Four minutes on the first side, three to five on the second. That’s your baseline for a one-inch thick fillet. Simple timing, spectacular result. The real secret? Understanding why these numbers work and adjusting based on what’s actually happening in your pan.
The Precise Timing for Perfect Salmon
For a standard center-cut fillet about one inch thick, the math is straightforward. Place your salmon flesh-side down in a screaming hot skillet. Let it sear undisturbed for 4 minutes. You’ll see the edges turn opaque, a golden crust forming underneath. When you gently lift a corner with your spatula, it should release easily. That’s your signal.
Flip it over. Lower the heat to medium. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes depending on how you like it. For fully cooked salmon, you’re aiming for an internal temperature of 145°F. If you prefer it medium-rare with a slightly translucent center (the way many restaurants serve it), pull it at 125-130°F.
The visual cue that never lies: when the flesh is cooked about three-quarters of the way up the side of the fillet, it’s time to flip. You’ll see the color change climbing from the bottom, a clear line between opaque pink and raw translucent flesh.
| Fillet Thickness | First Side | Second Side | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin (1/2 inch) | 3 minutes | 2 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Standard (1 inch) | 4 minutes | 3-4 minutes | 7-8 minutes |
| Thick (1.5 inches) | 5-6 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 9-11 minutes |
Why Salmon Sticks or Cooks Unevenly
Your salmon glues itself to the pan because the pan wasn’t hot enough when you added the fish. Cold pan, cold oil, sticky disaster. Heat your skillet for a solid three to five minutes over medium-high before adding any fat. When you add oil, it should shimmer immediately.
Moving the salmon too early tears the flesh and ruins that gorgeous crust you’re building. The fish will release naturally when it’s ready. If it’s sticking, it needs another minute. Patience pays.
Putting cold salmon straight from the fridge into a hot pan guarantees uneven cooking. The outside chars while the center stays raw. Let your fillet sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. This small gesture changes everything.
Not enough fat means not enough protection. You need a thin, even layer of oil coating the entire pan surface. One to two tablespoons for a 12-inch skillet. Just enough to prevent sticking without deep-frying.
The Three Moves That Change Everything
Pat your salmon bone-dry with paper towels before you season it. Any surface moisture creates steam instead of a sear. You want a crust, not a poached texture. Dry salmon equals crispy, caramelized salmon.
Season generously, especially with coarse salt. This isn’t the time to be shy. Salmon can handle it, needs it even. Salt draws out moisture initially but then seasons deeply as it cooks. A few grinds of black pepper too, but salt does the heavy lifting.
That room temperature rest isn’t optional. Fifteen to twenty minutes on the counter brings the fillet to an even temperature throughout. The result? It cooks evenly from edge to center instead of burning outside while staying cold inside.
Use medium-high heat, not your burner’s maximum setting. Screaming hot is good, smoking inferno is not. You want aggressive sizzling when the salmon hits the pan, not instant blackening.
Adjusting Time Based on Thickness
Those tail-end pieces, thin and tapered, cook fast. Three minutes on the first side, two minutes on the second. Watch them closely. They go from perfect to overcooked in thirty seconds.
The thick, meaty center-cut fillets can handle more heat and time. Five to six minutes on the first side gives you that deep golden crust. Four to five minutes on the second side cooks them through without drying them out.
The touch test works beautifully once you’ve cooked salmon a few times. Press the thickest part gently with your finger. It should feel firm but still have a little give, like pressing the flesh between your thumb and forefinger when you make an OK sign. Rock-hard means overcooked. Squishy means underdone.
For fillets thicker than 1.5 inches, consider cutting them into portion-sized pieces before cooking. Cooking a two-inch thick piece evenly on the stovetop becomes tricky. Better to work with manageable sizes.
Skin-On or Skinless: What Changes
Here’s the move that surprises everyone: for skin-on salmon, many chefs start with the skin-side up, flesh-side down. This builds that restaurant-quality crust on the pretty side first. Then you flip to skin-down for the final minutes, crisping the skin and using it as a protective barrier against the pan’s heat.
The alternative method? Start skin-side down if crispy skin is your priority. Four minutes skin-down gets you crackling, golden skin. Flip for three minutes to finish the flesh side. Both approaches work. Choose based on what matters more to you.
Skinless fillets follow the same timing. The key difference: they’re more delicate, easier to overcook since there’s no skin protecting the flesh on one side. Pull them from the heat thirty seconds earlier than you think you should. Carryover cooking will finish the job.
The skin acts as insulation during that second-side cooking. It slows down heat transfer, giving you more control. Without it, heat hits the flesh directly, cooking it faster. Adjust accordingly.
The Mistakes That Ruin Pan-Seared Salmon
Flipping too early breaks the fillet apart and leaves you with no crust, just torn, pale fish. If your spatula meets resistance when you try to flip, wait another minute. The salmon will tell you when it’s ready by releasing cleanly.
Cooking on medium or low heat produces steamed, gray salmon with zero crust. You need that initial blast of high heat to create the Maillard reaction, those complex, caramelized flavors. Start hot, then lower the heat after flipping.
The wrong pan dooms you from the start. Nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron are your only options. Stainless steel, unless you’re very experienced, tends to grab the delicate salmon flesh and not let go. Cast iron holds heat beautifully and creates incredible crust. Nonstick gives you insurance against sticking.
Not letting the cooked salmon rest means all those flavorful juices run out the moment you cut into it. Give it two to three minutes on the plate before serving. It stays juicy, and the residual heat finishes cooking it to perfection.
How to Know It’s Actually Done
The color change is your first clue. Raw salmon is translucent and deep red or orange. As it cooks, it turns opaque and lighter. When that opaque color has traveled almost all the way through the fillet, you’re close.
The flaking test never fails. Insert a fork at the thickest part and twist gently. If the flesh separates into flakes easily but still looks slightly moist, you’re there. If it resists, needs more time. If it’s completely dry and crumbly, you overshot.
A thermometer removes all guesswork. Slide an instant-read into the thickest part. At 125°F, you’ve got rare, cool center. At 130-135°F, medium-rare with a warm, translucent center (my preference). At 145°F, fully cooked, USDA-approved, opaque throughout.
That cooking line moving up the sides is your real-time progress report. When you’re at three-quarters up, you’re seconds from flip time. It’s like watching a tide rising. Trust what you see.
Once you understand the timing and visual cues, skillet salmon becomes intuitive. Trust your eyes and your touch as much as the clock.
