Crispy Skin Salmon (Works Every Time!)

Name: Crispy Skin Salmon (Works Every Time!)
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 salmon fillet portions–scaled and de-boned; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

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If you think Crispy Skin Salmon is too hard to make at home, this post is for you! With a few simple tricks, you can get perfectly crispy skin-on salmon every single time. It's kind of incredible!

I took an unofficial poll of about 20 people (not a scientific sample size I know), and determined that about 80% of people don’t cook fish at home as often as they would like to. Why is that? Is it the smell? The scales? The fear of choking on bones?

I think it’s a combination of these things that scare most of us off. I must admit, I don’t eat as much fish as I would like to either. But when I do eat fish at home, I often go with salmon, and I almost always cook it this way because I LOVE crispy skin.

Cooking skin-on salmon at home can be easy!

Cooking salmon this way is easy, but there are a few steps involved before the skin hits the pan.

Turn on the fan. Your kitchen fan should be on full blast. This will help with the smoke caused by the skin crisping. It will also minimize the aroma that fish cooking often leaves behind.

Buy a pair of fish tweezers. I know, this sounds daunting already. The truth of the matter is, salmon have lots of tiny little pin bones. Pin bones are really thin and easy to miss (and easy to choke on). The beauty of pin bones is that they are all neatly aligned in a single row within the salmon fillet. Once you've found one, you’ve found them all. Just feel along the row of spikes through the thickest part of the fillet with your index finger. Then grab them one by one and yank them out with your fish tweezers. You can absolutely get the folks at your fish counter to do this for you.

Beware of scales. Although most grocery store fish are already scale-free, it’s always worth double checking. Chomping through scales is not pleasant. The safest bet is to confirm the scale status with the folks at your fish counter.

Descaling fish is a bit of a task. Just ask my mom who was still discovering fish scales on the undersides of the kitchen cupboards for months after I attempted it one day. I think I was about 12 years old. 😬

Fool Proof Crispy Skin Salmon Every Time

Crispy, crunchy salmon skin for the win!

There are a million great, low effort ways to cook fish at home, but this is the method I use most often. It's a sure fire method that gives you the least amount of clean up and delivers a totally foolproof crispy, crunchy salmon skin.

This method is especially good for one or two people. One or two pieces of salmon fit nicely into a standard cast iron pan which means you won't have to use multiple pans or cook multiple batches, as you would for a larger group.

If you are cooking for a larger group, the simplest approach is to first crisp each skin individually. Then, rather than flipping them to cook on the second flesh side, arrange the fish pieces skin-side-up on a baking sheet and finish them in a 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes.

What about other kinds of fish?

Although there are many close competitors, salmon is my favourite skin-on fish. That being said, this method can be used on other fish like mackerel and trout. These are delicious with the crispy skin treatment too. When making your selection, the rule of thumb is always to the freshest fish possible.

How to prepare your salmon for maximum crispy crunchy skin

Once you've got your boneless, scale-free piece of salmon, crank your burner to medium low–about a level 4 on most electric stovetops. (I see a lot of recipes calling for medium high heat, and I find this to be too high. We want crispy skin, not burnt skin.)

Properly preheating pans is a lesson in patience. Let the pan heat up for a good 5 minutes or so before putting the salmon in. I like to use a cast iron pan for this, but any heavy bottomed pan will do.

Pat the skin dry with some paper towel, drizzle/rub with some vegetable or olive oil, and sprinkle with plenty of salt.

Follow these steps for foolproof Crispy Skin Salmon

Place your piece of salmon skin-side down onto a square of parchment paper. (This step isn't necessary if you really trust the non-stick capabilities of your pan, but it’s a great hack.) Then, drop the whole darn thing–paper-side down, right into your hot pan.
Hold the fish down with a fish spatula for the first 15 seconds of cooking to ensure good contact with the pan. This is important for even crisping.
Cook the salmon for 6 minutes on the skin side. You might stop it at 5 if you have an especially thin piece, and you might leave it till 7 if it's a real thickie.
While you’re waiting for the skin side to cook, season the flesh side with salt and pepper.
After 5-7 minutes, flip the salmon over and let it finish cooking for about 30 seconds on the flesh side.

How to serve your Crispy Skin Salmon

Now it's time to kick back and enjoy the most perfectly cooked pan seared salmon you’ve ever had. If you’re like me, you’ll spend about 3 minutes just tapping on the skin and marvelling at the crispy sound. You can eat this with just about any side dish, but my favourite is usually a herby yogurt sauce and a crunchy salad.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I cook the salmon for crispy skin?

Cook the salmon skin-side down for about 6 minutes. For thinner pieces, you might stop at 5 minutes, and for thicker pieces, you might go up to 7 minutes. After flipping, cook for an additional 30 seconds on the flesh side.

What if I don't have a cast iron pan?

A cast iron pan is ideal for making crispy skin salmon, but any heavy-bottomed pan will work well. The key is to properly preheat the pan for about 5 minutes before cooking.

Can I use this method for other types of fish?

Yes, this crispy skin method can be used for other fish like mackerel and trout. However, salmon is particularly well-suited for this technique due to its fatty skin.

How do I prevent the salmon from sticking to the pan?

To prevent sticking, make sure the pan is properly preheated, pat the salmon skin dry, and use a bit of oil. For extra insurance, you can place the salmon on a small square of parchment paper before putting it in the pan.

What's the best way to remove pin bones from salmon?

Use fish tweezers to remove pin bones. Run your finger along the thickest part of the fillet to locate the row of bones, then pull them out one by one with the tweezers. Alternatively, you can ask the staff at your fish counter to remove them for you.

A few salad recommendations:

Wondering about the green sauce in the photos? It's a quick spinach pesto yogurt sauce using my favourite Spinach Pesto recipe.

Give this Crispy Skin Salmon a try next time you want to impress yourself. You’ll be glad you did!