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In This Post
- Why You’ll Love This Pan Seared Salmon Recipe
- How To Pan Sear Salmon
- How Long To Pan Sear Salmon?
- Tips For The Best Pan Seared Salmon
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Pan Seared Salmon
- More Easy Seafood Recipes
- Tools For Pan Searing Salmon
- Pan Seared Salmon (15 Minutes!)Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
If you’re ready for the best salmon you’ve ever made, this pan seared salmon recipe is just for you! Grilling salmon is great if you want to cook your salmon outside and baking salmon is my favorite hands-off method, but searing salmon on the stovetop makes an irresistible crispy crust on it. I’ll show you how to pan sear salmon perfectly, so it’s buttery and moist on the inside, has a crust on the outside, and is done in just minutes. Don’t miss my top tips below!
Pan seared salmon is my best method to cook it lately, but there are many other delicious ways to enjoy it! Easy salmon lox is perfect for cold lunches (yes, you can make this at home!), baked pesto salmon makes a great choice for a one-pan dinner, and stuffed salmon creates an easy-yet-fancy meal.
Why You’ll Love This Pan Seared Salmon Recipe
- Tender, buttery, flaky inside (never dry!)
- Crispy skin on the bottom with perfect top crust
- Irresistible herb lemon butter sauce
- Quick and easy to make — ready in 15 minutes!
- Delicious and healthy dinner
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for pan frying salmon, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Salmon – Pan seared salmon will work with all kinds of salmon, but the higher quality your fish, the better the result. King salmon (also called chinook) is the best and my top choice for searing salmon, but coho salmon (my second favorite), pink salmon (lower in fat but still delicate), sockeye salmon (brighter red and stronger flavor), and Atlantic salmon (always farmed and more mild) would also work. The USGS salmon guide covers more about the different varieties. I highly recommend pan frying salmon with the skin, which protects the salmon flesh from overcooking, makes flipping easier, and results in a more flavorful seared fish. Plus, the crispy skin is delicious! If you’re not a fan, you can remove the skin after cooking. Still, the same method will work just fine on fish without skin as well.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Olive Oil – Use a light or regular olive oil (not extra virgin) for pan searing salmon at this higher cooking temperature. Avocado oil works as well.
- Salted Butter – If yours is unsalted, the conversion from unsalted butter is 1/4 teaspoon salt per stick of unsalted butter. This pan seared salmon recipe uses 3/4 stick of butter, so you’d add a bit less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice has the best flavor, but the kind from a bottle is fine for convenience.
- Garlic – Like the lemon juice, fresh will give the best flavor, but pre-minced from a jar is also fine (use 2 teaspoons).
- Fresh Herbs – I used fresh dill and parsley, the most common herbs for salmon. Fresh chives would also work nicely.
How To Pan Sear Salmon
This section shows how to make pan seared salmon with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the herb butter. In a small bowl, mash together butter, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and parsley. Set aside. (Herb butter is not strictly required, but I promise you, it makes the best pan seared salmon! We’ll use it later.)
- Dry the fish. Pat the salmon fillets completely dry, which helps them form a nice crust when searing.
- Heat the oil. To get a proper sear, you need the oil to be hot and shimmering, and it’s best to have the pan preheating when you season the fish.
- Season the fish simply. Right before you sear the salmon, season it with sea salt and black pepper. (No fancy seasonings needed!)
- Sear salmon. Place the skin side of salmon down in a large pan or cast iron skillet, in a single layer. Press down lightly with a fish spatula to prevent curling. Pan fry until mostly (80-90%) cooked through. (If you’re searing salmon without skin, the cooking time might decrease a bit, but you’ll still cook it longer on one side to ensure the fish doesn’t tear when flipping.)
- Flip and add garlic butter. Flip the fish fillets over and quickly add the herb butter mixture to the pan around the salmon. Cook for another minute in butter, until salmon reaches desired doneness (see cooking temps below!).
- Serve. Flip the pan seared salmon over again (or don’t if you want even crispier skin), and spoon lemon butter sauce over it. Remove from the pan immediately, so it doesn’t overcook.
How Long To Pan Sear Salmon?
The cooking time for searing salmon will vary on the size of the fillet. On average, cook salmon for 5-6 minutes skin side down (until almost opaque), followed by about 1-2 minutes skin side up, depending on how well done you want it. You can flake the edge with a fork to confirm.
For best results, use ameat thermometerto check the internal temperature every 30 seconds or so after flipping: 125 degrees F for medium rare, 130 degrees F for medium, or 140 degrees F for medium well.
Tips For The Best Pan Seared Salmon
- Prepare the ingredients before you start. Because searing salmon is so quick, you’ll want to have the herb butter ready to go before you place the salmon on the pan.
- Use a heavy bottomed nonstick pan. Using a heavy pan like this one ensures that the heat distributes evenly and your fish cooks evenly as a result.
- Dry the fish well, and season only right before searing. For crispy pan seared salmon, removing excess liquid is key. Seasoning with salt pulls water out of the fish and makes the outside wet again, so only season right before adding to the pan.
- Place fish onto the pan away from you. This will prevent any oil splatters from hitting you.
- Sear salmon skin side down (flesh side up) for most of the time. The skin provides a protective barrier between the hot pan and the salmon flesh, which helps avoid overcooking and also makes flipping easier.
- Press on the salmon fillets for 10 seconds to avoid curling. Salmon (and other proteins) will naturally curl up while cooking, which is perfectly safe, but not as pretty. If you press on it lightly for 10 seconds, it can prevent the curl.
- Don’t move the fish around. Moving thepan seared salmon with skin will prevent getting a good sear. Set it in the plan and don’t touch until it’s time to flip!
- Don’t force it if the fish resists flipping. If it doesn’t flip easily, it’s not ready to flip! Let it cook a little longer.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you are meal prepping the salmon ahead, store the herb butter in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Ater cooling to room temperature, wrap each pan seared salmon fillet in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Before reheating, thaw in a bag submerged in cold water or overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Sear salmon over medium heat on the stovetop, or place in a baking dish covered tightly with foil and reheat in the oven at 300 degrees F. It’s also delicious chilled or at room temperature. I don’t recommend microwaving salmon, as it will be overcooked and dry.
What To Serve With Pan Seared Salmon
All this pan seared salmon recipe needs a simple side dish, such as:
- Vegetables – Use the same pan to make sauteed zucchini before or after frying salmon, or pop simple roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus in the oven before you cook the fish. For a comforting side, try baked ratatouille.
- Potatoes – Baked sweet potatoes and easy Instant Pot baked potatoes make classic pairings. For lighter options, try roasted rutabaga or creamy mashed cauliflower.
- Rice – Compliment pan seared salmon with a side of brown rice or white rice. For a lighter option, try cauliflower rice.
- Salad – I like to pair this fish with creamy cucumber salad or a simple arugula salad (pictured above with cherry tomatoes added), but it would be delicious with kale salad or a sweet pear salad.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
Once you learn how to sear salmon, try some of these other easy fish and seafood recipes:
Air Fryer Salmon
Broiled Lobster Tail
Pan Fried Tilapia
Surf And Turf
Pan Seared Scallops
Pan Seared Halibut
- Heavy Bottomed Nonstick Skillet – This has the perfect weight to heat evenly and brown the salmon nicely, while the coating prevents sticking and is durable enough to last.
- Fish Spatula – A fish spatula is larger than a regular one and has a thin edge, so that you can easily flip your fish.
- Instant Read Thermometer – My favorite to ensure your pan seared salmon is cooked perfectly every time.
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Recipe Card
Pan Seared Salmon (15 Minutes!)
Learn how to pan sear salmon in 15 minutes! This easy, flaky pan seared salmon recipe has a crispy crust and irresistible lemon butter sauce.
Prep: 9 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com
Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Pan seared salmon:
Herb lemon butter:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
If your salmon fillets are not descaled, use a knife to gently scrape off the scales.
In a small bowl, mash together the butter, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and parsley. Set aside.
Use paper towels to pat the salmon fillets completely dry – this will ensure even browning.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until shimmering and hot. (You can test that it’s hot enough by adding a drop of water to the pan; if it sizzles, the pan is ready.)
Once the pan is hot, right before you are ready to sear the salmon, season both sides with sea salt and black pepper.
Add the fish fillets to the pan in a single layer, skin side down. Use a fish spatula to press down on top of each fillet for the first 10 seconds immediately after adding it to the pan, to prevent curling. Sear, without moving, for 5-6 minutes, until the salmon is 80-90% opaque; only the top will be not quite done.
Use the fish spatula to flip the salmon fillets. Working quickly, immediately add the herb butter mixture to the pan near (but not on top of) the salmon. Cook the salmon for about 1 minute, stirring the butter around the salmon as it melts, but without moving the salmon, until the seared salmon internal temperature reaches your desired doneness: 125 degrees F (51 degrees C) for medium rare, 130 degrees F (54 degrees C) for medium, or 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for well done.
Flip salmon over and spoon the lemon butter sauce over it. Remove from the pan immediately to avoid overcooking.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 salmon fillet with lemon butter sauce
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories430
Fat31.2g
Protein34.3g
Total Carbs1.9g
Net Carbs1.5g
Fiber0.4g
Sugar0.3g
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keywords:frying salmon, how to pan sear salmon, pan fried salmon, pan seared salmon, pan seared salmon recipe
Calories: 430 kcal
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The Best Pan Seared Salmon Recipe
