How to cook salmon! Master how to bake, grill, poach or sear to perfection.
Salmon is one of the most popular fish in America, but cooking it can be intimidating! How do you get the perfect tender, fluffy texture? How do you know salmon is cooked and why does it sometimes taste fishy? What about the white stuff that sometimes appears after cooking? Here are all of our tips to master cooking salmon. Choose your preferred method below, then scroll under the list for some tips on picking the best fish, white stuff, and more.
How to Cook Salmon: 5 Best Methods!
Baking salmon is one of the easiest ways to prepare it. It comes out nice and tender.
Advantages and disadvantages : Simple and straightforward method that is mostly automatic. Baking in foil seals in moisture, but doesn’t give the salmon a crispy exterior. It takes longer than some methods.
Total time: 15 minutes, plus preheat time (adds about 10 minutes)
Basic method: Preheat to 325 degrees F. (If it’s time, salt the salmon while you preheat.) Dry each piece of salmon, place on foil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close and seal the foil around the salmon. Bake in aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Then open the foil wrapper and bake until tender and pink in the center (internal temp should be between 125-130F in the middle) for 3-6 minutes, depending on thickness. A 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick fillet should cook in about 15 minutes total. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve.
Full Recipe: Salmon in the oven
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Seared salmon is quick and easy, and results in a crispier exterior than baking. You can also skip this warm-up time!
Advantages and disadvantages : Simple method that gives a crispy exterior and more flavor than baking without preheating. However, pan searing is more convenient and messier than other methods.
Total time: 5 to 10 minutes
Basic method: If time permits, salt the salmon. Dry the salmon, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the salmon, skin side up, and cook until cooked about ½ way from the center of the thickest portion, 2-3 minutes. Turn the salmon over, tilt the pan down and quickly pour the pan juices over the fish a few times. Cook until tender and pink in the center (and the internal temp is 125-130F at the center) for 2-5 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove from the heat, drizzle with lemon juice and serve.
Full Recipe: Fried Salmon
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Grilling salmon is super quick: the result is a tasty piece of fish with a subtly crispy surface.
Advantages and disadvantages : This method is very fast and, above all, non-invasive: in addition, no warm-up time! This is one of our favorite methods. Only precaution: make sure not to overcook it!
Total time: 5 to 10 minutes
Basic method: If time permits, salt the salmon. Preheat grill to high heat. Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place skin-side down on the foil. Brush the salmon with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill 4 to 5 minutes for a very thin salmon, or 7 to 10 minutes for a 1-inch-thick salmon, until just tender and pink in the center (internal temperature should be between 125 and 130 F at the center). Serve drizzled with lemon wedges.
Full Recipe: Grilled salmon
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The grilled salmon has that better charred flavor and flaky texture! In barbecue season, this is the best method.
Advantages and disadvantages : It’s easy and one of the tastiest ways to cook salmon. The inconveniences? Not everyone has access to a grill all year round.
Basic method: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees). If time permits, salt the salmon or opt for grilled marinated salmon. Pat the salmon dry, rub generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and this seafood seasoning mix (or just salt and pepper). Grill the salmon, skin-side down, over indirect heat until grill marks appear and it pulls away from the rack, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, until flaky and just pink at the thickest part and the internal temperature is 125-130F. Leave to rest for a few minutes, then serve.
Full Recipe: Grilled salmon or Grilled marinated salmon
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The poached salmon is very quick and without intervention: you also avoid that fishy smell in the kitchen!
Advantages and disadvantages : It’s easy, convenient and quick and results in extremely tender salmon. However, the fish is light pink in color, which is not as appetizing as the other methods. Be sure to garnish with fresh toppings or serve with a sauce. It is also ideal for a Caesar salad with salmon.
Basic method: Dry the salmon and season generously with salt and a few black peppercorns. In a large skillet, add ½ cup white wine or stock, ¼ cup water, lemon wedges, dill sprigs, and capers. Place the salmon pieces skin-side down on top. Bring to a boil and cover. Cook 7 minutes for thin salmon and 10 minutes for thick salmon, until fish is tender and cooked through and internal temperature is between 125-130F. Remove from the pan and place on a plate.
Full Recipe: Poached Salmon
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How to buy a good piece of salmon
What is important in all these ways of preparing salmon? You need a quality piece of fish. There’s no way to “fix” poor-quality salmon: even drown it in sauce. Keep in mind that lower quality salmon can taste very fishy and have a mushy texture. You can use frozen salmon, but we’ve found that fresh salmon tends to taste better and is of higher quality. How to buy a good piece of salmon:
- Buy wild salmon. Wild fish caught in your country is generally a sustainable choice. There are also quality options at well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch consumer guide. Buy it fresh from the fish counter if you can; frozen works too.
- Search for the United States (if you are in the United States). 90% of the seafood we eat in the United States is imported. Imported seafood is at risk of being overfished, caught under unfair labor conditions, or farmed in environmentally harmful ways.
- Coho is a great choice for great taste. We tend to like coho salmon for its mild flavor: price-wise, it’s a good, middle-of-the-road option. Sure, the king salmon is fantastic, but it’s pricey. Atlantic salmon tends to be farmed, so we tend to avoid it: however, we did find some good quality Atlantic salmon fillets at the fish market.
How do you know when the salmon is done?
How do you know when salmon is ready? Buy a food thermometer first! This is the best way to get an accurate reading when it’s done. There are many types of salmon (Coho, Atlantic, King, etc.) and they all vary in thickness, so each cut will cook differently. No two cuts of fish are the same, so the exact timing will vary with each cooking session. How to tell when the salmon is done:
- The inside temperature should be 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle for the half-cooked salmon. Those who prefer medium-rare can stop cooking at 120 degrees. Be sure to insert the probe at the thickest point. The fish will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat. To ensure complete safety, the FDA recommended temperature for seafood is 145 degrees or well done.
- Otherwise, crumble with a fork to gauge doneness. Cook the fish until salmon Only begins to crumble when pricked with a fork.
- In any case, make sure that it doesn’t cook for too long. There’s nothing worse than a piece of dry fish. Keep an eye on it and don’t overdo it! There is no turning back.
How long to cook salmon
Each piece of salmon is a different type and thickness, so timing will vary with each cook. But for what it’s worth, here are the approximate cooking times for these methods:
| Method of cooking salmon | cooking time (depending on thickness) |
| Fried Salmon | 4 to 8 minutes over medium heat (2-3 minutes skin side up, then flip another 2-5 minutes) |
| boiled salmon | 13 to 16 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Grilled salmon | 4 to 5 minutes for a very thin salmon or 7 to 10 minutes for a 1 inch salmon |
| Grilled salmon | 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat (375 to 450 degrees) (3-5 minutes skin-side up until grill marks appear and it pulls away from the grate, then turn and cook another 2-5 minutes) |
| Poached Salmon | 7 minutes for thin salmon and 10 minutes for thick salmon |
What is the white matter in salmon when cooked?
What is that sticky white substance that sometimes appears on the surface of fish after cooking? The white matter is perfectly normal: it’s called a coagulated protein that oozes to the surface when cooked albumin. The amount of albumin varies greatly between fish, so it’s not something you can control. (Read more here.) It’s safe to eat, but it looks less than appetizing on a nice fillet. Here are some ways to reduce albumin when cooking salmon:
- Cook it at a lower temperature to cook it more gently (325 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Before cooking, salt the salmon in a solution of salt and water
More salmon resources and recipes
want more? Here are some additional resources on this popular fish:
The description
How to cook salmon! Master how to bake, grill, poach or sear to perfection.
- 1 1/2 Pound or 4 (6 ounces) salmon fillets, wild caught if possible
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- lemon slices
- Category: main course
- Method: Changeable
- Kitchen: seafood
- Diet: Gluten free
Keywords: How to cook salmon
