Do you know how to cook salmon on the stove? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.
Sometimes you just feel like a little fish without the fuss and if that’s the case for you today, then you’re in luck! In this guide, we’re going to tell you step-by-step how to cook salmon on the stove with a minimalist recipe that is big on flavor and won’t tax your time!
So, if you’re ready, then sit a spell and take a look at these steps, so that you can give them a go when you’re ready. You’ll be very happy that you did!
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Quick cooking profile
Simple stovetop-seared Salmon is quick, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
Too often with fish dishes there is a tendency to overspice, and with a flavorful fish like salmon that can be a real shame!
Today we’ll prove that by sharing this Simple Stovetop-Seared Salmon recipe that we think you’re going to love.
Ingredients
- Butter – If you want something lighter and a little more heart-friendly, then olive oil is just fine as a substitute.
- Salmon – Go with fillets that still have the skin on them – this is important. The skin fires up nicely to add a satisfying crunch to your finished salmon!
- Lemon or Lime juice
- Salt and pepper
Equipment and Cooking Time
All you’re going to need is a cast iron skillet, a sturdy spatula, and a fork for testing later. This recipe is just about as minimalist as it gets!
Nutrition Facts per Serving (1 fillet)
Calories: 253, Cholesterol: 79mg, Protein: 26g, Fat: 16g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 199mg, Potassium: 2mg
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How To Cook Step By Step
Cooking up your Simple Stovetop-Seared Salmon is quick and easy, so if you’re ready, then let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to get the done. Don’t worry – you’ll be eating this salmon in about 15 minutes flat!
- Set your iron skillet on a medium-low heat so it will be ready for the salmon.
- Prepare your salmon by carefully drying it first – the best way is a simple (but thorough) pat-down with a folded-up paper towel square. This will make it crisp faster and also prepares the surface of the fish to receive your spices and oils. Be sure to dry both sides thoroughly.
- Turn your heat up to medium high and then spice up the fish with salt and pepper to suit your tastes.
- The cast iron skillet should now be hot enough to add your butter without burning it or you can add the olive oil if you prefer it now. Make sure that you have a light coat across the skillet and we’re ready to sear!
- Place your Salmon fillets skin-side down and watch the sides – right now they are almost transparent, but when most of the fish has turned opaque, then it’s time to flip those fillets to the other side. This usually takes about 5 – 6 minutes, so keep a close eye on it.
- Transfer the fillets carefully to your plate so that the skin side is up – this is important, so that it stays delicious and crispy! If you made a little extra to eat later, then you can put the spares in your Tupperware now but do NOT put the lid on or stick them in the fridge until they’ve had time to cool.
- Drizzle a little lemon or lime juice on your fillets, add the side-dish that you have selected, congratulations — you’re now ready to dine on your Simple Stovetop-Seared Salmon!
Is it ready? Quick tips!
- If you have a meat thermometer, pop it in when you think it’s ready, and it should be 140-145 degrees inside. Any more than that and it might be a bit overcooked (and thus dry), but 140-145 is just about perfect.
- Test the ‘flakiness factor’ by sticking a fork in the thickest part of the fish and give it a little twist. The layers should separate easy and that will tell you that you’ve cooked it to perfection!
- For perfect searing if you have granular control of the temperature, you want to cook the skin-side at 425 degrees and then lower the temperature to 400 to cook the other side. Usually this is 5-6 minutes per side.
What To Serve With Simple Stovetop-Seared Salmon
Salmon goes well with all kinds of side dishes, so to help you decide on a side, we’ve compiled a little list of some excellent backup-players for your Salmon-flavored symphony. Here are some sides that will compliment it nicely:
- Asparagus pan-fried in butter (or olive oil)
- Chilled Alfredo pasta (the fridge sharpens the sauce, but you can heat it up if you like!)
- Cilantro Lime rice
- Red mashed potatoes
- Baked sweet potato wedges with honey mustard
- A baked potato with your favorite fixins
- Tomato cucumber salad with a light vinaigrette
- Plain, delicious Broccoli
- A simple bed of healthy, brown rice
How To Store Leftovers
Storage is a simple matter of breaking out a reliable plastic container, sealing it tightly, and sticking it in the fridge.
It might interest you to know that if you have whole, extra fillets, you can seal them up separately and they’re good for up to 3 months.
Just be sure to let them cool first and wrap them up tightly in some plastic wrap beforehand and then they’re going to go into that icy freezer.
If you’re not freezing it, then cooked salmon will be good for 3-4 days in your refrigerator, and while we doubt that this tasty fish is going to stay that long, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t exceed that time limit or it will definitely go bad.
The plastic wrap won’t be needed for storing in the refrigerator, and to help you get rid of the extra fish before nature’s expiration date, here are a few quick ideas:
- Get two pieces of your favorite bread and put some lemon aioli mayonnaise on them to make the best ‘salmon sammich’ you’ve had in a long time!
- Exploit the ‘flakiness factor’ of your delicious salmon by breaking it up into tiny, flavorful bits to mix with fried rice and your favorite veggies
- Take crackers, apply cream cheese, and put cuts of salmon on top for a snack that you won’t soon forget!
Some closing words on Stovetop Salmon
Today in this guide we’ve shared with you the secret to Simple Stovetop-seared Salmon, and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!
Salmon is a flavorful fish that is delicious on its own, so there’s no need to drown it in spices and batters that it doesn’t even need.
Keep thing simple with the recipe that we’ve shared today and once you’ve tasted it then we think you’ll agree – this Simple Stovetop-seared Salmon is definitely a keeper!
Simple Pan-Seared Salmon Salmon FAQs
Before we go, we’ve gathered up a few common questions for this recipe that we wanted to address in order to help you to perfect the preparation of this simple, delicious dish. Let’s take a look!
My butter burned, how did that happen?!
This can happen if you put the butter on before your cast iron skillet is hot and ready to go. You can get around this problem by simply giving the cast iron a little more time to heat up before adding your butter, but there’s also another way.
You can simply add a dash of extra virgin olive oil as a safety-buffer to blend with and protect your butter from burning, and this will work a treat as well!
What side of the salmon is best to sear first?
Always sear your salmon skin-side first. This will allow you to cook up that skin perfectly and to give that perfectly-seared skin a little time to dry while you are cooking the other side.
Don’t forget to put that fillet skin-side up on the plate, either, or the skin will get soggy and ruin your careful cooking!
Is there a better way to oil my salmon perfectly?
A pastry brush is perfect for applying oil onto your salmon after it’s dried and ready to receive it.
They’re cheap, easy to clean, and they really help for making sure that you spread those oils, special sauces, or other personal additions with a nice, even distribution.
What other spices work well with salmon?
Salmon pairs well with a lot of herbs and spices. Cajun Creole seasoning is a treat if you like a little kick, but you can also go with cumin, chili powder, dill, basil, thyme, tarragon, oregano, parsley, or even just a splash of citrus.
Try one or more of these when you get bored of the basics and you can fine-tune your fish to create a new favorite taste!
Crispy Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon Garlic Sauce >> Check out the video below: