil or salt that may have gotten on the sheet pan. 

Roast the salmon for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish in the thickest part reads at 125°F with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and let the fish rest for about 10 minutes before serving. While the salmon is resting, use a slotted spoon to remove the grape tomatoes and onions from the pan and into another lined sheet pan or oven-safe skillet. Crank the heat up to 425°F and roast the veggies for 15 minutes while the salmon rests. 

Keep in mind that I typically would do these steps in reverse, starting out with the higher temped items like the veggies and then lowering the heat for the fish, but with home kitchen ovens, it’s hard to accurately control the heat without an internal oven thermometer (which reminds me I need to buy one) so I decided to roast the tomatoes (since they’re so small) after the fish while it rests. 

Pair the fish and veggies with your prepared grain or salad of choice and enjoy!

¡Buen provecho!