How do I know when salmon is done?

125°F internal at the thickest point for medium (slightly translucent center). 130°F for medium-well. Above 140°F it dries out. The fish continues cooking 5°F after it leaves the heat — pull it early.

Should I cook salmon with the skin on?

Yes, almost always. The skin protects the flesh from direct heat and gets crackly when seared on a hot pan. If you don't want to eat it, cook with skin on, pull the skin off after.

Wild salmon vs farmed salmon — which is better?

Wild has firmer texture, deeper color, and more variable fat content. Farmed (Atlantic) is fattier and milder, more consistent. For sushi and poke, sashimi-grade farmed is fine. For pan-searing, both work; wild needs slightly less time.

How do I keep salmon skin from sticking?

Pat the skin dry, salt it 10 minutes before cooking (the salt pulls moisture out), get the pan hot, oil the pan, lay salmon skin-down, press gently with a spatula for 15 seconds. Don't move it for 4-5 minutes. It'll release on its own when it's crisp.

Recipes

What to cook with salmon: 8 reliable dishes.

Salmon is the easiest fish to cook well and the easiest to overcook. The window between perfect and dry is about 90 seconds. Here are 8 ways to land it consistently in that window — every dish doable in under 30 minutes.

The 8 dishes

1. Cast-iron seared salmon with lemon-caper butter

15 min · one pan

Pat salmon dry hard, salt and pepper. Hot cast iron, oil. Skin-side down 5 minutes (don't move it), flip, 90 seconds. Off heat, baste with butter, lemon, capers. Uses: salmon, olive oil, butter, lemon, capers, salt, pepper.

2. Slow-roasted salmon with dill

30 min · oven, hands-off

275°F low-and-slow. Brush salmon with olive oil, salt, dill. Roast 20-25 minutes until just translucent at the center. Pull at 125°F internal. Plate with crème fraîche and lemon. Uses: salmon, olive oil, dill, crème fraîche, lemon, salt.

3. Miso-glazed salmon

20 min · sheet pan

Whisk white miso, mirin, sake, brown sugar. Marinate salmon 30 min. Broil 6 min until glaze caramelizes. Over short-grain rice with pickled cucumber. Uses: salmon, white miso, mirin, sake, brown sugar, short-grain rice, cucumber, rice vinegar.

4. Salmon poke bowls

15 min · cold finish

Cube sashimi-grade salmon. Toss with soy, sesame oil, scallion, sesame seeds, a touch of sriracha. Over rice with cucumber, avocado, edamame, nori. Uses: sashimi salmon, soy sauce, sesame oil, scallion, sesame seeds, sriracha, sushi rice, cucumber, avocado, edamame, nori.

5. Salmon teriyaki

20 min · one pan

Sear salmon skin-side down. Reduce: soy, mirin, sake, sugar, ginger to a glaze. Brush salmon, broil 2 min to caramelize. Over rice with steamed bok choy. Uses: salmon, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, ginger, jasmine rice, bok choy.

6. Salmon en papillote with lemon and dill

20 min · oven

Each portion: salmon on a parchment square, sliced lemon, dill, white wine, butter pat, salt. Fold parchment into a sealed packet. 400°F for 12 min. Plate sealed; opened at the table. Uses: salmon, lemon, dill, white wine, butter, parchment paper.

7. Salmon tacos with chipotle crema

25 min · two pans

Rub salmon with chili, cumin, paprika. Sear 4 min per side. Crema: sour cream, chipotle in adobo, lime, salt. Warm corn tortillas, flake salmon, top with crema, cabbage, cilantro, pickled red onion. Uses: salmon, chili powder, cumin, paprika, sour cream, chipotle in adobo, lime, corn tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, red onion.

8. Pan-seared salmon over white bean and kale stew

30 min · two pans

Stew: white beans, kale, garlic, anchovy, olive oil, lemon, parmigiano rind. Simmer 20 min. Sear salmon separately, plate over the stew. Uses: salmon, cannellini beans, kale, garlic, anchovy, olive oil, lemon, parmigiano, salt, pepper.

How to store salmon

Fresh salmon keeps 1-2 days in the fridge on ice (literally, set the package on a tray of ice and refresh daily). Vacuum-sealed and frozen: 6-9 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, never at room temperature.

What to substitute for salmon

Arctic char is the closest 1:1 swap — same color, similar fat, slightly milder. Steelhead trout works in any recipe. Black cod (sablefish) substitutes for slow-roasted preparations. For poke and sushi, you need sashimi-grade only — yellowfin tuna or albacore work.

FAQ

How do I know when salmon is done?: 125°F internal at the thickest point for medium (slightly translucent center). 130°F for medium-well. Above 140°F it dries out. The fish continues cooking 5°F after it leaves the heat — pull it early.
Should I cook salmon with the skin on?: Yes, almost always. The skin protects the flesh from direct heat and gets crackly when seared on a hot pan. If you don't want to eat it, cook with skin on, pull the skin off after.
Wild salmon vs farmed salmon — which is better?: Wild has firmer texture, deeper color, and more variable fat content. Farmed (Atlantic) is fattier and milder, more consistent. For sushi and poke, sashimi-grade farmed is fine. For pan-searing, both work; wild needs slightly less time.
How do I keep salmon skin from sticking?: Pat the skin dry, salt it 10 minutes before cooking (the salt pulls moisture out), get the pan hot, oil the pan, lay salmon skin-down, press gently with a spatula for 15 seconds. Don't move it for 4-5 minutes. It'll release on its own when it's crisp.

Cook with what you already own.

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