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Sometimes the best way to cook salmon is to keep things simple. With just a few basic ingredients, this pan-seared salmon recipe lets the natural richness and flavor of the fish really shine.
Golden and crisp on the outside and perfectly cooked in the center, this pan-seared salmon is one of my go-to recipes when I need to get dinner on the table fast. It’s elegant enough for company but takes just 15 minutes from start to finish.
The technique is the same one used in fine dining restaurants to cook everything from steak to scallops. The key is choosing the right size fillets, seasoning them well, and letting them cook undisturbed in the pan to develop a beautiful golden crust.
“Supremely simple and delicious!”
What You’ll Need to Make Pan-Seared Salmon
The ingredients are simple: salmon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I recommend using 6-ounce salmon fillets, which are often sold already portioned at the fish counter. They’re a good size for this quick cooking method.
How to Make Pan-Seared Salmon
Season the salmon: Season the fillets with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Don’t skimp on the salt—underseasoning is one of the most common mistakes home cooks make.
Sear the salmon: Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the salmon, skin side up, and cook undisturbed until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Resist the urge to peek or move the fillets; leaving them alone is the key to developing a beautiful crust.
Flip and finish cooking: Carefully flip the fillets and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until done to your liking. The salmon should flake easily with a fork but still be moist in the center.
Storage & Reheating
Salmon is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the salmon in a 275°F oven, loosely covered with foil, until warmed through.
What to Serve with Pan-Seared Salmon
This salmon pairs beautifully with simple sides that won’t overpower its flavor. I love it with roasted Brussels sprouts and mashed cauliflower, but roasted asparagus, rice pilaf, or crispy roasted potatoes are also delicious options. A green salad is also a great choice for a lighter meal.
Video Tutorial
Pan-Seared Salmon (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (6-oz) salmon fillets, 1¼-in (3-cm) thick (I have my fishmonger remove the skin, but it's fine to leave it on if you like)
Instructions
- Season the salmon with the salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Heat the oil in a 12-in (30-cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Cook the salmon, without moving, skin side up, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip the fillets and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking until done to your liking, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The one discrepancy between the written instructions and the video. Written it says start with skin side up. The video shows starting skin side down first. It matters because the skin side takes longer to heat because of the fat content. I’ve always started with skin side down so it gets crispy. Soggy fish skin is not appetizing.
Hi John. It may be a bit confusing because I use skinless salmon, so it’s hard to tell in the video which side is which. But it is in fact skin side up.
Great!
Finished with a lemon-dill-garlic butter. Let it melt for a couple of minutes.
Yum.
Very easy. Thank you.
So easy and delicious! Thanks for suggesting to really add the salt! Definitely a make again!
Great! I had to make a few tweaks. I’ve done this recipe twice now. I had wild caught salmon I had to cut in pieces myself. The first time I tried to do it exactly like the recipe said, but after I flipped it, it only needed 3 minutes and it was a little overcooked, but tasty.
I did it for the 2nd time tonight – I added a little bit of lemon pepper as well as salt. I just cooked it the first side for 3 minutes, then the other side about 2.5 minutes – it was perfect for us! I’ve saved this recipe and will do again, thank you!
Delicious! This is my go to recipe for salmon.
We are hosting a Valentines dinner party next week. One friend needs to avoid onions and garlic so this recipe will be great. I know the salmon tastes great all on its own but can you recommends a sauce that might work well to accompany it?
Hi Vicki, this would be nice with a lemon butter sauce or you could go with the sauce from my chicken piccata. Hope you enjoy whatever you choose!
Thanks for the idea! Would you recommend still using chicken broth or use a different broth since it’s going with salmon?
Either chicken or vegetable broth should be fine.
If you follow these instructions and do nothing else, the fish will stick to the pan and be ruined. When you unwrap salmon, most often it’s moist on the surface. If you don’t dry it before cooking, it will steam when it hits the hot oil in the pan. The vaporizing will displace the oil and your fish will stick. Pat dry with a paper towel before seasoning. Neglecting to mention that in this “recipe” is unforgivable.
I’ve made this several times according to this recipe. Salmon has come out perfect every time, just like recipe says. Beautiful sear on top, tender in the middle.
Oh yeah, forgot to note. I put a rub on flesh side instead of salt before searing. I let it rest for about 15 minutes. The rub is a seafood rub. It’s call Seadog Rub. This made it especially flavorful!
Kind of harsh/nasty. Goodness.
Thanks Jenn,
Came out perfectly!
I tried this method, it is easy and very delicious. However, I get the same results by baking the fillets at 425 for 9 minutes then turning the fillets and baking an additional nine. Use a baking sheet lined with parchment greased liberally with olive oil spray. Salmon tends to stick to whatever surface you cook it on if not oiled properly. I prefer my Salmon well done so cooked mine 3 minutes on each side longer than this recipe recommended…Bear in mind that if you like yours well done also then you will need to add more oil than this method calls for. You can’t go wrong with pan frying in a HEALTHY oil such as Olive Oil, although I prefer Coconut Oil for Searing Fish. My favorite way to enjoy Salmon is grilled with a blackening season. I like to switch it up now and then though and this recipe was a very pleasant change, and will be using this method again its simple but simple is best…Thank you for sharing.
Followed with salmon that I had delivered from Wild Alaskan Company. I cooked the two pieces about one minute more on second side as it was a bit larger than your recipe and I wanted to be sure it was completely cooked. Absolutely delicious.