Restaurant-Style Homemade Pan Seared Salmon Recipe

For a weeknight meal, Pan seared salmon is a great choice. It cooks quickly, and you can modify this basic method of preparation by adding other spices and ingredients or using it to prepare other varieties of fish.

• Four (approximately 7-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, or more if desired
• 4 lemon wedges, for serving

• Preparation: 5 mins
• Cook: 7 mins
• Resting Time: 5 mins
• Total: 17 mins

• With paper towels, dry the salmon fish. The salmon can be left out at room temperature for up to 30 minutes if you have the time.
• Salmon fillets should be salted and peppered on both sides.
• Oil is added to a large, heavy skillet or cast-iron pan that is placed over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, give it a few minutes to warm.
• Salmon should be added skin-side down and seared for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the skin is well browned and released from the pan without difficulty.
• The salmon fillets should be cooked for a further 1 to 2 minutes or until they register 125 F inside.
• Place the salmon fillets on a serving plate and give them 5 minutes to rest. Squeeze lemon wedges over the fillets before serving.

For a complete meal, serve your salmon with a green salad, a light pasta side like pesto linguine or a spicy rice dish, and toasted bread. With a straightforward herb sauce like mojo de cilantro, chimichurri, or schug, pan-seared salmon is also really good.

Leftover salmon should be put in an airtight container and refrigerated as soon as it cools to room temperature. Within three days, it can be gently reheated in a pan or used cold in a salad.

Salmon preparation might vary depending on your personal tastes, just like with any other dish. Even while salmon can be baked, it doesn't attain the same crispiness and browning as seared fish does. To choose which kind of cooking you prefer most, it's wise to test a few dishes.

Final word

The key to preparing perfect pan-seared salmon is a combination of choosing salmon fillets of the ideal size, seasoning them correctly, and preventing yourself from adjusting them as they cook. Left alone searing the salmon in hot oil results in a gorgeous, golden crust that takes the meal to restaurant-quality status.