How to cook salmon
- Lulu Grimes
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Serves 4
Easy
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins - 15 mins
A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 ratingRate
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Learn how to prepare and cook salmon with this simple recipe – we've focused on cooking salmon in the oven but also included other methods below.
Egg-free
Gluten-free
High-protein
Nut-free
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Salmon is the easiest of fish to cook – pieces of fillet tend to be relatively thick and this makes them robust enough to move around and turn over halfway through cooking, should you want to. The skin also comes off easily, so if you cook pieces with the skin on, you can lift it off when the fish is cooked before serving. You can buy whole salmon (especially good value at holiday times), sides of salmon (half a fish), large pieces of fillet and individual pieces. Choose what suits you best.
Follow this guide for tips on how to cook salmon, then put these skills to use with our salmon recipes and salmon recipes for kids. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to support heart health. You can read more about the health benefits of salmon in our nutritionist's guide.
What is the best way to cook salmon?
Salmon can be baked, roasted, pan-fried, stir-fried, cooked ‘en papillote’ (wrapped in foil or paper) and steamed. The easiest way to cook salmon is in a baking dish in the oven. This causes the least mess and also – if it bothers you – less of a fishy smell in the house. You will, however, need to add a little oil to stop it sticking to the dish.
If you’d prefer not to use any oil then steam the salmon by putting it on a plate with any flavouring you want to use inside a steamer, or wrap it in foil or baking paper, then steam or bake it. If you want a crisp skin then pan-fry the salmon skin-side down.
- If you need a speedy method, pan-frying salmon is much quicker than baking.
- To make your salmon juicy and full of flavour, cook it ‘en papillote’ (wrapped in foil or paper) in this recipe for ginger & soy salmon en papillote.
- Stir-fry your salmon and combine with vegetables such as pak choi and sugar snap peas for a high-protein dish that's ready in 25 minutes.
- For a speedy fish supper that's low-calorie and low-hassle, try this steamed salmon & veg rice bowl.
- Roast your salmon in this brilliant all-in-one dish that's perfect for a Friday night fish supper.
Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
- 4 pieces of salmon fillet
- 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
- chopped herbs, a slice of lemon or a sprinkle of spices
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Nutrition: per serving
-
kcal283
-
fat19g
-
saturates3g
low
-
carbs0.5g
-
sugars0.2g
low
-
fibre0.2g
-
protein28g
-
salt0.14g
low
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Method
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step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush each piece of salmon fillet with oil or butter and season well. Add your choice of herbs, lemon or spices.
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step 2
Lay the pieces of salmon in an ovenproof dish and either cover the dish if you want the salmon to stay tender on top, or leave it uncovered if you want the flesh to roast slightly.
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step 3
Cook for 10-15 mins. The best way to gauge how long to cook for is to base the initial time on 4 mins per 1cm of thickness in the centre of the fillet. When the salmon is cooked it will look opaque and the flesh will flake if you poke a fork into the centre. Try not to overcook salmon. It can easily dry out and should be only just cooked in the centre.
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