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This pan Seared Salmon recipe is crisp and golden on the outside and rare in the center – easy to make and impressive to serve.
This seared salmon is one of my go-to recipes when I’m short on time but want a winner in the kitchen. It’s a simple yet elegant dish that takes only 15 minutes from pan to plate. Not only that, but it’s how salmon is commonly made in restaurants, so it impresses every time. Searing is more of a technique than a recipe, but I wanted to do one anyway so you can master it at home.
Serve this recipe with roasted Brussels sprouts and rice pilaf for a complete and easy dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
To ensure a golden-brown crust, these salmon fillets are seared in a hot skillet, cooking 90% on one side, and then flipped until cooked through.
Buying Salmon
Whether you prefer wild-caught or farm-raised, always choose shiny pieces with a mild sea aroma and bypass any that are dull-looking with a fishy smell. Always buy cuts that are the same size and thickness so that they all cook evenly together.
How to Sear Salmon
Remove the Salmon Fillets from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you plan to cook them and pat them with paper towels.
Season the salmon filets on both sides with salt and pepper. You want to season right before cooking as a seasoning too early will begin breaking down the proteins in the fish and remove moisture.
Add the oil to the pan and preheat the pan over high heat until the oil shimmers and starts to smoke slightly.
Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the salmon to the pan.
If you are using fillets with the skin on, and you want to eat the skin, start with the salmon skin side down. If you plan to remove the skin. start with the flash side down.
Gently press them down for a few seconds with a fish spatula to allow good contact with the hot pan (this will also stop the skin from curling). Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.
Resist the impulse to move the fillets as they cook. Letting them sear undisturbed in the hot oil creates that flavorful, golden crust that makes this dish restaurant-quality.
Cook the fillets about 90% of the way on the first side. The fillet will naturally release from the pan when they are ready to turn (which takes about 3 minutes for room temperature fillets).
The flesh should turn from translucent pink to an opaque white up the sides and will creep up to the top (see the image above). After that, you can flip and cook the fish the rest of the way.
Cooking time will depend on thickness. You want to cook until it’s brown on the outside and pink in the center with an internal temperature of 125°F (52°C) to 130°F (54°C) in the middle.
Allow resting for 5 minutes before serving. Finish your seared salmon with a tab of butter and a squeeze of lemon.
Erren’s Top Tips
- Season the fish just before searing – When seasoned too early before cooking, salt will begin breaking down the proteins and remove moisture from the salmon.
- Leave the skin on – the skin protects the seared salmon from overcooking. It’s also much simpler to remove the skin once the fish is cooked! When the salmon is ready, slide a knife between the flesh and skin to remove it.
- If you like a crisp skin, start with the skin-side down and let it crisp up, then serve with the sauce on the plate instead of adding the fillets with crispy skin to the sauce, resulting in a gummy unappealing texture.
- Pat the salmon dry before searing for a crisper result.
- A good-quality nonstick pan will help avoid the undue stress of your salmon sticking to an unseasoned pan.
- Preheat your pan for the best sear. Make sure the skillet is hot, and the oil has good.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Seared Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 Salmon Fillets
- 2 tablespoons butter
- fresh lemon juice (to finish)
Instructions
- Remove the Salmon Fillets from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you plan to cook them and pat them with paper towels.
- Add the oil to the pan and preheat the pan over high heat until the oil shimmers and starts to smoke slightly.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and the fillets to the pan—Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes (they should be golden brown).
- Flip fillets to the uncooked side down and cook another 3-5 minutes to cook through or until they reach an internal temperature of 125°F (52°C) to 130°F (54°C) in the middle.
- Remove from the heat top with ½ Tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon, allow to melt and spread the butter over the fillets.
- Transfer the to a dish, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Season the fish just before searing – When seasoned too early before cooking, salt will begin breaking down the proteins and remove moisture from the salmon.
- Leave the skin on – the skin protects the seared salmon from overcooking. It’s also much simpler to remove the skin once the fish is cooked! When the salmon is ready, slide a knife between the flesh and skin to remove it.
- If you like a crisp skin, start with the skin-side down and let it crisp up, then serve with the sauce on the plate instead of adding the fillets with crispy skin to the sauce which can result in a gummy, unappealing texture.
- Pat the salmon dry before searing for a crisper result.
- A good-quality nonstick pan will help avoid the undue stress of your salmon sticking to an unseasoned pan.
- Preheat your pan for the best sear. Make sure the skillet is hot and the oil has good.
- Cooking time will depend on thickness. You want to cook until it’s brown on the outside and pink in the center with an internal temperature of 125°F (52°C) to 130°F (54°C) in the middle.
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