These restaurant-style pan-seared salmon fillets have perfectly crisp skin and tender flesh. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, this versatile dish will become a new favorite. Make this easy and delicious recipe at home to impress your friends and family!
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Why You’ll Love This Seared Salmon Recipe
We eat salmon at home probably once a week. This easy and delicious pan seared salmon recipe is one of our absolute favorites.
I love this recipe for so many reasons: it's easy and delicious. You can cook salmon in just a few minutes. And it's extremely versatile. Plus, that crispy salmon skin can't be beat.
Serve it with a wide variety of veggie sides, as the protein for a salad, in a grain bowl, over pasta, potatoes, or rice.
It's also an amazing recipe for meal prep. I use leftovers for work lunches, salmon salad - just about anything!
What You’ll Need
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- Salmon: I like to use fresh salmon fillets that are about an inch thick and 6 ounces. Be sure the flesh is pink or peach in color with nice marbling.
- Olive Oil: I use extra-virgin olive oil when making this recipe and have had no issues with the smoke point. If you would prefer to use an oil with a higher smoke point, try grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
- Kosher Salt: I use kosher salt in all of my recipes. It is less salty by volume than table salt or sea salt, making it harder to oversalt your food. It also has a unique flake shape that coats food more evenly.
- Black Pepper: Just a bit of freshly ground black pepper adds the perfect amount of kick to this dish. I like to use these Malabar black peppercorns for my cooking.
Recommended Equipment
Frying Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
How to Make The Best Salmon
Step One: Pat the salmon dry on all sides with paper towels.
Step Two: Liberally season the salmon with salt and pepper.
Step Three: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until the pan is very hot. Add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the salmon skin side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side undisturbed, until the salmon skin is lightly browned, crisp, and lifts from the pan easily.
Step Six: Flip the salmon. Fry on the remaining side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the interior temperature reads 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. For medium, continue cooking for another minute, or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Taste for seasoning, adjust if needed, and serve.
Variations and Substitutions
Lemon Juice: If you're looking to add a bit of bright, fresh flavor to your dish, try a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Baked Salmon: You can also cook the salmon in the oven. Just use the instructions in this baked blackened salmon recipe.
Garlic Butter Sauce: Want something rich and savory to accompany this dish? You can make a simple garlic butter sauce by chopping garlic, cooking it over medium-low heat for about a minute, then melting some butter in the pan and allowing it to brown slightly.
Season it with salt and pepper, and maybe add some fresh herbs if you'd like. This is also delicious with some capers!
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze leftovers. Let the salmon cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, then store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Keep in mind that the texture of the skin will not remain the same. I recommend removing the skin before storing.
Reheating: There are several ways to reheat leftovers. For crisp skin, you can reheat the salmon in a low oven (about 275 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat it in a pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side.
The air fryer is also an option. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then let the salmon cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
The size of the salmon fillets used can determine how quickly they cook. If you have especially large fillets, they may take an extra minute or two. Continue to cook the fish until the internal temperature has reached at least 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare.
To make this recipe perfect every time, make sure you use a stainless steel restaurant-style pan or cast iron skillet. Non-stick pans are not intended for use over high heat. Make sure your pan is very hot, add the oil and the salmon, and don't touch the fish for several minutes while it develops crisp skin. Be sure to season liberally and use good-quality fish, too!
This salmon is wonderful on its own, but a sauce is a wonderful accompaniment, too. You can make a lemon garlic pan sauce, or use fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of the fish. Salmon is one of those proteins that works well with all sorts of flavors. I have used fresh tarragon, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, and many other herbs and spices to liven up this dish.
How to Serve Crispy Pan Seared Salmon
This recipe is truly versatile. Be sure to try some of the pairing suggestions below!
Main: Try serving with potatoes, like these Calabrian potatoes or these air fryer fingerling potatoes. This salmon is great with any number of veggie sides, like roasted baby broccoli, spicy roasted vegetables, sautéed butternut squash or sweet potatoes, or marinated tomatoes.
Salad: It's lovely in a salad with some fresh vegetables, a bit of avocado, and a homemade vinaigrette, like this harissa vinaigrette, this lemon herb vinaigrette, or this honey jalapeño lime vinaigrette. You can also serve the salmon with this Greek green salad or a lovely French tomato salad.
Pasta: Make pan seared salmon the star of your next pasta dinner. Try adding it to this aglio olio e peperoncino or this penne al baffo.
Rice: Try serving this salmon over a delicious, flavorful bowl of chimichurri rice or these Cajun red beans and rice.
Sauces: I love this salmon with a variety of different sauces and condiments. For a traditional pairing, try this dill sauce for salmon.
You can also try it with this cilantro chimichurri, this pineapple habanero sauce, almond pesto, cilantro lime crema, or a salsa of your choosing. Serrano salsa and pineapple habanero salsa are favorites at my house. We also love pineapple salsa salmon!
Expert Tips
- Don't be afraid of the heat. While you shouldn't use full high heat for this recipe, you will want to a very hot pan. Be sure the oil shimmers when you add it to the pan. This will prevent the salmon sticking.
Cook the medium-rare. Do you ever wonder why restaurant salmon is so luscious? Restaurants typically cook their salon to medium-rare. Remove the fish from the pan when the salmon reaches 125 degrees Fahrenheit for a perfectly cooked restaurant-style dish. - Let the salmon tell you when it's ready to flip. Allow the fish to release from the pan on its own. If it's been 4 minutes and it still isn't budging, give it another 30 seconds to 1 minute. The fish will naturally release from the pan when it is ready to flip.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment 💬 and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! You can also tag us @twocloveskitchen on Instagram or follow us on Facebook!
More Salmon Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Pan-Seared Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 (6-oz) salmon fillets skin-on, 1 to 1.5 inches thick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or a neutral oil like avocado or grapeseed oil
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the salmon dry on all sides with paper towels.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the salmon skin-side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned, crisp, and lifts from the pan easily.
- Flip the salmon. Cook on the remaining side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the interior temperature reads 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare. For medium, continue cooking for another minute, or until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Taste for seasoning, adjust if needed, and serve.
Notes
- Thicker salmon fillets may take 30 seconds to a minute longer, while thin salmon fillets should be cooked for less time. Use an instant-read thermometer to test the temperature of the salmon.
- Fridge: Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze leftovers. Let the salmon cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, then store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Keep in mind that the texture of the skin will not remain the same. I recommend removing the skin before storing.
- Reheating: There are several ways to reheat leftovers. For crisp skin, you can reheat the salmon in a low oven (about 275 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat it in a pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side.
- The air fryer is also an option. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then let the salmon cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145.
Jackie S. says
Made this for date night last night and it was perfect! The salmon was so flaky and melted in the mouth with just one bite. The flavors were so delicious and It my honey love salmon for the first time. Serve it with fingerling potatoes and a simple salad.
Genevieve says
Thank you so much, Jackie! I'm so glad you & your husband enjoyed this recipe. 🙂