The time required to cook salmon depends on the size of the whole fish, or the thickness of the fillet, as well as the cooking method. However, as a guide, pan fried fillets will take approximately 7-9 minutes, whereas fillets cooked in the oven may take around 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet or in a non-stick pan with an oven-proof handle. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over with a spatula, and cook until it feels firm to the touch and the skin is crisp if desired, about 3 minutes more. The skin can be served or removed easily with a knife or spoon. Transfer to a plate and serve as desired.
Use a salad fork or the tip of a paring knife to test whether the top of the fish flakes apart easily. It's done cooking if it's flakey. If salmon is hard to the touch and doesn't flake when testing it with a utensil or finger, it needs to cook a little longer.
Stovetop Sear
No preheating or special equipment needed. Internal Texture: Pretty good—if you're looking for a quick salmon fix, the stovetop sear produced a fillet much juicier and more tender than the broil method. Skin Crispness: Top of class, A++.
Pan-frying or pan-searing is one of the best ways to cook salmon fillets. It's quick, easy, and gives the fish that perfect crispy, crunchy skin. A simple pan-fried salmon is the secret to a flavorful and healthy weeknight dinner in 30 minutes or less.
Is it better to cook salmon on the stove or in the oven? Baking salmon in the oven is a simple, hands-off method that leaves the fish moist and tender. Pan-frying, on the other hand, is quicker and will give you crispier and tastier salmon.
No, it is not safe to eat undercooked salmon. Eating raw or undercooked salmon can put you at risk of contracting foodborne illnesses, such as salmonellosis, norovirus, and Vibrio infections.
Overcooked salmon on its own is perfectly safe and edible (in fact, it's much safer than undercooked salmon), but the texture may leave one wanting ... a glass of water. In addition to the chalky mouthfeel, oftentimes overcooked salmon will also develop bits of opaque white goop on top.
Cooking salmon — especially cooking salmon with skin — can be fraught with peril if you don't do it regularly. This meaty, luscious fish can easily end up overcooked, rubbery or dry, or with flabby skin that is wildly unappealing, rather than the gorgeously crisp skin that makes salmon so wildly popular.
Yes, you can eat salmon skin. Sure, it's metallic and a bit fishier than the fish meat itself, but when properly prepared, on-skin salmon (or even the skin alone) is an enjoyable and healthy addition to your diet.
Baked salmon is best when cooked at 425°F in the oven.
Even thicker fillets don't take long. We recommend baking the salmon uncovered. Simply rub the fillets with a little oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then place them in the roasting pan skin-side down before popping them in the oven.
Is it OK if the salmon is pink in the middle? Yes, it is okay for salmon to be pink in the middle. The pink color of cooked salmon comes from astaxanthin, a natural pigment that is found in salmon and other seafood.
Anytime you eat salmon that is not fully cooked — a similar rule applies to meat, poultry, eggs, and shellfish as well — it opens you up to the risk of contracting a food-borne illness. Eating salmon that is fully cooked is the best way to reduce your risk of food-borne illness.
Examine the Color and Texture
The color of salmon will change as it cooks. Raw salmon has a dark pink color that changes to a lighter color when cooked. When salmon is cooked, it will have an opaque pinkish/white color on the outside, and a translucent pink color on the inside.
The rule 10-Minute Rule or Canadian Cooking Method is simple: cook fish for 10-minutes per inch of thickness. Then, flip the fish only once, halfway through the cooking time. Whether you plan to follow a recipe or not, start by measure the thickest part of the fish with a clean ruler.
You rinse the salmon.
The USDA cautions: “do not rinse raw fish, seafood, meat, and poultry. Bacteria in these raw juices can splash and spread to other foods and surfaces. Cooking foods thoroughly will kill harmful bacteria.”
Salmon goes from moist and silky to tough and dry when it's overcooked, even by just a minute or two. This can happen whether you're grilling it, baking it, broiling it, or cooking it on the stovetop, although some methods of preparation are better suited for salmon than others.
Tips to make the perfect pan seared salmon:
Skin on salmon works better that skinless salmon. Use a good pan, that heats up evenly. Make sure the pan and oil are hot. You can use Olive oil, but if you are concerned about the lower smoking point of olive oil, use vegetable oil.
Yes, whether you're cooking salmon with the skin on or off, it's best to flip salmon when pan frying! Also, when pan grilling. By cooking the filets on both sides, you get nice and crispy edges all around, and some satisfyingly crispy skin if your filets have the skin on.