Pan Seared Salmon
Pan Seared Salmon is the ultimate way to enjoy salmon just like they make it at the restaurant, with a golden crispy skin and a moist interior. It’s very easy to make at home!
A moist, juicy piece of salmon with a robustly crispy skin is like icing on a cake. It’s truly the perfect contrast to a big fat piece of tender salmon.
The first time I tried salmon like this was at a restaurant many years ago, and I remember thinking, is it okay to eat the skin? I grew up eating salmon, but we always scraped the fish from the skin, then threw the skin in the trash.
But the moment I dug in and crunched down on the most wonderfully crispy shard of savoriness, I became hooked forever.
I’m going to show you how to get super crispy skin with perfectly cooked salmon in your own kitchen, and it’s really so much easier than you could imagine. The skin is robustly crunchy, even crispier than a potato chip!
My quickest and easiest salmon recipe is this Baked Salmon, but this crispy salmon only takes a little bit more effort and you get to enjoy the skin.
How to Make Pan Seared Salmon:
First we need to make sure the skin is ready for searing and remove the scales.
Oftentimes the fishmonger will de-scale the fish before filleting (mine does), but they often miss spots.
We eat salmon every week, so I bought a dedicated fish scaler, but you can also use a sharp chef’s knife to scrape off the scales…just beware that they will fly all over the place, so wear an apron.
After a few scrapes, voila, no more scales. You can tell they’re gone because the skin has a netting pattern to it:
If needed, give the salmon a quick rinse to remove the scales, or just brush them off.
Regardless of whether or not you rinse the fish, dry the salmon very well with paper towels. Water is the enemy of a good crisp sear.
Now is when you want to start preheating a skillet for searing the salmon.
What kind of skillet should you use for searing salmon?
For the best sear, I recommend an uncoated pan. Some people like to use nonstick pans for searing fish, but I don’t. You just don’t get the same sear.
If the pan is hot enough, the fish won’t stick anyway. Literally I can pick the fish filet up with a pair of tongs because it’s so un-stuck to the pan.
Also, pick a pan that’s fairly close in size to the piece of fish, then preheat for about 3-5 minutes (3 minutes for gas stoves, 5 for electric).
Once the pan is heated and you’re ready to cook, dab one last time for any excess moisture on the skin:
Then, season the fish skin with a good pinch of salt (no pepper on the skin, it will burn):
You want to do this right before searing, otherwise the salt will pull moisture out of the fish skin and it’ll be wet again.
Add oil to coat the bottom of the skillet, and note that it should be shimmering, but not smoking violently. If it’s smoking like crazy, turn the heat down slightly.
Take your piece of fish and test it by touching the very end of it to the pan. If it makes that hissing sizzling noise, that means the pan is sufficiently hot.
Go ahead and lay the fish down in the pan on the skin side, always away from you so the oil doesn’t splash.
(And if the fish doesn’t sizzle, your pan isn’t hot enough, so heat longer).
Here’s the secret: Let the salmon cook for 90% of the time on the skin side.
This thoroughly crisps the skin, and also results in a gentler cooking for the flesh of the salmon.
How Long to Sear Salmon: The salmon I get is usually about an inch thick, so I cook it for 5 minutes on the skin side, until it’s golden brown and crispy. Time will vary depending on thickness, so use a thermometer.
Once the salmon is cooked most of the way, I flip it over to give it a brief “kiss” on the other side, cooking for about 15-30 seconds:
If the pan was hot enough when adding the fish, you should have no issue getting the salmon off the skillet, but I like to use this turner to get under it and keep the salmon held together in a nice piece.
When removing the salmon from the skillet, plate it with the skin side up, so the skin retains its crispiness and keeps from getting soggy:
I wanted to show you the inside, which is moist and glistening:
I like salmon at medium, so about 125F, but if you want it fully cooked, 140F is sufficient.
Seared Scallops are another one of my favorite seafoods to make at home, as it’s crazy easy and much cheaper than the restaurant.
Salmon Salad and Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs are also great salmon dishes that I recommend. Enjoy!
How to reheat leftover salmon: The best way to reheat is to crisp the skin in the skillet much like how you cooked it, skin-side down, then give it a flip at the end to warm the top.
Can you pan fry salmon from frozen? No, always thaw first. You can thaw quickly in cold water, which takes about 15 minutes.
Pan Seared Salmon with Crispy Skin
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets skin-on and descaled
- avocado oil* for searing
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes (3 minutes for gas stoves, 5 for electric).
- Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, about 1-2 tbsp. The oil should shimmer.
- Season the skin of the fish generously with salt, then test your piece of fish by touching the very end of it to the pan. If it makes a hissing sizzling noise, that means the pan is sufficiently hot. Go ahead and lay the fish down in the pan, always away from you so the oil doesn't splash.
- Let the salmon cook for 90% of the time on the skin side. The salmon I get is usually about an inch thick, so I cook it for 5 minutes on the skin side.
- Season the top of the fish with salt, then flip it over to cook for 15-30 seconds on the other side.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated with new photos, writing, and more tips in August 2018. Originally published August 2012. This post contains an affiliate link.
110 Comments on “Pan Seared Salmon”
Thankyou you made it sound so simple love it cooking my salmon tonight I can’t loose with your recipe. Robert from Queens NY 🤗
Perfect platted Salmon I enjoyed the crispy skin awesome
Tried the pan seared salmon with the thiner parts I cut off from the piece I use for Gravlax. DEELICIOUS!
Also found “your” fish scaler! I selected the Yoshihiro (Amazon). It’s ideal!
Thanks for a good recipe & tip!
Of all the recipes I have used to make salmon, this is hands down my favorite. I followed the directions as is and it turned out absolutely amazing. The skin turned out deliciously crispy and the cook on the salmon was perfect. I like mine a little medium in the middle and the timing was spot on.
Thank you the way you describe it is so cute and easy to follow
There are many health benefits of having Salmon, some being:
1.Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
2.Great Source of Protein.
3.High in B Vitamins.
4.Good Source of Potassium.
5.Loaded With Selenium.
6.Contains the Antioxidant Astaxanthin.
7.May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease.
8.May Benefit Weight Control.
Being cooked at home, these benefits can be achieved at the best.
I tried this tonight. I accidentally bought salmon w the skin on and didn’t know if I needed to skin it, or what!
I found this recipe and followed her directions completely, even scraping for fish scales (and there were some)!
It was delicious and the skin was as crispy as she said.
Your crispy skin salmon technique made THE BEST tasting salmon I’ve ever cooked! Thank you for sharing this with us.
It worked out so well for me! The skin was super crispy and far from burnt. Love all the notes, thank you so much!
hi ya crispy skin salmon was awesome cheers for the tips do you have any recipes to with moreton bay bugs at all ?
Didn’t have avocado oil (visited the parents) so used olive oil instead on some wild sockeye from Costco. This was great! The first time ever I ate the skin cause usually it’s mushy and gross.
This was perfect, great technique, super crispy, I added a little butter when I flipped the fish and a fresh herb.
Big salad and roasted peppers, delicious. Thank you!
Tried it
Excellent and perfect!
After many failed attempts to make crispy salmon skin in the past, I tried your steps, and my piece of king salmon resulted in perfect crispy skin! I am now confident to make this for dinner guests (when we can have parties again). So happy! Thank you!
Amazing! I was a little intimidated about removing the scales but it was easier than I thought (I used a chef’s knife). My teenage son found and suggested this recipe… we eat salmon all the time but this is “hands-down” our favorite way to eat it. Thank you!