Restaurant-Style Pan Seared Salmon
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
this is the only way i cook salmon fillets now! i tried gordon ramsay’s method (skin side down) many times as well, and it’s nowhere near as good as this recipe. skin side up is the way to go, this recipe tastes better than what you’d get in a restaurant!
Tried cooking salmon for the first time and loved you pan fry recipe. I used lemon lavender seasoning bought at a lavender farm and was delicious. I cooked for 4 min of what I thought med heat but apparently too hot cause it burned but I love the crispness. It is pink still and moist inside
Perfect salmon, just what I was looking for! Thank you!
Skin side up? Really? Every recipe I’ve seen recommends skin side down!
Hi Brian, the reason for that is that the first side usually gets the prettiest sear so it will look nice when you serve it. Hope that clarifies!
My son said this was the best salmon he has ever had, my husband used to “hate” salmon, he cleaned the plate. It is amazing and super simple, love it. Thank you!
Fish sticks to the pan. Not sure the oil and heat directions are right.
If the fish sticks then that may mean that it is not done cooking on that side. I used to have this problem before. Just keep your eye on it and don’t force it off.
thank you! I have renewed my love affair with salmon… and, a person after my own heart… don’t be afraid to use salt! THANK YOU. You are a Litvak’s dream. Yes, it was fabulous!! I will be even better next time. Hard to judge shimmering olive oil on a gas stove top oven.. with the exhaust running high (per EPA advise)… I think it was the use of olive oil. For so long, I have opted for a good quality CANOLA, which, is more heart friendly. But, if using olive oil once in a while allows me to enjoy salmon as I have today, then, I will take the risk. Worth it!
10 Stars! I am so delighted I found this technique for preparing salmon. It is spot on and after following your instruction several times, the salmon is perfect every time!
Many thanks!!
Amazing! I was only able to get my hands on one portion, but after I cooked it with a quarter of all the listed seasonings, it still tasted heavenly. I’m only a fifth grader, but I was able to make this without hassle. Delicious and simple!
Good for you for cooking for yourself as a fifth grader. 😊
And glad you liked the salmon!
I wish my fifth grader would cook! Good job!
I love this recipe. Thank you!