Blackened Flounder with Pineapple Salsa

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Lightly spicy, with a crispy crust, blackened flounder is a simple but super flavorful fish dinner. It’s easy to pan sear and cooks up in just a few minutes for a delicious weeknight meal.

The flounder is seasoned generously with a blend of spices and herbs, cooked quickly either in a pan or on the grill, and served with a juicy pineapple salsa, cauliflower rice, and a cooling chili-lime drizzle.

During the summer heat especially, the spicy and sweet combination of flavors is everything– Just check out my grilled halibut recipe!

How to Blacken Flounder

Surprisingly, it’s almost impossible to mess this recipe up, so if you’re newer to cooking, this would be a great recipe to try!

Make the Blackening Seasoning

This recipe starts with a fabulous homemade Blackened Seasoning blend. It’s lightly spicy with great depth of flavor, and it compliments the flounder and the pineapple salsa wonderfully. It’s awesome on blackened salmon, too!

Making your own spice blends is a great way to make sure they’re made with only clean ingredients, and it’s cheaper too! Some of my other favorite blends are my homemade taco seasoning and ranch seasoning.

Season and Blacken the Fish

Once you’ve got your seasoning blend ready, gently pat each flounder filet dry with paper towels. I like to cut the fillets in half, but that’s completely optional!

Season the fish generously with the blackened seasoning and a little oil, rubbing it on all sides of each fillet to evenly coat.

In batches, grill the flounder over medium-high heat in a well oiled skillet or grill, turning once, just until cooked through.

Remember, it’s really easy to overcook fish! But the more you cook, the more familiar you’ll get with cook times, but it still happens to even the most seasoned cooks!

The other elements in this dish make it a very forgiving recipe. Even if you find your fish a tad overdone, don’t stress! Once you put everything together, no one will even notice!

Make the Pineapple Avocado Salsa

The pineapple avocado salsa adds a beautiful burst of acid and brightness for fish dishes. It’s great all by itself, too! Personally, I love it with some plantain chips or crunchy veggies.

The pineapple salsa is very easy to make – it just involves a bit of chopping! You can even make it in advance! Mix everything together except for the avocado, season to taste, and you’re good to go. Just before serving, dice the avocado and stir it in. This will keep it from browning.

If you’re feeling extra fun, try this dish with pickled pineapple. YUM is all I can say about it!

Assemble and Serve the Blackened Flounder

Once you’ve got all the elements ready, all that’s left to do is put it together! Grab four plates or bowls and slice up a few limes as garnish.

Serve the fish over cauliflower rice with a healthy serving of pineapple avocado salsa, some chili-lime drizzle, and a little extra cilantro. Enjoy!

Other Easy Fish Recipes

• Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers
• Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps
• Pineapple Pork Chops (Instant Pot)
• Baked Salsa Chicken
• Tuna Salad with Habanero