Pan Cooked Salmon

We love super simple salmon recipes and pan cooked salmon is about as easy as it gets. From start to finish this recipe is only about 15 minutes and yields restaurant quality salmon every time.

Pan Cooked Salmon Recipe

Pan cooked salmon is one of the easiest ways to cook salmon. Pan cooking salmon is as simple as adding a little olive oil to a pan, and searing the salmon on both sides until it has a crispy exterior, and a silky smooth, perfectly cooked interior.  Pan cooked salmon is the method most restaurants use, and the seasoning possibilities are endless.

Perfect Pan Cooked Salmon Guaranteed

Using high quality salmon is important no matter the cooking method. We like to use Sitka Seafood Market. They provide the highest quality of seafood via small boat fisherman and the best part is, they ship directly to you. For this recipe, we used Sitka Seafood Market’s Coho Salmon. This recipe for pan cooking salmon is so versatile any high quality salmon you have on hand would work great. 

Interested in trying Sitka Seafood Market? Get premium, wild-caught Alaska seafood from small-boat fishermen to your doorstep. Click here to browse all of their seasonal salmon options and use code LS25 for $25 off your order!

*Please note this offer cannot be combined with any other discounts/promotions and excludes the Intro Box. We do receive a small commission if you chose to purchase and use our code LS25 (this helps keep our ovens running so we can keep on creating new recipes!). 

Pat Dry the Salmon to Get a Perfectly Browned Crust

The golden rule of searing any meat or seafood is to remove excess exterior moisture for the best crust. Pat the salmon dry, then season with salt and pepper. If you wanted to, you could season it with our salmon seasoning for added flavor!

After seasoning the salmon, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Place the salmon flesh side down. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. You’ll know the salmon is ready when it no longer sticks to the pan and releases easily once turning! 

Flip the salmon after 4 minutes, and cook for 4-5 minutes on the opposite side.

See that! Perfectly cooked salmon with a delicious flakey meat. From none to done in about 15 minutes- could it be any simpler?!

You could garnish this easy salmon recipe with rosemary, lemon and some lemon zest if you want to jazz it up. It’s also delicious served simply with some oven baked rice, or corn salad.