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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OMG. I’ve never made Salmon before but this is AMAZING. I’ve made it 4 times now and everyone Loves it. I do add Lemon Pepper seasoning a half hr before to give it a Zing but WOW. I’m a believer . I never ate fish before !! Love it 💕
Excellent. Next time will cook extra minute each side.
Love this recipe! I made a surprise Salmon dinner for my husband using your recipe! The recipe was super easy to follow. Plus my husband said it was amazing!
Will definitely make this again.
Thank you !
Christine
I just made this for dinner tonight and since I like my salmon more on the well done side, I ended up putting it in the over for a few minutes after searing it but had to transfer it into a baking dish. Can I use a cast iron pan so that it can go right into the oven? I thought the crispness was wonderful and would definitely use this method again.
Hi Ilene, Yes cast iron should work well as long as it is well seasoned.
Best homemade salmon I’ve ever had – and I’ve tried a lot of methods! Just like a nice restaurant. The secret is to know when to pull it off based on the thickness of the salmon. Thank you!!
Tim
My husband and I LOVE salmon and eat it frequently. We used to “poach” it, and it was really good, but…not as good as this recipe. We make it exactly was written and it always turn out perfect.
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes,
Janet
Ok, I usually try to do a marinade or glaze for my salmon. I found this and gave it a go. Wow! As simple as this is, the salmon came out perfect. From this point on this is my go to for salmon. Nuf said. Thank you.
Quite possibly the best (and easiest) way to cook Salmon. Keep your heat high, open a window and turn your fan on full.
I like it best when it’s still rare in the middle and crispy outside.
thank you for the great method!
Hello Jennifer
I am so glad I read your instructions on how to cook Restaurant-Style Pan Seared Salmon. Oh my goodness just what I have been trying to do for my son and I. Super simple and delicious. I have only been cooking for a year now that my 18-year-old son is living with me. These instructions and this have taken my cooking skills to the next level. The part where you say “Resist the urge to fiddle with the fillets as they cook” is what I was doing wrong for a whole year. Thanks so much
Mike Sanchez
Just cooked the salmon tonight – Wow!!! It’s just perfect! Thank you!