Easy Broiled Salmon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake or broil salmon? ›

Broiling in the oven is equivalent to cooking with 500-550℉, and adds more texture (that char!) than baking because of the high heat. Is baking or broiling better for salmon? There's no *best* method for preparing salmon, but we like broiling for the expediency, and the nice crispiness it adds.

No radiation needed here. The easiest way to see if your salmon has finished cooking is to gently press down on the top of the fillet with a fork or your finger. If the flesh of the salmon flakes—meaning, it separates easily along the white lines that run across the fillet (strips of fish fat)—it's finished cooking.

Pan-frying or pan-searing is one of the best ways to cook salmon fillets. It's quick, easy, and gives the fish that perfect crispy, crunchy skin. A simple pan-fried salmon is the secret to a flavorful and healthy weeknight dinner in 30 minutes or less. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.

Broiled salmon is an easy, quick dish where fresh or frozen and thawed salmon is placed directly under the broiler in the oven and is cooked until it's lightly browned and cooked. You can incorporate many different ingredients into the recipe to add flavor, such as blackening seasonings, a marinade, or sauce.

If your recipe doesn't specify a temperature, use the highest setting. In general, the high setting is best when broiling thin cuts of meat that you prefer seared in natural juices and less done on their interiors. The low broiler setting is better for thicker cuts of meat that you want cooked all the way through.

The white stuff that oozes out of salmon is called albumin, a type of protein in the fish (other foods with albumin include eggs, beef and milk). You can't see albumin when the fish is raw—it only appears when the salmon is exposed to heat. As salmon cooks, the albumin turns from its liquid state into a semi-solid one.

Firmness: Cooked salmon should be firm but still moist. When you press down gently on the flesh with a fork or your finger, it should feel slightly resistant but still give way easily. If the salmon is still hard or resists your fork, it needs more time to cook. If it is mushy or falls apart, it may be overcooked.

Starting your salmon skin-side down, and cooking it until it is well rendered, lightly browned, and crisp, and then turning the salmon to finish the cooking, will make for a terrific dining experience.

Unlike broiled salmon, searing the salmon in a skillet means the flesh side gets a nice layer of caramelization to add to the flavor. Just watch out when you flip the salmon. The fillets might cause the oil to splatter, which is where the splatter guard comes in handy.

Spray sheet pan lined with foil and both sides of fish with non-stick cooking spray. Season top side of fish with salt and pepper. Place on pan. Broil about 7-8 inches from broiler unit or flames about 5-7 minutes per side, or until fish is opaque when flaked.

Should you broil salmon skin side up? ›

No, there is no need to flip the salmon over for this recipe. Keeping the salmon skin-side down allows the flesh to caramelize and crisp under the broiler.

Fish that might otherwise be broiled can be baked at higher temperatures, ranging from 400 F to 450 F. The broiler incinerates fresh herbs and many other garnishes, but oven-baked fish can take full advantage of these light, low-fat flavoring options.

Broiling focuses all of the heat on the surface of the food—if you're cooking a thicker cut of meat like a chicken breast, you run the risk of browning the outside without cooking the inside through. When cooking thicker cuts of meat or a dense casserole like lasagna, we will first opt for baking.

At 400°F (C), a piece of salmon takes about 10-15 minutes to bake, or until the temperature reaches 135 degrees at its thickest, most internal part. At 425°F (215°C), you'll want to aim for four to six minutes per half-inch of thickness for the most tender, buttery fillets possible.

Fold the edges of the foil tightly together over the salmon to seal, leaving some space in the parcel for steam to surround and cook the fish. Put the salmon parcel in the roasting tin and cook in the centre of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.