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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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Best salmon we ever had per my husband and son. The crispy crust was superb. No more frozen fish sticks for us. I followed your recipe exactly.
My wife said that this is the best salmon she has ever eaten. “Don’t ever make it any other way.”
Fabulous recipe! Delicious and easy! I use it all the time!
I fixed these salmon filets and they were delicious! Usually, I broil them in the oven, which takes a little longer and are tasty, but not as good as these. I used a very small amount of garlic salt due to my husband’s ckd, pepper and a salt free seasoning with an Asian flare . My olive oil has a toasted sesame flavor which enhanced the taste. It did smoke on me a little in the beginning since it’s meant for medium heat. I was very pleased with the end results and didn’t move the fish around like you suggested. Thanks for an easy, delicious recipe I plan to use a lot. Kept my kitchen cooler too! Nadene Davis
I appreciate the information, but the number and position of pop-up ads made it almost impossible for me to look at your cooking suggestions
Thanks for your feedback and I’m sorry you’re seeing too many ads! I know how frustrating it can be. If you’d like, you can install an adblocker on whatever browser you use. You still see some unobtrusive ads, but it’s a much better experience. It will also eliminate annoying ads on all websites you visit — not just mine. The only downside is that it blocks the videos too, and unfortunately, there is no way around that.
Another option is to view the recipe as if you were going to print it. That will remove all the ads. So, you’d go through the process of preparing to print a recipe and just view it that way. Hope those options help!
Tried this method using a seasoning/rub instead of salt and pepper. It turned out perfectly and it was so easy. Didn’t heat up the kitchen, either.
Why do people only use salt and pepper? The seasoning aisle at the store is huge! Yall should try it
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I followed your directions to a T and I absolutely loved the texture of the salmon. I also put a decent amount of salt on the salmon because, as you said, people tend to under season their food, me being one of them!
Well, I think I over salted the salmon. It was a little on the salty side for my taste. But, lesson learned for me.
Lol omg people only use salt? Guys get some culture in your life and SEASON your food. Salt and pepper lmao
You only need salt, pepper, and garlic for most foods. If it makes you happy overspending on gimmicks, go for it!
Awesome. Salmon Fillets turned out awesome. Thank you!
Served with roast vegetables.
Luv the pan sear. 1st time I tried this. In my opinion salmon tastes best this way!
Absolutely delicious!
My first time cooking salmon and probably wouldn’t have ever cooked salmon but when I came across your recipe Jenn, I knew I just had to try it.
I did use a little more olive oil some dill, & lemon zest.
Your recipes never disappoint. Thank you!
One of the best and easiest recipes for Salmon. It came out very moist. Out of personal preference I added a pinch of dill. Thanks
I bought some salmon today and, looking for inspiration, stumbled upon your website. Now, I’m not one for complicated recipes and thought, ‘what the heck, give it a go’. Also, I read some negative reviews. The recipe is easy to understand, but I couldn’t quite grasp how to control the medium heat and frying pan ‘composition’ issue. I opted for a steel pan, preheated with the knob on my Bosch gas hob set to 7.30 pm and placed the fish on (salted for 20 minutes). The first thing I quickly discovered is to move the fish a bit back and not let it stick onto the frying pan. I guess a non-stick pan wouldn’t require that. I followed your instructions to the letter, and you can see the side of the fish getting whiter as it cooks up. For me, it was 7 minutes on one side and the scaly bit for 6 minutes (as I kept on checking), and it has come out exactly as in your pictures. I’m a ‘can’t cook’ type, and for me, this is a massive Eureka moment. THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE – I am now going to check out some more easy-to-cook recipes. Thumbs up from the family.