Enjoy the ease and out-of-this-world taste of home-cooked fish when you use this simple and spicy fish seasoning. With just a few spice cupboard basics, you’ll be set for flavor.
Tasty on cooked fish and shrimp as well as stirred into seafood salad, it’s also delicious to season dressings or marinades as well.
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Fish doesn’t need a lot of fuss. That’s the beauty of it. Whether you serve an herb butter to create an instant sauce or sprinkle on a homemade fish seasoning, a fish dinner can be absolutely fuss-free and delicious.
Serve cooked fish alongside steamed or grilled vegetables and a side of dill potatoes for a fantastic supper. I like to top my salmon with big dollops of Greek Yogurt Tartar Sauce. So good!
Why Make This
It’s less processed. When you make your own spice mixes, you get to control what goes into the mix! No excess preservatives or fillers!
It’s quick to make. Making a custom spice blend takes just a few minutes and it really speeds up meal prep. No measuring and messing around — just quick and easy flavor.
It’s delicious. The ginger, cayenne, and garlic give it a little kick which is a nice for livening up the taste buds. Go light if you’re timid on the spice scale or rub it in thickly if you like some heat. You can grill, saute, or broil the fish pieces and serve with a few lemon wedges. Easy peasy.
Ingredients
This seasoning is perfect on fish! It’s warm and slightly spicy. It’s easily made with herbs and spices already in your pantry.
You’ll want to grab the following from the cupboard: garlic powder, salt, paprika, dried dill, dried thyme, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, black pepper
If you are missing one or two of the dried herbs it won’t make a huge difference to the overall recipe, though they do make a pretty festive party altogether.
For most money savings, purchase herbs that you’ll use often in bulk and store them in the freezer to extend their shelf life. If you don’t think you’ll use a large portion of any of the herbs listed, you can usually purchase just a small amount, sold by weight, at natural food grocery stores, such as Sprouts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mixing up this spice rub takes just minutes. Measure out the different spices in a jar or dish with a lid. Stir well to combine. Cover and store in a cool, dry place.
To use the blend: Brush fish fillets or steaks with cooking oil; season heavily with a custom spice blend, and cook in a skillet or on the grill.
FAQs
Since fish is served worldwide, there’s a wide variety of spices and herbs that go well with fish, including chives, parsley, ginger, tarragon, summer savory, smoked paprika, and dill. I’ve included many of them in this fish seasoning.
You can flavor fish before or after cooking it. Use a fish seasoning or rub prior to cooking. Add an herb butter, lemon wedges, or tartar sauce.
The ideal cooking temp of fish is generally between 350 to 400 degrees F. What’s more important, however, is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, using an instant read thermometer.
Recipe costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- garlic powder – $0.12
- salt – $0.02
- paprika $0.02
- dill – $0.37
- thyme – $0.01
- ginger – $0.07
- cayenne – $0.02
- black pepper – $0.01
A batch of spicy fish seasoning costs just $0.64 per batch. A similar commercial spice at the grocery store costs $2.99. Homemade is cheaper!
How to save more
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of fish and bulk spices can help keep the price down.
- Buying in bulk – Dill is the most expensive ingredient in this recipe. Search for it at the lowest price you can find. Using dried herbs and spices within 3 to 6 months is key to maintaining their flavor. It would make sense to buy small bottles, however small bottles are pricier than larger ones. For herbs spices that I use in great quantity, I buy large packages from Costco or Amazon. I fill my small jar and then store the larger package in the freezer to extend its shelf life. For spices I use infrequently, I buy small amounts from the bulk jars at the health food store. In this way, I always have potent dried herbs and spices.
- Grow and dry your own dill. Dill is super easy to grow and is a prolific plant. Grow a plant and dry the leaves for cheap!
More Great Fish Recipes
Warm and Spicy Fish Rub
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the cupboard or freezer.
- To serve: Brush fish steaks or fillets with oil. Sprinkle a generous amount of seasoning on the fish and rub it in. Cook the fish over a hot grill until it begins to flake. Alternatively, you can broil or saute the seasoned fish. You can tell the fish is done when it pulls apart easily.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of fish and bulk spices can help keep the price down.
- Buying in bulk – Using dried herbs and spices within 3 to 6 months is key to maintaining their flavor. It would make sense to buy small bottles, however small bottles are pricier than larger ones. For herbs spices that I use in great quantity, I buy large packages from Costco or Amazon. I fill my small jar and then store the larger package in the freezer to extend its shelf life. For spices I use infrequently, I buy small amounts from the bulk jars at the health food store. In this way, I always have potent dried herbs and spices.
Nutrition
This post was originally published October 5, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Alice E
I just make my second batch of this! I’ve been meaning to check back in to thank you and rate this. I have used it both when sautéing fish and when baking fish. If not rubbing the fish, I just sprinkle it on the fish and cook it. Hubby said a definite yes when I asked if he wanted me to use it again! I keep some of it in one of those little shakers that look like a mason jar with a handle and shaker lid that they sell for salt/pepper shakers and the bulk of it in a small mason jar. I would give this 5 stars for sure, but don’t see the rating on this one so I’m just adding it in my comment. This and the IQF frozen fish portions make fish a quick meal for the two of us.
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you’re enjoying it! We are still working on moving all recipes to the starred format. It’s slow going with 1600 posts! Thank you so much, Alice, for popping in here with feedback. I appreciate you!
Alice E
Thank you for re-visiting these standards for us newbies. This is timely for me since I’ve got a batch of fish in the freezer that I bought on sale.
Jessica Fisher
Let me know what you think!
Donna
I tried it on tilapia his week and it was amazing. Next up is salmon. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica Fisher
Glad you enjoyed it!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup
I’m getting ready to make this for about the 100th time. My whole family loves this – thanks so much!
Jessica Fisher
Well, that’s great to know!
Morsels of Life
Thanks for hosting! I’m always on the lookout for new fish recipes, and I think I’m trying this one next!
Mary E.S.
That sounds so good and since I am having trouble getting my boys to eat fish I think I am going to try this.Thank’s for a different way to fix fish.
Sandi
It may be breakfast time, but that looks really good to me right now. Have you found a particular type of fish best for this? I usually use salmon and tilapia, but I think I’ve only put salmon on the grill. If something else works better, I’m willing to give it a try. My son has not yet found any food originating from the ocean that he does not like, so we are open to new culinary adventures.
Jessica
@Sandi, we typically use salmon, tuna, or halibut. Sometimes shark or tilapia. It depends. We are careful not to have more than once a week and to vary the kinds so that the high mercury fish are rare in our diet.
Jen Blacker
Thank you so much for hosting. This week I shared my Mexican Rice recipe.