Cooking salmon fillets in a pan is an easy way to get a tasty and healthy dinner on the table, and the best way we know to get irresistibly crispy salmon skin. Here’s our Test Kitchen guide for how to cook salmon perfectly every time.
How to cook salmon
Cook salmon in a heated frying pan or on a greased barbecue flat plate, turning once, until done as desired following the guide below. Salmon is best served a little rare in the centre.
- Rare: 3 minutes, skin-side down. Turn and cook a further 1 minute.
Skin is crisp, top is golden and flesh is cooked to opaque 3mm (1/8in) deep with remaining fillet translucent and soft to touch.
- Medium: 3 minutes, skin-side down. Turn and cook a further 2 ½ minutes.
Salmon flesh is cooked to opaque 5mm (1/4in) deep on both sides, the centre fillet remains translucent and springy to touch.
- Well done: 3 minutes, skin-side down. Turn and cook a further 4 ½ minutes.
Flesh is opaque all the way through and feels firm to touch.
Cooking tips
Salmon has oily, luxurious flesh which is particularly good barbecued, roasted or pan-fried.
These cooking times are based on a 200g (61/2oz) centre-cut piece of salmon, removed straight from the fridge.
Expect subtle time variations due to the salmon’s thickness, the heat source and the type of pan you are using.
In addition to time use our visual and touch guide (see image above) to obtain your desired degree of doneness.
How to prepare salmon
Salmon fillets are an exceptionally forgiving cut of fish to cook, and with the right preparation you can cook salmon fillets in a pan like a professional.
Removing salmon skin
Place salmon fillet, skin-side down, on a board. From the tail end, run a cook’s knife between the skin and the flesh along the fillet, with the blade angled slightly downward; firmly hold the skin as you cut along the fillet.
Removing darker meat
Running under the skin, along the centre is an edible muscle high in Omega-3 fats that is a little fishier tasting. If you wish to remove it for taste or aesthetics, scrape it off after cooking, or trim away before.
Locating pinbones
Run your fingertips against the grain along the fillet to find small, sharp bones (usually found in the thickest part of a fillet). Press flesh right next to tips of the bones so they poke slightly above the surface.
How to remove pinbones from fish
Using clean tweezers or needle-nosed kitchen pliers, grab each pinbone and pull firmly to remove; you will need to pull slightly sideways and up at a slight angle to remove bones without damaging flesh.
How to cook crispy skin salmon (video)
Now you know how to cook salmon on a pan, why not try this crispy-skin salmon on braised peas and mash for dinner?
Would you prefer baked salmon or looking for more salmon recipes?
