How to Pan Sear Crisp, Moist Salmon Fillets – Make restaurant-quality, perfectly cooked salmon in your own kitchen! Golden crust, moist & flaky within. Fast, easy tutorial, 20 minute meal, healthy & delicious.
It all started when my stepdaughter, aka “the pickiest eater on planet Earth,” developed a taste for salmon. Once I discovered she liked this great alternative to red meat, which can be high in saturated fat, I was determined to perfect my cooked salmon technique. I much prefer it to red meat, which is high in saturated fat. She preferred the pan seared salmon served at one of our favorite local restaurants– it was moist and flaky with a crisp golden crust. After struggling to make it the same way at home, I finally landed on a technique that produces restaurant-quality salmon every time. And my stepdaughter? She now likes mine better than the restaurant version!
This technique involves a simple combination of pan searing and oven roasting. Use boneless fillets, skin on for a crispy skin or skin off for a crispy golden crust — either will work. By following this great recipe, you can have perfectly seared salmon filets on the table in less than 20 minutes. Roast some veggies, steam a little couscous, and you’ve got a healthy, satisfying meal.
Restaurant? We don’t need no stinkin’ restaurant! Give yourself a pat on the back and a Michelin star, you’ll be rocking salmon fillets like a boss from now on.
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How to Sear Salmon Fillets
Ingredients
- Boneless salmon fillets skin off or skin on (up to 4 per batch)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (you may also substitute avocado oil, which has a higher smoke point)
- Salt and pepper
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If you have time, let the salmon come to room temperature, it will cook faster and more evenly that way (but don't stress, when I'm in a hurry I do it straight from the fridge). The salmon fillets should be generously seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Place skillet over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes till drops of water sizzle and bead on the surface when you sprinkle them. When water dries pour 2 tbsp olive oil and swirl around the bottom of the pan to evenly coat. Oil will begin to smoke lightly after a moment or two.Place salmon fillets gently into the skillet, up to 4 at a time (depending on the size of your skillet), making sure not to crowd the pan. The fillets should not touch. If using skin-on fillets, the skin side should be facing upward, with meat against the pan.
- Turn the burner up to high heat. Let the salmon sear for 2-3 minutes till a golden brown crust begins to form on the bottom edge of the meat. You'll be able to see the crust starting at the edge where the meat touches the pan. Once you see that, there is no need to lift the salmon and check-- the crust will continue developing in the oven. The less you disturb the salmon during cooking, the better.
- At this point, do not turn the salmon. Instead, transfer the whole skillet to the preheated oven. Let the salmon continue roasting in the oven for another 6-10 minutes. How long it cooks will depend on the thickness of the fillets and desired doneness-- some people like salmon a little on the rare side. Our family likes it fully cooked and flaking, but still moist. For a fillet that is 1-inch thick at its thickest point, this usually takes around 7-8 minutes in the oven. Once cooked you can cut into the thickest part of a fillet with a sharp knife to make sure it's done to your liking.When the salmon is done roasting, use an oven mitt to carefully remove the skillet from the oven. I do mean carefully, the skillet will be hot and the oil will be sizzling!
- Remove the fillets from the pan carefully with tongs or a fish spatula, plate them crust-side up, and serve. Keep in mind that if you keep them in the hot skillet they will continue to cook. If you're not serving the fillets immediately, you might want to take them out of the oven a little under-done and leave them in the hot skillet to finish cooking before you serve them. If you've left the skin on, it will be crisp at this point. Skin off, the only crispy area will be that golden brown crust. My stepdaughter likes that part the best. These are especially nice with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Enjoy!
Kim Lee says
Omg this salmon is so good I feel like a chef thank you so much for this recipe my new favorite and it’s healthy.
Marie says
Great recipe! I added garlic powder, a little bit of Italian seasoning, lemon pepper and lemon olive oil and it was perfect! The salmon got the perfect crispy texture on the outside and moist on the inside! This is definitely a keeper recipe 🙂
Tina Pastorius says
Normally when i make salmon i simmer it in a dill sauce, because any other way it comes out dry. But when my husband grabbed the salmon he forgot the stuff i needed for the sauce. So i hit google, because i didnt want to eat dry salmon and found this. One of the hardest things when preparing a meal for your family….making something everyone likes, and the 2nd making something healthy that everyone likes…..well right now they are asking for seconds, but apparently the only thing my husband did wrong was not get enough salmon…..NEW FAMILY FAVORITE! THANK YOU.
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Tina! So happy your family likes it. 🙂
Kelly says
I added lemon, garlic, and dill to the tops of the fish. Then I seared the filets 2-3 min in my preheated cast iron pan. After that I tossed them into the 425 degree oven for 8 minutes. They released PERFECTLY from the pan, spiced intact, and tasted DELICIOUS!!!
I’m so happy I found this new way to make my salmon ? A brief anecdote about my history with salmon follows ?
I’ve loved salmon my entire life! As a very young girl my grandfather, a brilliant scientist, taught me how to make it; the same way every time 🙂 so many good memories! He usually had a meat thermometer. But my favorite memory is when he said to me, “human flesh burns at 140 degrees. We can take the fish out of the oven when it is 140 degrees.” And he proceeded to plunge his finger into the flesh of the salmon! He waited a moment, looked at me, and said, “there! My finger is burning. The fish is hot enough!”
Mary Ellen says
Made this with a honey ginger glaze: 1 tablespoon each soy sauce, honey, melted butter and grated ginger, 1/2 tablespoon each olive oil and toasted sesame oil and 1large clove of minced garlic. Marinated the fish 30 minutes, then continued with recipe, brushing fish with remaining marinade before transferring to oven.
Sublime!
Ms. Diana says
This was great! I also am picky about my salmon. I like pan seared, but could never get the crisp and juicy on the stove like they do restaurants. Some restaurants couldn’t get it right either. I googled pan seared then oven and got this recipe and tried it today and It’s a hit – yummy!!!!
thanks for sharing!
J. Ross says
I agree, this was great! I had been able to get a crust on the salmon by searing it but it almost always dried out. This recipe was perfect! Finishing it off in the oven did the trick. Nice sear on the salmon yet still moist on the inside. I will definitely be fixing this again. Thank you!!
Yadi says
This was awesome. Thanks so much, my salmon came out, juicy and crispy.
The only way I made it different as a personal preference, I used butter instead of oil and added rosemary and garlic to the seasoning.
Victoria Brown says
I love the sound of this recipe, but my oven broke, so I cannot try it out yet. For those like me, who might not be able to bake, I thought I would share my tip for making perfect skillet cooked salmon. First, I turn the heat on in the pan and add one to two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. I put the heat on medium to medium high, about a 5 or usually a 6. I pan sear the salmon skin side up, until the fish starts to brown, for 2 to 3 minutes, as long as it takes to get a little caramelization. Then I turn the salmon over, pour in water, and braise it until it is firm, about 5 to 7 minutes. I personally like it with dill and capers, so I add them at this point. Onice the salmon is (MOSTLY) cooked, I remove it from the water and put it on a plate. The secret here is to NOT cook it until it flakes. At this point, I remove the fish to a plate. I take the capers out of the water and set aside. I then pour out the water, and put a little butter in the pan and place the fish back in the skillet, skin side up – to finish cooking and brown a little more, about a minute or two. When I plate it, I garnish with chopped fresh dill and the whole capers set aside after braising. My family loves this dish, and it always turns out great – you just have to watch it carefully while it is braising, to avoid overcooking it so it doesn’the fall apart when you remove it from the pan. I use a large spatula when I need to flip it over or move it out of the pan, careful to handle it as little as possible. When flipping over, I do it gently, holding the salmon on top with my fingers, so I have more control when turning it.
Mellette Dobson says
OMG! For the first time we acquired golden brown salmon as we has aspired to. It was picture perfect and guest worthy! We used butter and a cast iron skillet.
Chris Arlington says
I did a search for, seared oven finished, and here I landed. This was extreamly simple and the salmon came out perfectly. Little over an inch thick filet, in a good large nonstick. I was amazed how perfect it came out, as good as a place I worked that sold it for 15 a lb. perfect crust! Now I’ve got to figure out the honey ginger glaze they made. Big thanks for sharing, it should be a secret that it is this simple!
Mary Ellen says
I made this tonight with the following honey ginger glaze…it was fabulous!
1 tablespoon honey
1tablespoon melted butter
1tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 clove minced garlic
Sriracha to taste
Combine all ingredients, marinate fish 30-60 minutes. Continue with recipe basting with remaining marinade before transferring to oven.
Superb!
R. LaPier says
Mary Ellen,
Did you use ginger in your honey ginger glaze? If so, how much, I’d like to try this.
elise says
this is brilliant. my salmon was perfect and it took no effort. thanks so much for sharing!
Penny Drew says
This method is the best way to cook salmon that I’ve ever tried and I have cooked a lot of salmon. Perfect!
June says
Just tried tonight (new years eve). Omg….so crispy, so flaky, so good!!! Perfect recipe. Thanks!
Cat's Meow says
I found this recipe a few weeks ago and tried it. My daughter loves it and has requested it several times since. My husband is anti-salmon no matter how it’s cooked. He dislikes it all. After the first attempt at this recipe, I suggested he try it. He did and said “For salmon, that’s really good.” Congrats on the fantastic recipe!
Kelley says
This is exactly what I was searching for! Excellent directions; precise but simple. Just got news of a health issue we need to address through diet & wasn’t especially looking forward to fish. Just what the Dr. ordered & delicious. Many thanks!
Dana says
Came out great! has anyone tried it skin side down? Would love to get the skin crispy…
William D says
I always sear flesh side down for a couple of minutes and then flip it over so it’s skin side down before popping in the oven. I (and my dog) happen to enjoy the crispy skin.
Diane says
I tried this recipe last week, and it turned out absolutely DELICIOUS. I traditionally make my salmon with either lots of garlic and Dijon mustard OR lots of garlic and Maple Syrup (can you tell I love garlic?) – would this recipe work if I added these items, or would they just burn in the bottom of the pan (mostly concerned about the garlic – but open to leaving them out)?
I can’t wait to make it again, but looking forward to experimenting with flavours! Any advice would be appreciated.
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Diane, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! You can certainly experiment with this recipe, however I would keep a close eye on the heat, particularly when using maple syrup since sugary substances are more likely to burn. Hope this helps!
Mark Leci says
I’ve made this recipe over and over again, and it’s probably one of my favourite fish cooking techniques now. So many things you can do with it, and it always comes out perfect. Amazing!
Amanda says
The perfect salmon recipe! I admit the first time I tried I over-cooked it by far. That was my fault though. Alaskan Salmon cooks faster than farmed salmon and it also cooks faster in cast iron. Instead of adjusting my time/temp I went ahead and switched out to a regular pan the next time and then baked at the lower end of your minute scale. Fantastic! My new go-to salmon recipe. Living in a fishing village, we eat a LOT of salmon in our house. This was the first recipe m6 husband has truly been impressed with. Score!
HK says
This is my favorite go to salmon recipe. Incredibly easy and always comes out delicious. Sometimes I replace the olive oil with a sliver of butter! Thank you for sharing.
Cathy says
Amazing!! So easy to cook and absolutely delicious! And when those beautiful filets came out of the oven with that beautiful golden crust and were so moist inside, I felt like a chef. I will never cook salmon any other way.