How to Cook Perfectly Moist and Flavorful Skinless Salmon Every Time

Cooking skinless salmon can seem intimidating, but follow these simple tips and tricks and you’ll have restaurant-quality salmon coming off your home stove or grill in no time. With the right techniques, seasonings, and cooking methods, skinless salmon comes out moist, flaky, and full of flavor.

Choosing Your Salmon

When buying salmon fillets you’ll have a few options. Wild-caught salmon like king (Chinook) and sockeye are prized for their rich flavor and oil content. Farmed Atlantic salmon is more affordable and still delivers great texture and taste. Coho, pink, and chum offer delicacy and tenderness. For pan-searing or grilling, choose center-cut fillets that are at least 1 to 1.5 inches thick so they don’t overcook. Thinner cuts are great for baking, broiling, or poaching. Let your recipe and cooking method guide your salmon selection.

Preparing Skinless Salmon for Cooking

A simple brine, marinade, or dry rub transforms salmon, infusing it with extra moisture and seasoning. A brine of 1⁄4 cup salt dissolved in 4 cups water for 5 to 10 minutes seasons the fish and helps it retain moisture when cooking. A quick marinade in an acidic liquid like lemon or lime juice, vinegar, or yogurt tenderizes and flavors the fish. A spiced rub featuring ingredients like brown sugar, chili powder, garlic, lemon zest, herbs, and pepper adds tasty crust to salmon when pan-seared.

Always pat salmon fillets very dry before cooking Use paper towels to gently blot both sides, which prevents sticking Letting fillets air dry in the fridge uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes helps form a nice sear. Lightly coat with olive oil just before cooking for added browning.

Pan-Searing Skinless Salmon on the Stovetop

Pan-searing gives salmon gorgeous caramelized color and keeps the interior moist and tender. Use a heavy stainless steel or cast iron skillet preheated on medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil or butter to lightly coat the pan bottom. Carefully lay fillets in the pan flesh side down and cook for 4 to 5 minutes undisturbed so the crust forms nicely. The fillets will release easily from the pan when ready to flip. Cook to your desired doneness, about 2 to 3 more minutes for medium-rare. Baste with butter, herbs garlic citrus, or other aromatics at the end for bonus flavor.

Baking Skinless Salmon

Baking locks in salmon’s natural juices and gives foolproof results every time. Heat oven to 400°F. Place salmon on a lightly oiled baking sheet or pan and brush with olive oil, melted butter, or marinade. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until opaque and cooked through but still moist inside. Add fresh herbs, citrus slices, chopped garlic, or spices to the baking sheet for extra flavor. Baking brings out salmon’s subtle sweetness.

Grilling Skinless Salmon Fillets

Nothing says summer like perfectly grilled salmon. Get the grill as hot as possible and clean and generously oil the grates right before adding fillets. Give the fish a brush of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillets diagonally across the grates so they don’t slip through. Grill skin side up with the lid closed as much as possible for lovely grill marks. Cook over direct heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move to indirect heat if salmon starts charring too quickly. Top with a pat of garlic-herb butter at the end.

Broiling Skinless Salmon

For a quick weeknight salmon dinner, broiling is ideal. Turn the oven broiler on high and place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil skin side up for 8 to 12 minutes, keeping a close eye to avoid burning. Rotate the pan halfway through for even coverage. Salmon is done when opaque throughout. Sprinkle with desired seasonings before broiling or add a flavorful glaze or sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Poaching Skinless Salmon

Poaching gently cooks salmon in hot liquid, keeping it tender and moist. Place salmon in a skillet or pot and add enough broth, wine, or a water and vinegar mixture to partially submerge the fish. Bring the poaching liquid to a bare simmer — do not let it boil. Poach fillets for 5 to 8 minutes until cooked through and easily flaked. Add aromatics like citrus slices, peppercorns, herbs, garlic, or onions to the poaching liquid for infused flavor. Serve poached salmon drizzled with the cooking liquid or a vinaigrette.

Quick Salmon Dinner Ideas

Simple preparations and sauces take basic salmon to gourmet status with little effort. Here are some easy ways to dress up your salmon dinner:

• Salmon burgers — Add chopped salmon to breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings and cook like beef burgers. Delicious and satisfying!

• Cajun salmon — Coat fillets with Cajun seasoning and sauté in a hot skillet in butter or oil.

• Soy ginger salmon — Marinate salmon in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic before broiling or baking.

• Lemon dill salmon — Mix mayo, lemon zest, chopped dill, garlic, salt, and pepper and spread over salmon before baking.

• Salmon tacos — Flake cooked salmon and mix with pico de gallo and cilantro and serve in warmed corn tortillas.

• Salmon salad — Toss cooked, flaked salmon with greens, veggies, boiled egg, and your favorite vinaigrette or creamy dressing.

• Salmon cakes — Make crispy fish cakes by combining cooked salmon with breadcrumbs, egg, seasonings and pan frying.

With these handy tips for prepping and cooking techniques, you can enjoy the delicious taste and nutrition of salmon any night of the week. Experiment with fun new seasonings and cooking methods and salmon will become a regular on your dinner table. Perfectly cooked salmon is healthy, simple to make, and elegant enough for entertaining.

Yes, you can cook salmon without the skin. Many people choose to remove the skin to avoid the extra fat or for various reasons.

The “best” cooking method for salmon is subjective and depends on personal preferences, but baking and pan-searing are popular and highly recommended methods.