Salmon

Discover simple tips to serve super-healthy salmon

Best to buy
Look for salmon that smells fresh like the ocean with clear eyes, clean gills, and moist scales.

Store it safely
Remove packaging, rinse fish under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate covered with crushed ice and cling wrap for up to two days.

Tasty Tip
The secret to fantastic salmon is to not overcook it. Salmon is done when its flesh becomes opaque but is still moist on the inside.

Quick & easy recipe
Place seasoned or marinated salmon on a well-greased broiler pan and broil 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12.5 cm) from heat.


Also indexed as: Atlantic Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Humpback Salmon, Humpie Salmon, Smoked Salmon, Sockeye Salmon

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Preparation, uses, and tips

For all conventional cooking methods, first measure the salmon at its thickest point, including stuffing if used. For each inch (about 2.5cm) thickness, cook at high heat 10 minutes if fresh or fully thawed; 12 to 15 minutes if partially thawed; 20 minutes if solidly frozen. Add 5 minutes to total cooking time if the salmon is foil-wrapped or heavily sauced. The secret to successful salmon cookery is to not overcook it. Whichever of the following cooking methods you choose, your salmon will be cooked when its flesh becomes opaque, yet is still moist on the inside.

Baking

Place salmon in a greased baking dish (or wrap in oiled foil and place on a baking sheet). Brush with melted butter or oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated 450°F (230°C) oven.

Barbecuing

Place marinated salmon over hot coals on a well-oiled grill. Baste frequently and turn once halfway through cooking period. Because salmon is lean compared to other protein foods, it does not exude a lot of self-basting fat. Be sure all grills, baskets, racks, foil, and other utensils are well-oiled to ensure easy handling of salmon while barbecuing. Marinating and frequent basting will keep salmon moist and flavorful.

Broiling

Place seasoned and/or marinated salmon on a well-greased broiler pan. If using fillets, fold thin ends under to ensure even cooking. Broil under a preheated broiler 4 to 5 inches (about 10 to 12.5cm) from heat.

Pan frying

Coat salmon with seasoned flour or crumbs and fry in a small amount of hot butter or oil, turning once halfway through cooking time.

Poaching

Bring poaching liquid, consisting of water, broth, and herbs and spices, to a simmer. Slip in salmon, then cover pan and keep liquid at a simmer for about 8 minutes per inch (about 2.5cm) of thickness of the fish.

Steaming

Place salmon on a greased perforated rack over 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5cm) of rapidly boiling water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and keep the water at a constant boil through cooking time.

Stir-frying

Cut salmon steaks or fillets into bite-sized pieces. Coat with cornstarch and stir-fry gently and briefly in hot oil before adding to your favorite stir-fried vegetables.

Buying and storing tips

Quality salmon is easy to recognize. Fresh salmon never smells fishy, it smells fresh. The eyes should appear bright and clear, almost alive. The gills should be reddish, and the skin moist and with tightly adhering, shiny scales. Fresh salmon flesh will give slightly when you press it with a finger, then spring back into shape. When choosing salmon steaks or fillets, whether they’re fresh or previously frozen, look for moist, translucent (never dried out) flesh.

Keep salmon cool on the trip from the market to your house. Never let it stay unrefrigerated for long.

To store salmon, remove packaging, rinse fish under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Fish deteriorates when it sits in its own juices, so place it on a cake rack in a shallow pan filled with crushed ice. Cover with cling wrap or foil and set in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Salmon will store well this way for up to two days.

When well-wrapped, salmon can be frozen for up to two months in a refrigerator and three to four months in a deep-freeze. Use lined freezer paper and wrap the fish tightly from head to tail with at least two layers of paper. To thaw slowly, unwrap, place fish in pan, cover, and leave for 24 hours in the refrigerator. To thaw more quickly, place the whole fish in a sink (in a waterproof plastic bag) with cool running water, allowing about 1/2 hour per pound (about 450g). For fastest thawing, use the defrost cycle of your microwave, allowing 2 to 5 minutes per pound (about 450g), with equal standing time in between zaps.

Varieties

There are five types of Pacific salmon. Chinook, also called the spring or king salmon, often weighs in at more than 35 pounds (15.75 kg); prized by gourmets, its firm flesh can range from ivory white to deep red. Chum salmon (also known as dog salmon) are known as keta when canned; the flesh ranges from pale to medium red. Coho, or silver salmon, is known for its red color and its versatility. Sockeye is the mainstay of the commercial fish industry; it has a deep red-orange, firm flesh, and is called “red salmon” when canned. Lastly, Pink salmon (also known as humpback or humpie) are the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific species; the flesh is light in color and delicately flavored.

Atlantic salmon, native to Nova Scotia and Norway, is usually farm-raised in the United States.

Nutrition Highlights

Salmon (Atlantic wild, cooked, dry heat), 3 oz. (85g)
Calories: 155
Protein: 22g
Carbohydrate: 0g
Total Fat: 7g
Fiber: 0g
*Excellent source of: Phosphorus (217.60mg), Riboflavin (0.41mg), Niacin (8.57mg), Selenium (39.78mcg), Vitamin B6 (0.80mg), and Vitamin B12 (2.59mcg)
*Good source of: Copper (0.27mg), Pantothenic Acid (1.63mg), Potassium (533.80mg), and Thiamin (0.23mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.

Provides 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids