Pacific Salmon
intro
Crispy-skinned, flaky wild Pacific salmon finished with bright lemon-dill butter: a light, nutritious, fast-cooking meal perfect for easy weeknights.
Ingredients
Steps
Pat Dry and Season Salmon
Pat salmon fillets completely dry on all sides with paper towels, then season evenly on the flesh side with ¾ teaspoon (3.75g) of kosher salt and all the ground black pepper; leave the skin side unseasoned at this stage, and let fillets rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to take the chill off for even cooking.
Heat Oil in Skillet
Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) of olive oil in a large 30cm heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and releases thin, faint wisps of smoke, approximately 3 minutes.
Sear Salmon Skin Side Down
Carefully place salmon fillets in the hot pan skin-side down, pressing each fillet firmly but gently with a slotted fish spatula for 10 seconds after placement to ensure full, even skin contact with the pan; cook undisturbed for 6 minutes until the skin is deep golden and crispy, and the opaque pink flesh has climbed ⅔ of the way up the fillet sides.
Flip Salmon and Add Butter
Flip each salmon fillet to its flesh side (the non-skin side) using the fish spatula, reduce stovetop heat to medium-low, add the 60g of cut butter, minced garlic, and lemon zest to the open space in the pan, and cook for 2 minutes, continuously tilting the pan and spooning the melted, fragrant bubbling butter over the now-upward crispy skin of the fillets to baste.
Finish Sauce and Baste Salmon
Turn off the stovetop heat, squeeze the 30ml of fresh lemon juice and add the chopped dill into the remaining butter sauce in the pan, stir gently to combine, then spoon the bright herb butter over each salmon fillet; sprinkle the remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25g) of kosher salt evenly over the top of the fillets.
Plate and Rest Salmon
Transfer the cooked salmon fillets to a warm white ceramic serving platter, spoon any remaining lemon-dill butter sauce from the pan over each piece, and let the salmon rest for 2 minutes before serving to allow internal juices to redistribute for moist, tender flesh.
Tips
2.Resist the urge to move or lift the salmon while it cooks skin-side down; frequent prodding will tear the delicate skin, cause the fish to release excess moisture, and lead to uneven cooking.
3.If using farmed Pacific salmon instead of wild-caught, reduce the skin-side searing time by 1 minute, as farmed salmon has higher intramuscular fat content and cooks slightly faster than lean wild salmon.
OMG this salmon was SO good! I made it for last night’s family dinner and even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. The lemon dill butter is a total game changer, I want to slather it on everything now. Only took me 22 minutes start to finish which is perfect for busy weeknights.
I added this to my weekly meal prep rotation! The salmon stays moist even when I reheat it for lunch the next day, which is usually my biggest issue with pan-seared salmon. Super easy to follow even for someone who’s pretty new to cooking fish.
Made this for a potluck this past weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe all night. Used fresh dill from my windowsill herb garden and it popped so hard. 10/10 will make again.
Took me a minute to get the pan temp right on my gas stove (first try I had the heat too high and burnt the skin a little oops) but once I turned it down to medium it came out perfect. The butter sauce is so bright and fresh, cut through the richness of the salmon perfectly.
My kids loved it! I usually have to bribe them to eat fish but they cleared their plates before I even finished serving myself. Served it with roasted asparagus and rice pilaf for a full Sunday dinner, zero complaints all around.
Used wild-caught sockeye I caught on a trip up to Alaska last month and this recipe let the actual flavor of the fish shine instead of covering it up with heavy seasonings. So simple but so effective, no fancy ingredients needed.
So happy this is naturally gluten free! I’ve been searching for easy salmon recipes that don’t require weird specialty ingredients and this checks every box. The lemon dill butter tastes like something you’d pay $30 for at a nice seafood restaurant.
Wait, I’m a total beginner and I was so nervous to cook salmon for my partner’s birthday dinner — this recipe made me look like a pro! The skin was crispy, the fish was flaky, the butter was so flavorful. My partner thought I ordered takeout from that fancy seafood place downtown lmao.
I was worried this would be too pricy to make but I grabbed frozen salmon fillets on sale at my local grocery store, used dried dill from my pantry instead of fresh, and it still came out amazing. Perfect for when you want a nice restaurant-worthy meal without blowing your weekly grocery budget.
High protein, minimal clean up, done in 25 minutes? This is my new go-to post-gym dinner. I skip the extra side sometimes and just eat two fillets with a squeeze of extra lemon, hits every single time.
I was skeptical about ditching my usual heavy cajun seasoning on salmon (total old Southern habit!) but the light lemon dill flavor was such a nice change of pace. Served it with cheesy grits and it was a match made in heaven, y’all.
I made this last night swapping regular butter for vegan olive oil butter and it was unreal! Even my non-dairy-free roommate said it was the best salmon she’s ever had. Quick question though — has anyone tried adding a little garlic to the butter? I feel like that would slap.
Made a double batch on Sunday and ate the leftovers for lunch all week. Even on day 3 the salmon didn’t get that weird fishy leftover taste, which is a win in my book. The lemon in the butter probably helps keep it bright.
I’ve been cooking salmon for 40+ years and this is honestly the simplest, most reliable pan-seared method I’ve come across. No fussy steps, no overcomplicating things, just perfectly cooked fish every time. Hats off to the recipe developer.