Pan Seared Salmon Recipe with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to pan sear or bake salmon? ›

For smaller, crispy, skin-on Salmon; a crispy pan sear is recommended. For bigger fillets, and succulent, skin-off King Salmon; the best method would be cooking in an oven.

Ensure your pan is very hot (this will ensure a crispy crust) and add oil. Place the fillets skin-side down and sear for about 6-8 minutes, depending on how thick the piece of fish is. Flip once you see that the flesh has lightened about 3/4 of the way up the fish. Sear for another 1-2 minutes.

To start, get your fish to room temperature.

This ensures a more even doneness throughout the entire fillet. Heat a skillet until very hot before adding some vegetable oil and salt. Place the fish skin-side down in the pan, pressing down firmly with a fish spatula.

The short answer to the question is no. You don't have to “wash” salmon fillets before cooking. However, a quick rinse under cold water accompanied by patting them dry afterwards is usually a good way to remove any lingering scales, membrane and possible surface contamination due to processing.

Add the avocado oil to a saute pan over medium high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the salmon, flesh side down and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, carefully flip salmon over and continue to cook skin side down for another minute or so.

A creamy but slightly tangy sauce works really well with salmon, and it's why sour cream-dill sauce over salmon is such a classic. Try mixing in curry powder, Sriracha, or scallions into yogurt or crème fraîche for an easy, elegant salmon topper.

Use a cooking oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil, sunflower oil, or avocado oil. Using an oil with a low smoke point, such as extra virgin olive oil, will cause that oil to burn in the pan & will not allow you to get a proper sear on your salmon.

So when you're cooking salmon, keep that skin on: It provides a safety layer between your fish's flesh and a hot pan or grill. Start with the skin-side down, and let it crisp up. It's much easier to slide a fish spatula under the salmon's skin than under its delicate flesh.

Do you cook salmon skin side down first in pan? ›

Salmon fillets are best cooked starting with the skin-side down. This prevents over-browning the meat, which can make it dry and pretty unappealing to look at on the plate. "When pan-frying or grilling, cook salmon fillets skin-side down for 5-7 minutes, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes," says Norton.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Cook the salmon, skin side up, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Resist the urge to fiddle with the fillets as they cook. Letting the fish sear untouched in hot oil creates a lovely, flavorful, and golden crust.

Pan seared salmon is a good technique for beginners. We recommend using a seasoned cast iron skillet, but any non-stick pan will do. Coat salmon on both sides with cooking oil.

Directions: Bake salmon at 400 degrees for 8 minutes after searing it on a pan set to medium to high heat for 4 minutes .

So, you want skin that is super crisp and flavorful, just as you would want with chicken. Starting your salmon skin-side down, and cooking it until it is well rendered, lightly browned, and crisp, and then turning the salmon to finish the cooking, will make for a terrific dining experience.