by Texas Homesteader ~
I’m picky about eating fish. Truth be told I typically don’t care for it most times. But I’ve found a delicious seared salmon filet recipe that offers flavorful, tender and flaky salmon with precious few ingredients & a quick cook time.
Health Benefits of Eating Salmon
We typically eat as healthy as possible. My doctor recommends eating fish a couple of times each week. According to WebbMD there are many health benefits to eating salmon:
“Salmon is a great source of the proteins your body needs to build muscles, bone, and cartilage. This protein helps maintain muscle mass while you lose weight, in addition to keeping a healthy metabolic rate and bone density.”
Keeping Salmon Healthy & Low In Calories
This simple seared salmon recipe doesn’t use fancy or high-calorie ingredients. It’s simple and flavorful using only FOUR INGREDIENTS:
3/4-inch to 1-inch salmon filets
One tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse-grind pepper
See? Simple. Fast. Delicious. Healthy!
How To Perfectly Sear Salmon Filets
Here’s how I sear our salmon filets to perfection.
First I put a tablespoon of olive oil in a small cast-iron skillet and heat it on medium high until the oil shimmers.
In the meantime I place my salmon filets on a rack over the sink to allow the fillet surfaces to drain & air dry a bit. (you can blot the surface with paper towels if you like.)
Then I sprinkle a total of just a tiny ½ teaspoon of coarse kosher salt & ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper to the surface of my salmon filets.
When the oil is hot & shimmering I place my salmon filets skin-side up in the pan. I don’t move the filets during the initial 2-3 minute cook time.
Then I carefully flip the filets skin side down, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the filets without moving for another 3-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the salmon is 145ºF. Again I don’t move the filets until the desired temperature is reached.
The result is a light, flaky flavorful salmon filet that your family will love!
Leave Salmon Skin On Or Remove It?
You can cut the skin way from your salmon filet if you like. But I usually leave it on.
The cooked salmon comes off the skin easily as we’re eating it. The remaining skin is then placed in my compost.
Internal Temperature For Salmon Filets?
Overcooked salmon will be dry and tough. Cooking salmon just until the correct internal temperature is reached but no longer is the secret for moist, flaky, flavorful salmon.
So use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. When the salmon reaches 145ºF, immediately remove the salmon from the heat, plate it up and serve.
What Seasonings Can You Add To Salmon?
I prefer this salmon filet in its delicious simplicity of only olive oil, cracked pepper and coarse salt.
But if you want to play with seasonings there are many different ways to flavor your salmon filet. Just add a sprinkling of one or more of the following:
-
-
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Cajun Seasoning
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Whatever your family desires!
What Goes With Pan-Seared Salmon Filets?
I usually pair our salmon filets with one or more of the following:
Steamed Fresh Garden Asparagus
A Crispy Salad with Homemade Creamy Salad Dressing
Sautéed Fresh Spinach from the Garden
Steamed Carrots with Butter & Minced Fresh Rosemary
Colorful Oven-Roasted Vegetable Medley
Oven-Roasted Herbed Potatoes
Simple Cilantro-Lime Rice
So go ahead & make this seared salmon tonight. Ssssshhhhh…. don’t tell ’em how easy it was. Let them think you’re a master chef!
Did you make this Pan-Seared Salmon? Please rate the recipe in your comment below!
Savory Pan-Seared Salmon Filet
This pan-seared salmon uses uncomplicated basic ingredients such as salmon filets, coarse salt, coarse pepper and just 1 tablespoon of olive oil. It cooks fast and results in restaurant quality tender, flaky flavorful salmon your family will love! #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
- 2 1-inch Salmon Filets
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Coarse-Grind Black Pepper
Instructions
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Place 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and allow to heat until oil shimmers
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Pat two 1-inch thick salmon filets dry with a paper towel. Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper to the surface of filets.
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When oil begins to shimmer place the seasoned salmon filets skin-side-up into the pan. Do no move filets until they have cooked for about 3-4 minutes.
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Flip the filets carefully so that they are now skin-side down, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook without moving 3-4 minutes longer, or until internal temperature in all areas of the filet reach 145℉.
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Remove from heat to plate and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
NOTE: Cook time will depend upon thickness of your salmon filets. After initial cook time continue cooking the second side until 145ºF internal temperature is reached
Cook's Tip: Pan searing can splatter some grease! So to make cleanup easier I cover other areas of my stove with newspaper (far from the heat source of course). Afterward I simply wad the paper and place in my compost bucket.
~TxH~
Other Meal Ideas
Ground Meat
- Poor Man’s Stuffed Steak (hamburger)
- Award-Winning Cowboy Chili
- Savory Meatloaf
- Jumbo Sheet-Pan Quesadillas Feed A Crowd
- Lazy Cook’s Chile Relleno
- Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole
- Meat-Stuffed Ravioli
- Taco-Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Meat & Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Quick Southwest Quesadillas
- Taco Spaghetti – Simple 1-Pot Meal
- Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Lasagne Served In Its Shell
Chicken/Poultry
- Homemade Chicken & Dumplings
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Leftover Chicken Into Quick Chicken Fried Rice
- Healthier Crispy Fried Chicken in an Air Fryer
- Slow-Cooker Spicy Sticky Chicken
- Pecan Smoking A Whole, Spatchcocked Turkey
Cooking Tips
Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Goulash – Comfort Food FAST!
- Homemade Tamales (includes Instant-Pot shortcut)
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
Air Fryer
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Absolutely awesome recipe. Best salmon ever!
So glad you love it too! I’m not typically a fish eater, I don’t care for the fish taste of even ‘non-fishy fish’. But this recipe is now on tight rotation in my Homestead kitchen! ~TxH~
I don’t eat fish a lot because I don’t like a fishy taste. But I love this recipe. I’ve made it with salmon filets and red snapper, both were delicious. The salmon didn’t stick to the skillet but the snapper did just a bit. But both were delicious and this is now my go-to recipe for seared fish.
Did cook this salmon per recipe exactly on a cast iron. So simple, so good. This will be my go to from now on.
So glad you loved it as much as we do Maureen. I’m floored by the simplicity of this salmon recipe both in cooking and seasoning that results in big flavor. Win/win! ~TxH~