This blackened flounder recipe uses two simple ingredients and creates blackened flounder fillets that are savory and crisp on the outside full of spices and perfectly light and flaky on the inside with delicate white bites of fish!  Create your fish dinner tonight in less than 10 minutes.

Have you checked out our recipe for quick and easy Air Fryer Fish Sticks yet???  Well what are you waiting for???!!!

I have a confession...I don't like much seafood.  I wish I did, but I don't.  I have been trying different light white fishes in hopes of finding the secret ticket to loving the underwater food source.  

I have found an amazing pecan crusted trout, and then this amazing blackened flounder that is amazingly delicious, easy to make, and quick to clean up.

This recipe is adapted from a blog that I recently came across, called Free Range Katy.  

Katy buys the same flounder filets from Costco that I have in my freezer (I also buy their wild caught salmon filets...love me my Costco!) and uses a similar blackening mix (I adapted my blackening spice mix from her as well!) for her weekly flounder meal for her family.  

And this is now a weekly staple in our house.  Tasty and affordable for the family is the perfect weeknight meal combination if you ask me.  

And on top of all those perks, it takes less than 10 minutes to make.  

Major score!

Amazing Blackened Flounder Recipe:

This is one of my families go-to quick and easy weeknight meals. It has been for some time now - I've been doing the oven-baked way for years now.

And now that I have figured it out via the air fryer, it is definitely heavy in our weekly rotation even more now.

Like the title insinuates, there is only 2 ingredients - and I bet you can guess what they are - flounder (or another white fish of your choice!) and blackening spice!

I make my own blackening spice - an easy a simple recipe for great gluten-free blackening spice that you can put on virtually anything your heart desires.

This recipe is so darn quick to make and easy to clean up!

It leaves you with a crisp fish on the outside, with a blackened - spice crust, and leaves you with a tender, warm, flaky fish center just waiting to be devoured.

I like to spritz a mist of fresh lemon juice on top - lemon cuts so well with both fish and with blackening spice - so I highly recommend this garnish at the very end if you have it on hand - but it's definitely not necessary!

Ingredient List:

• Flounder fillets: you can use other light white fish fillets like cod or tilapia.
• Blackening spice: I like to use my homemade Blackening Spice but you can purchase store-bought blackening spice. Just make sure that it is gluten-free if you need your recipe to be gluten free!
• Cooking spray or coconut oil: use cooking spray if using the air fryer directions and cooking oil if you are oven roasting your fish fillets.
• Garnishes (optional): I like to sprinkle a squeeze of fresh lemon and a pinch or two of fresh chopped parsley leaves.

Air Fryer Blackened Fish Directions:

1. Spread an ample amount (around 3-4 tablespoons) of blackening spice to the bottom of a large plate. Place each fish fillet on the spice-filled plate and coat both sides of the fish with the spice until it is fully covered on all sides with the spice.
2. Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray and then carefully place the fish fillets in the bottom of the air fryer basket with a spatula. Spray the top of each piece of fish with a light coating of cooking spray and close up the air fryer.
3. Set your air fryer to cook for 4 minutes at 400*F. Take the basket from the air fryer, use your spatula to flip each flounder fillet over to the other side, place the air fryer basket back in the air fryer, and cook for another 4 minutes at 400*F.
4. Check to make sure that the internal temperature of your fish reaches 145*F before removing from the air fryer. Allow the fish to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing the pieces from the air fryer, garnishing, and serving while still warm!

Oven Baked Roasted Blackened Flounder Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to "broil" function. Place each fish fillet on the spice-filled plate and coat both sides of the fish with the spice until it is fully covered on all sides with the spice.
2. Heat 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil up in a large oven-safe saute pan on medium high heat. Add the flounder fillets to the bottom of the pan and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. During this time, use a basting brush to brush a little bit of the hot oil on the top portion of each of the cooking fish pieces. Brush the oil on lightly so that the blackening spice does not come off on the brush.
3. Place the fish skillet directly into the hot oven and allow to broil for 5-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145*F.
4. Remove from heat (carefully - handle of skillet will be hot!), remove fillets from oil using a spatula and place on a paper towel-lined plate for 1-2 minutes, then garnish and serve while still warm!

Blackened Flounder Pro Tips:

I buy wild caught flounder fillets in a 3 pound bag at Costco for $9.99.  Each fillet is around 2-3 ounces, so that means that each fillets is very easily under a dollar.  I am sure there are other places to find high quality fish at reasonable prices.  Shop accordingly y'all!

Blackened Flounder Pairings:

We like to pair this fish recipe with tasty vegetable sides such as Sriracha Cream Broccoli, Air Fryer Asparagus, Teriyaki Green Beans or Blue Cheese Green Beans, and of course a delicious gluten-free dinner roll or buttermilk biscuit for good measure!

How to Store Flounder Leftovers

Before storing your leftover blackened flounder, make sure that it is cooled down to room temperature before proceeding.

Place your cooled-to-room-temperature flounder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

How to Reheat Leftover Blackened Fish:

To reheat your leftover blackened fish, place the leftovers back in the oven or back in your air fryer at 300*F for 3-5 minutes, or until it is warmed through.

Add a spritz more of fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of fresh parsley flakes for good measure.

This post was first published on April 24, 2015 and last updated on April 23, 2020.