Restaurant-Style Pan Seared Salmon
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Restaurant-quality pan seared salmon—crisp on top and just barely cooked in the center—is easy to make at home.
Golden and crisp on top and just barely cooked at the center, this pan seared salmon is one of my go-to recipes when I have to hit the kitchen running. Not only is it fast—15 minutes start to finish—it’s also elegant. In fact, it’s the way salmon is typically prepared in fine dining restaurants (the same method is often used for cooking steak and scallops). This is really more of a technique than a traditional recipe, and it’s simple to master at home.
The key to perfect pan-seared salmon lies in choosing the right size fillets, seasoning them well, and allowing them to cook undisturbed. This technique, especially leaving the salmon untouched in hot oil, ensures a beautiful, golden crust that elevates the dish to restaurant quality.
Table of Contents
“Supremely simple and delicious! I made this last night and must admit that the ingredients and cooking technique seemed ‘too simple.’ I went ahead and followed Jenn’s recipe exactly, and it was delicious! Don’t doubt it, just make it.”
What You’ll Need To Make Pan Seared Salmon
The ingredients are simple: olive oil, salt, pepper, and salmon. I recommend using 6-ounce salmon fillets; these are often sold already portioned and ready to cook at the fish counter. This size will ensure that the salmon cooks fully on the interior without overcooking on the exterior.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by seasoning the salmon with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Don’t skimp on the salt—the biggest mistake most home cooks make is under-seasoning their food.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Cook the salmon, skin side up, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Resist the urge to fiddle with the fillets as they cook. Letting the fish sear untouched in hot oil creates a lovely, flavorful, and golden crust.
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. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
More Salmon Recipes
Restaurant-Style Pan-Seared Salmon
Restaurant-quality pan seared salmon—crisp on top and just barely cooked in the center—is easy to make at home.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, 1¼ in thick (I have my fish monger 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-inch 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.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 384
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 336 mg
- Cholesterol: 94 mg
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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Delicious and simple with just salt and pepper that really brought out the salmon flavor. Quick question – what difference or benefit does frying it meat down (vs skin down) do?
Glad you liked it. I think the first side gets a nicer sear and because that’s the way you’ll be plating it, it’s nice to see that pretty golden color. 🙂
Delicious, crowd pleaser but yes the SIZE of the salmon is key. I did use more than a tablespoon of olive oil.
At medium high and then medium temp, my salmon was overcooked. Had the white gunk coming out of it and everything. I’ll lower the temp more next time and try it again.
Amazing! This is a wonderful recipe and the salmon was cooked perfect. Thank you for sharing!
This was probably the best salmon I’ve ever had. My favorite sushi roll is the one with seared salmon on top, and this tasted exactly like that. I used my cast iron and put a little lemon on top afterwards and it was perfection.
This is my first time posting a review on a recipe. I searched “pan fried salmon” and came across this recipe. When I read it, I thought “that’s it?” I read a bunch of reviews (which were all positive) so decided to try it. We could not believe how delicious it was. And it was so simple. I had no idea to cook meat side down (vs. skin side down) first. It made a HUGE difference. I served it with sauteed garlic spinach and salad. I did not alter recipe at all. A “restaurant quality” meal in 20 minutes, honestly! Thank you, Jenn. I will be searching for more recipes on your site.
Hi Jenn, this pan seared technique for making salmon is foolproof. Every time I make this the salmon is cooked and seasoned perfectly. I love making a dill or Asian sauce on the side. And, best of all, I always make extra, it’s so wonderful cold the next day! This is my go to recipe for salmon, so easy, healthy and satisfying. Thank you!
Hi Jen. I love this recipe and have now made it several times for my very picky eater, who asks for it all the time! I’ve noticed other recipes for pan seared salmon insist it should be cooked skin side down first, to give the skin a nice crisp and because the skin provides a barrier between the skillet and the flesh. I also noticed one of the reviews on this site mentioned that having cooked it that way (skin side down first) resulted in a bland dish versus cooking it your way. I am curious about the skin side up method and why/how that results in a different (and better!) seared salmon.
This recipe is so simple, and delicious. Each crispy bite delivers mouth watering goodness. We enjoy it at least once a week. Thank you!
Perfect every time. So crispy and so easy.