Cook restaurant-style pan seared salmon in the comfort of your kitchen with only 5 ingredients and in less than 10 minutes! The salmon fillets turn out juicy and flaky, with moist flesh under flawlessly crispy skin.
Flaky and juicy salmon fillets are my top choice when I need to put together a quick dinner for myself or the entire family.
We regularly enjoy cooking with salmon, whether that be air frying it, searing it with lemon and pepper flavors, or evening stuffing it with a cheesy spinach filling.
When we want to let the natural flavors of the fish shine and pair it with hearty sides, nothing beats pan-cooking the fish to perfection.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
If you enjoy the authentic buttery flavor of salmon without too many flavors overshadowing it, this pan seared salmon recipe will win your heart. The salmon fillets are seasoned with only salt and pepper and are seared to crispy golden perfection in butter and olive oil.
- It needs minimal ingredients. If you have brought home some juicy cuts of fresh salmon and are looking for a simple but delicious way to cook them, this is the recipe to go for (along with baked salmon!).
- It cooks quickly and easily. Like we do with blackened or cast iron salmon, hot and fast is my favorite way to cook salmon. It takes a couple of minutes to cook salmon fillets in a heated pan and you never end up with overcooked salmon so long as you flip the fish at the right time.
- It’s super versatile. This salmon pairs well with something simple like a green salad or baked potato, or something more elaborate like cabbage steaks and a potato au gratin.
Salmon is a fish that doesn’t need much to taste exceptionally good. Using a proper cooking technique is all you need to make it shine. Here is what you’ll need.
- Salmon. Use skin-on salmon fillets, as the skin crisps up nicely once it touches the hot pan. It creates an additional layer of flavor and texture.
- Butter. It gives the seared fish a rich flavor and creates the most amazing golden crust.
- Olive oil. Adding a small amount of oil to the pan will help prevent the butter from burning. If you don’t like cooking with butter, feel free to use olive oil only.
- Salt and pepper. Nothing else is needed to enhance this fish’s rich buttery flavor. You can add other spices of your choice.
How to pan sear salmon
- Prepare the salmon fillets– Remove the salmon from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Pat dry the fillets using paper towels. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.
- Add the fillets to a heated pan– Place a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter and olive oil. Add the fillets to the pan with the skin side down when the butter has melted.
- Cook and serve– Cook the fillets for 4-5 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Flip the fillets and cook them for another 2 minutes. Don’t overcook the salmon to keep it nice and moist inside.
- If you are frying a few fillets at a time, ensure they have the same thickness to end up with evenly cooked fish. Otherwise, you must flip the fillets and remove them from the pan at different times.
- Don’t touch the salmon while it cooks. Touch it only once when flipping the fillets. This will ensure a good and even sear on the fish and a nice crust on both sides.
- When using frozen salmon, defrost the fillets in the fridge first. If you don’t have much time to do this, hold the fillets under running cold water to remove the ice layer on the fish. Then pat dry it using paper towels and cook.
Flavor variations
If you want to experiment, feel free to add more ingredients to this salmon dish. Here are a few ideas.
- Cook with garlic. Adding chopped or crushed garlic to the pan is the easiest way to enhance the flavor of this simple dish. As a bonus, you will have a delicious garlic butter sauce that you can pour over the fish right before serving it.
- Add Mediterranean flavors. Add sun-dried tomatoes, capers, or Kalamata olives to the pan to give the salmon a Mediterranean twist.
- Use fresh herbs. Put a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme into the pan when you melt the butter. Wilting a handful of spinach in the hot pan once you remove the fillets is a great way to make a quick side dish for the fish. Fresh parsley and dill are other herb options that work amazingly for salmon.
- Add an Asian sauce. For some Asian salmon flavors, drizzle some katsu, eel, or bulgogi sauce.
What to serve with pan seared salmon
This dish’s simplicity makes it so easy to pair it with a range of side dishes. From vegetables to salads and pasta to rice, here are our favorite dishes to serve with pan-seared salmon.
Storage instructions
To store. Store leftover cooked salmon in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat it within 3 days.
To reheat. You can bring the salmon to room temperature and use it cold for salads and sandwiches. If you want to warm it up, use the microwave or put the fish in the oven preheated to 275F degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through.
To freeze. Put cooked salmon fillets into a freezer bag, push out the excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the fillets in the fridge before reheating them.
Leftover idea
Cooked salmon is such a fabulous protein option that can be added to a plethora of dishes. Flake the fish over a rice salad, add it to a quesadilla, or even use it as a pizza topping. Of course, you can also use it as a meal prep with some potatoes and broccolini.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Cast iron skillet. My tried and tested skillet pan.
- Instant read thermometer. To check the doneness of the salmon (125F!).
- Non-stick pan. This ceremic pan is a fabulous alternative if you don’t own a cast iron.
More delicious ways to cook salmon
Frequently asked questions
Pan-searing and baking both work well for salmon. Baking salmon is a great cooking method for salmon if the fillets are frozen and you don’t have time to defrost them. Cooking salmon in the pan, on the other hand, is much quicker and helps crisp up the salmon skin.
If you are using skin-on salmon fillets, put them in the pan with the skin side down first. The skin will become nice and crispy, making it easy to flip the fillet with a spatula without damaging its integrity.
You can use a meat thermometer to determine if the salmon fillets are done cooking. The internal temperature of perfectly cooked salmon should be around 125 degrees F.
If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, press on the fillet with your finger or a fork. If the fillet flakes easily, it’s time to remove it from the pan.
Pan Seared Salmon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season them generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil.
- Once the butter has melted and the skillet is hot, carefully place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the skillet.
- Cook the salmon for 4-5 minutes on the skin side, without moving them, until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
- Using a spatula, carefully flip the salmon fillets over and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the salmon is cooked through, but still moist and tender in the center.
Notes
Nutrition
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I like tabasco with soya sauce! I had a steak which has similar combination of spices on it in this restaurant. If you wanna try it sometimes, when in Toronto 😉 I’m new in the town so I keep trying restaurants here. By the way, quite funny story you shared with us! 😀 I studied German at my school and normally, I’m a language talent but German gave me some hard time during my studies! I studied it almost from primary school and I have a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to speak a normal sentence now! We couldn’t use the Internet during writing the essay and we wrote the essays only at school so no translation websites for me :-/ But I think I would have used them if we had been allowed to write the essay at home 😉 Despite the fact that I wasn’t so good at it, I plan to improve my German in the future. How about you? Do you plan to return to French later?
Thanks Serena- I’ve been compiling a list of places to check out in Toronto!
I would love to one day learn French again but I think my patience would end up killing me!
I loved french (and actually have a killer accent as well) but I took latin. I can read (ish) other languages, but I can’t process other accents/languages/English well when it is spoken.
Thus, I eat according to the ethnicity. It is my way of communicating with them.
Wow, you took latin too? you’re like the united nations…walking style.
I was one of the few to take French for five years during school! I loved it. It might have been my best subject lol. Everyone else took Spanish.
Damn, I admire your persistence! Nice one, Meredith!
Yum! I am trying to have fish once a week to assist with my training, and this is very similar to one i LOOOOVVEE for salmon, interesting to use the tabasco sauce though….just not sure we can find it here! Hahaha free translator, I forgot that existed, but YES I used it for German and French….a lot, but they can allllwaayyys tell by your context hahah
Ohhhhhh you can try the hot sauce (Tapito or something?!) which is similar but add a tad more!
They can always tell, can’t they!
Arman this looks so yummy! I love asian inspire dishes – such bold flavors
Thank you, Sam!
Haha…I wouldn’t say that you’re a stubborn goat, you just have a lot of moxie for demanding to get back into French. I took Japanese in high school to “rebel” against my mom. She wanted me to take Spanish because she thought it would be more useful in California. Ok, so maybe she ended up being right, but I haven’t admitted that to her yet!
Hahahaha oh mothers. They always have the best intentions and it’s us who go against them!
Arman! These photos look great! You must be practicing with your new camera, they look really good. Also, this recipe sounds delicious, we love salmon over here.
Thank YOU so much for motivating me with your amazing pictures!
I took spanish In high school (don’t remember a thing!) and german in college. Loved german and actually lived there for a summer. We are currently learning French, because I am in love with France after our trip. And this salmon? Yes!!
I was lusting after your amazing French pictures!!
I know I’d love this salmon! Super simple & delish.
“I felt like bloody Joan of Arc getting burnt at the stake. (not really, but I wanted a dramatic French correlation)”
You are the best.
I took French in HS too but I was terrible. When I visited Paris I was ordering gelato and I was like “Je voudrais…” and the hottie behind the counter was like “I speak American.” I was like OH WELL OK THEN.
Hahahahaha.
My one line in Paris- Je voudrais une crepe au chocolat. Si vous plais.
We need to road trip to Paris.
Those French sure are stuffy, huh?! haha I’ve always been terrible at languages so I would have gotten kick out, too – English for the win!
Hahahaha. Love it. English FTW.
Haha those translation sites were hilarious…and so off most of the time! I took French too and soon realised that using it wasn’t going to cut it with my teacher. I also too Spanish for a couple of years but I had the opposite issue- my reading/writing were great but my accent was cringe-worthy.
I know, right! I literally once copied and pasted an essay and it came out heinous!
I did French for 5 years and still never got the accent right! This recipe is basically exactly how I make my salmon, minus the tabasco sauce which I will have to try next time. I haven’t even been allowed salmon this week so desperately craving!
I hope you managed to score cheap salmon and faceplanted the mofo!!!!
You know by my diner review how much I love salmon. This looks fabulous as always and thank you for sharing.
You like salmon? No way.
Those two fillets probably isn’t even in one of your salads, yet the price…oh bloody Australia.
Well at least you weren’t banned because you did something wrong or were badly behaved – you totally did the right thing, the school were in the wrong. I was exactly the same as you, my pronunciation was amazing but essay writing and vocab, not so much. We had to take French (or German) up until the age of 16 then could stop if we wanted. I stopped!
Salmon is the bomb! 🙂
Haha, technically I did….because I used the translation website!
LOL! now that’s a story… maybe i will boycott herbs de provence just for you
LOL. I just nearly spat my water out. Herbs DE provence. I used to walk around saying that like a twat.