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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This method was great, because Im NOT a griller and it worked perfect for me.
I added a few additional ingredients. Along with the sea salt, pepper, I added a shake or two of old bay on top of each piece. Also at the very end of cooking I added 1-tablespoon of butter for extra flavor. I learned that trick when cooking steak.
IT TURNED OUT PERFECT!! My guest loved it and I gave them the recipe.
Not a big salmon fan, eat it cause it’s healthy. But after this recipe, I’m sold! I have never gotten so much flavor from salmon, especially with so few ingredients. This will be a weekly go to meal. Thank you.
The BEST salmon I’ve ever had!! Even better than a restaurant! It was so crispy on the outside and super moist on the inside. I also love how was quick & easy it was to prepare. Thank you so much!
Love this cooking technique for salmon. Would this technique also be suitable for black sea bass?
Sure – I’d love to hear how it turns out!
It was sublime❣️ Thank you for all that you create and share😊
I made this last night and was crushed when I tried to flip the filets and they fell apart. After reading through some of the comments I see that I’m clearly the only one this happened to! I suspect my non-stick pan was the problem. Not so non-stick! I used an Always Pan by Our Place and it was a disaster. I will try again using my regular non-stick pan and hope to have a perfect flip! Despite the messy presentation however it was incredibly delicious. Thank you for the exact instructions and showing me how to properly pan-sear salmon. I’ve always wanted to know how high-end restaurants get that yummy crust and barely cooked center. Hopefully my next attempt will be a success! Can’t wait to explore some of your other recipes. Thanks Jenn!
this was awesome … I’ve been having trouble searing salmon after I sous vide, it typically will fall apart and the skin will stick to the pan … for salmon, this tried and true recipe is just fine … simple and perfect
This was superb. I have never had salmon come out this good.
This is the easiest, best tasting way to cook fresh salmon. It is my go to salmon recipe. Never disappointed.
5 stars. My first time cooking a salmon filet. It was delicious!
Awesome recipe. Easy and straightforward and tasty results
I tried it, and we all loved it. Easy and delicious.
@onceuponachef
Thank you.
Came out fantastic! Thank you.
This was the BEST technique I’ve ever came across! This was excellent! The entire family loved it!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!