Crispy skin, flaky texture, and the perfect amount of omega-3 fatty goodness. Salmon filets are super easy to prepare, and have tons of texture when cooked on a pan.

Ocean flesh, river skin. Say it with me. Ocean flesh, river skin. What does this mean? Well, if the fish you are cooking comes from the ocean, you cook the flesh side down on the pan first. If it comes from a river, you cook it skin first. I learned this while watching Midnight Diner on Netflix a few months ago, and it has stuck with me since then.

Does salmon come from the ocean or a river?

That’s a trick question. They’re anadromous, meaning that they’re born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, and then return to freshwater to spawn offspring. When it comes to searing salmon, I always cook it with the flesh side down on the pan first.

For most fish, you can cook the flesh down first. Keep in mind that different fish have different skin thickness. For fish with very thick skin, it’s best to remove the skin before cooking or eating it. An example of a fish with thick and inedible skin is Swordfish.

Salmon Filets Cooking tips

For the average home chef, the best way to cook fish is on a nonstick pan. If the fish sticks to the pan, you will end up with bits and pieces of fish, instead of a whole filet.
If you’re using a cast iron pan, make sure you use an ample amount of butter or oil to prevent the fish from sticking to the pan. From a nutrition standpoint, cooking with a cast iron pan will help you sneak in more iron into your diet!
Make sure the pan is heated fairly high before you add the fish to the pan. You should hear a nice sizzling sound as you place the fish into the pan.
When cooking the filets, let the salmon sit on the pan untouched. The only times you really need to handle the salmon is when you flip the filet and when you’re removing it from the pan and onto a plate. Not disturbing the salmon will allow the filet to get a nice and crispy outer crust.

Print Recipe

Easy Pan Seared Salmon

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Keyword: Easy, Fish, Salmon

Equipment

Medium sized pan

Ingredients

salmon filet
garlic salt
butter or olive oil
lemon

Instructions

To prepare the salmon, pat down both side of the salmon pieces to absorb any extra moisture. Liberally season the flesh side of the salmon with the garlic salt. Note: Don’t skimp on the salt! If you look at the pictures, you’ll see a light layer of seasoning covering the whole flesh side of the salmon filet.
On fairly high heat, Heat up butter or oil in the pan.
Wait about 1 minute until the pan is fully heated.
Place the salmon filet flesh side down. Allow it to cook on the pan for 4 minutes, untouched. After 4 minutes, flip the filet and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes on the pan, untouched. About a minute before you remove the salmon from the pan, spritz a bit of lemon over the salmon and let it continue to cook.
The salmon is on the pan for a total time of 7-8 minutes. When the 7-8 minutes are up, turn off the heat and transfer the salmon onto a plate.
The pan seared salmon is best enjoyed immediately!