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This pan-seared salmon features lightly seasoned salmon fillets seared until they’re buttery, soft, and flaky, with a savoy, crisp skin. Ready in under 10 minutes, it’s a restaurant-worthy dish!
Love cooking seafood? Try my pan-seared orange roughy, baked sockeye salmon, and barramundi next.
For those hectic weeknights when my family craves salmon but I’m short on time, I make my pan-seared salmon recipe.
With simple seasonings, the fish’s natural flavor shines through. Searing it at high heat for a short time gives the outside a gorgeous crispy skin while keeping the center flaky and tender.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Simple yet impressive. The ingredient list is short since the preparation packs most of the flavor.
- Anyone can make it. I used to think only the pros could cook salmon perfectly, but I’ve since changed my tune. This method makes it easy for anyone to get soft and flaky fish.
- Quick and easy. Like my sautéed salmon, the fish cooks quickly, so dinner is on the table in no time.
- It’s versatile. Salads, veggies, potatoes, or even over a salmon bowl; the possibilities of how to serve this salmon are endless.
Ingredients needed
- Salmon. Use skin-on salmon fillets, as the skin crisps up nicely once it touches the hot pan, creating an additional layer of flavor and texture. Frozen fillets will work, but they’ll need to be thawed overnight in the fridge.
- 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, use only oil.
- Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.
How to pan sear salmon
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prepare the salmon. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 2- Sear. Heat butter and oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the salmon skin-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes on the skin side until the skin is crispy and golden brown.
Step 3- Flip. Using a fish spatula, carefully flip the salmon fillets over and cook for another 2-3 minutes until fully cooked.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Look for fillets of the same thickness. So they cook evenly.
- Use an instant read thermometer. Look for an internal temperature of 145F/63C to know when the salmon is done cooking. If you don’t have a thermometer, press on the fillets with a fork. If they flake easily, it’s time to remove them from the heat.
- Don’t touch the salmon! I know it can be tempting, but try not to move the salmon until it’s time to flip. This helps ensure a proper sear and crust on both sides.
- Don’t have time to thaw frozen salmon? Submerge the fillets under cold water for 30 minutes, then pat the fillets with paper towels.
Variations
- Cook with aromatics. Sauté diced garlic and onion with the butter mixture before adding the salmon.
- Add Mediterranean flavors. Toss sundried tomatoes, capers, and kalamata olives into the pan, and top the cooked salmon with crumbled feta cheese.
- Garnish with fresh herbs. Cook sprigs of fresh rosemary, dill, or thyme in the pan with the butter.
- Serve with lemon garlic butter sauce. Sauté garlic and lemon zest with the butter, then serve the salmon with fresh lemon juice.
- Add an Asian sauce. For some Asian salmon flavors, drizzle some katsu sauce, eel sauce, or bulgogi sauce.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cooked salmon should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
To freeze: Put cooked and cooled fillets in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the fillets in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat: Place cooked salmon fillets in a skillet with oil over medium heat, flipping often until warm.
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.
More delicious ways to cook salmon
Pan Seared Salmon
Video
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
Originally updated April 2023, updated and republished August 2024
Haha she totally worded that rather rudely, I think. Eff French – bet you took something far cooler that year. 😉
I totally did. I took Health lol!
I can’t believe they turn students down from this!! I studied Spanish, and it was just start at the bottom and work your way up kind of thing. Sure, if I didn’t pass the first one I couldn’t move on, but they never restricted anyone from starting. What a snatch, I hope she spills chocolate croissants on her white clothes forever.
That is a terrible thing to say, Brittany. Imagine if she was wearing those white clothes at a later stage and had chocolate crumbs left on that. She’d have an instant sweet treat.
You disgust me.
Test.Test
Aww poor high school Arman! Whatever though, Asia is better than France anyways (actually not really, France is like my all time favourite country but I’m trying to make you feel better lol). This salmon looks awesome!
That made me laugh. And it did make me feel better.
Ferme la bouche! Dumb teacher. I for one, could read and write French fairly well but my pronunciation was dreadful. Who would have got along better in France? You, of course. Speaking the language is so much more important than being able to correctly compose an essay. I highly doubt you would be barred entry to the Eiffel Tower if you failed to hand in an essay. If anyone wants to send me to Paris to test this theory I will happily comply.
I took French in high school but the first year the school could not afford a french teacher so they had the Spanish teacher, Mr. Rollalazo, teach French 1. Needless to say, we all spoke French with a Spanish accent. 🙂 I do wish I had kept up with my studies following graduation but, alas, much of my former knowledge has gone by the wayside. C’est la vie!
I have been craving salmon lately. In fact, I am trying to figure out how to telepathically get my mom to select salmon as our Christmas dinner. So, celebrate away!
Hahaha ferme la bouche! You ferme la bouche!
I hope you try this recipe out- It would be une fantastique Christmas dish 😉
hahaha funny story!
Love the sound of this salmon too – my favourite fish.
Thanks, Dannii. Oh that silly French teacher.
THIS FRENCH GIRL LOVES HER SALMON… ESPECIALLY ASIAN STYLE!!! The French and their snooty pretentious ways can SUCK IT! LOL!! Lets celebrate with salmon mon ami!
YOU ARE NOT FRENCH.
Wait, are you? Wait you are! Gigi Dubois. Je suis desolet.
Genevieve Germaine Dubois – that’s my name. If that doesn’t scream French, then I don’t live on Earth. LOL!!!!
You stubborn goat, you.
I still need to finish my Rosetta Stone french…I’ll get around to it eventually, I swear. And you have to have a decent accent when you use that thing otherwise it won’t pick up that you’re saying the word correctly. The first few lessons I was ready to throw my laptop out the damn window.
Excuse me. A stubborn goat is accurate.
That’s right!!!! I remember you starting this a while back and it was also your monthly goal. What happened, huh 😉
I took 6 years of French and had the WORST accent ever. I could have used your mad skillz 😉 Salmon sounds fab – pinning!
We should have tag teamed, Deanna- you do the written, I do the vocal. We could have KILLED it.
I wanted to take French in high school but it wasn’t offered so I took Spanish instead and continued on with Spanish in college. Sadly today I remember very little of it. 🙁
The salmon looks delicious!
Thanks, Jen!
hehe…loved your story! In high school I took Spanish and Latin – problem is, I can barely remember any of it at this point. If you don’t use it, you lose it!
Love this salmon! It’s funny because just last night, I was telling Justin we should make salmon this weekend. Good timing!
Latin?! wow, Holly- if you’d studied here you’d be worshipped- barely any students take latin here!
Mmm I love salmon. I totally thought about using the translation sites, but I was warned against them and didn’t want to get in trouble. I was a bit of a goody goody as a student.
Haha, that doesn’t surprise me Kelly- goody two shoes 😉
I saw this on Instagram this morning while riding the train and I wanted to faceplant into my phone. I love salmon and the way you presented it….just, WOW.
Thanks, Lauren. You’re invited over for dinner. Always.
I was skimming posts on Bloglovin and your photos caught my attention–LOVE.
Thanks buddy! You’ve been a huge inspiration 🙂
Bon app—I love you, you stubborn goat you! I took Spanish but I’d take this sexy salmon over tacos any day.
Bon app- stop making me blush.
How about we become whores and have both? Salmon tacos. BOOM.