Salmon is one of those ingredients that practically tells you how to cook it. Rich, fatty, and full of flavor, it wants something bright to cut through it and something herbal to bring it into focus. Lemon and dill have been answering that call for a very long time — and for good reason.
The lemon lifts the richness of the fish with a clean citrus tang. The dill adds a delicate, almost grassy sweetness that makes the whole thing taste even fresher. Together with a simple herbed salad dressed in Dijon and apple cider vinegar, this dish is genuinely restaurant-quality — and it comes together in 20 minutes.
Whether it’s a Tuesday night dinner or a meal you’re making for guests, this one delivers.
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How to pick good salmon
If you’re getting fresh salmon, look for plump, firm flesh. It should be moist but not slimy or oily. Fresh salmon has little to no smell and the flesh should have a nice red or orange color.
Do you wash salmon before cooking?
No need, really. Washing raw fish can actually be harmful because you run the risk of spreading bacteria in and around your cooking area.
Always make sure that you are buying your salmon from a trusted supplier. Even if the salmon was frozen and thawed, a reputable supplier will have flash-frozen the salmon to keep it safe.
Furthermore, the cooking process will thoroughly kill any harmful bacteria in the salmon. Check out our tips for how to tell if salmon went bad.
How do I know if salmon is cooked?
The best way to cook salmon is to medium. I like having medium-rare salmon, but some people find the slightly translucent flesh a bit off-putting. Renee’ prefers hers well done.
It’s actually pretty easy to know if salmon is cooked. Simply use a fork and poke the top of the fillet and turn it just a bit at the thickest part.
If the salmon flakes away easily, the salmon is cooked, and you should immediately take it off the heat. The residual heat will continue cooking the salmon a little bit more, and you’ll have a delicious, moist, and flakey piece of salmon. If it looks like a translucent pink, much like raw chicken, it needs a couple more minutes.
The cardinal rule when it comes to cooking salmon: NEVER overcook the salmon. If your salmon is firm, opaque, and dark orange, it’s a sign that you’ve already overcooked it.
Another sign is when you see white specks on top of the salmon. The white goop is called albumin and it’s a protein that comes out of fish flesh when the fish is overcooked (making it tasteless and dry.) Fish cooks pretty fast in general, and the thinner the filet, the faster it cooks.
Do you cook salmon with the skin on?
Yes, cook your salmon with the skin on, if possible. Even if you don’t plan on eating the skin, you should leave the skin on while cooking because it keeps the salmon moist and helps prevent it from overcooking and drying out.
If you’ve never had salmon before, here’s our article about what salmon tastes like!
What side dishes go with salmon?
Cooked salmon go great with many side dishes, so if you’re making the salad to go with this, you may only need a starch or another green vegetable.
For veggies, green beans are a great choice. Try making fresh ginger-infused green beans or this amazing Texas Roadhouse Green beans copycat recipe. You can also try pairing it with a crunchy and fresh slaw.
If you’re looking for something a little bit heartier, try pairing this salmon recipe with rice or mashed potatoes. You can also try mashed sweet potatoes if you’re looking to add a bit more nutrition (Vitamin A!) to your meal.
A few steps and tips
1. Thaw it out completely
Before cooking salmon, make sure that the fillet or steaks have thawed out completely before cooking it. If you cook the salmon with the insides still cold or frozen, the exterior will become overcooked before the interior even becomes warm!
If possible, allow the salmon to thaw in the fridge the night before cooking it. However, you can also thaw out the salmon slowly in your sink.
Do not remove the salmon from the package; simply place the package in room-temperature water and allow the salmon to thaw slowly.
Change the water one or two times to speed up the thawing process.
2. Pat the salmon dry before cooking
Just like red meat, salmon benefits from searing! It locks in the juices and keeps the salmon moist while cooking. Of course, the main enemy of searing is moisture.
Before cooking the salmon, pat down the fillets or steaks with a paper towel or clean cotton dish towels to remove as much water as possible.
3. Heat the pan properly
Don’t you just hate it when fish sticks to your pan? No matter how much oil you put into your pan, your fish is going to stick if you don’t heat the pan properly before putting the fish in.
Heat the skillet up before putting the oil in. Then add the fish.
We use our cast iron for everything, and we recommend this one.
4. Cook the salmon skin side down first
When ready to cook, place the salmon skin side down first. The skin will get crispy and protect the flesh from the intense heat of the pan. In fact, 90% of your cooking time will happen with the skin side down.
You should season your salmon skin with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper to help prevent sticking and to give the skin a bit more flavor.
5. Let the fish cook undisturbed
It’s really tempting to keep checking the fish if it’s done cooking; trust us, we’ve felt the temptation too. But if you keep moving the fish, you’ll never get that crispy sear we keep on talking about!
Once the fish in the pan, allow the fish to cook flat on the pan without moving it.
Here’s a tip: use a fish spatula to check if the fish can easily be lifted from the skillet. If it lifts away completely, the fish is done cooking on the skin side!
6. Keep an eye on your fish
Even though salmon is an oily fish, it can overcook really easily, especially if you don’t know how to cook salmon in a pan. After cooking the skin and you flip the salmon, you should cook it for only a minute or two to complete the cooking process.
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Lemon and Dill Skillet Salmon with Herb Salad
Ingredients
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 6-oz. Alaskan wild-caught salmon filets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh dill plucked or chopped
For the salad
- 3 c. mixed salad greens
- 1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 medium English cucumber
- 4-5 fresh dill sprigs plucked
- ¼ c. fresh mint leaves plucked and roughly chopped
- ¼ c. fresh basil leaves plucked and roughly chopped
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
- 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 T. apple cider vinegar
- 1 fresh lemon
Instructions
- First, prepare the salad. Wash the salad greens and dry thoroughly. Cut the tomatoes in half. Peel cucumber and remove seeds then cut into cubes. Pluck or chop 4-5 dill sprigs roughly.
- Combine mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh dill in large glass bowl. Toss to combine thoroughly and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 T of Dijon mustard, 2 T olive oil, and 2 T apple cider vinegar. Juice one lemon and add juice to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add dill, mint and basil. Pour prepared dressing onto salad and toss to coat. Place the salad in the fridge to chill.
- Slice your remaining lemon into wedges and set aside.
- Preheat skillet to medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, place 1 T if olive oil into skillet and allow to heat for 1 minute.
- Pat salmon fillets dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- When the oil starts to smoke slightly, place salmon fillets skin side down on hot surface. Sear for 3-4 minutes.
- After 3-4 minutes, flip the fillet and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes only.
- Remove the salmon from the heat and place fresh sprigs of dill on top.
- Serve with herb salad and a wedge of lemon. Enjoy!
Fillets vs. Steaks
You might also notice that salmon comes in two different cuts: steaks and fillets. A steak is cut crosswise down the spine, while a fillet is cut parallel to the bone.
If you love salmon skin, fillets are the way to go. However, steaks cook much more quickly and you get a little bit of skin, flesh, and fat with each steak.
With this recipe, you’ll get a delicious salmon dish that is worthy of being served in any restaurant. Plus, it only takes you 20 minutes to make it! Who doesn’t love a quick but restaurant-quality meal at home?
