Broiled salmon in a lemony garlic sauce that's ready in under 20 minutes. This no-fuss salmon is key to having dinner on the table quick, fast, and in a hurry. It's made with beautiful fresh salmon and a few other common ingredients that you may already have in your pantry or fridge.
If you're a little intimated by the thought of broiling salmon, there's no reason to be. You'll be shown a few easy steps that will have you making perfectly broiled salmon each and every time.
If you love salmon, let me help you take the guess work out of making this delicate fish. There's no fancy ingredients or equipment needed. So, let's dive in.
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How to remove skin from salmon
If you prefer not having the skin on your broiled salmon, simply ask the butcher to remove it; however, if a butcher isn't available you can remove the skin yourself. It's actually easier than you might think.
Here's how you do it:
- Line a cutting board or a small area on your counter top with foil then add parchment paper on top of the foil
- Place your salmon on the prepared surface with the skin-side down
- Place the smallest side of the salmon toward you
- Using a chef's knife or other sharp knife, start by running the knife between the flesh of the salmon and the skin with the knife at an angle (sharp side pointing downward)
- As you cut, hold the skin with your weak hand (in my case that would be my left hand) and gently pull toward you while using your stronger hand to cut toward the other end (or away from you)
- Lift the flesh up to make sure you're only cutting away the skin and not any of the flesh
- Once you reach the opposite end of the salmon with your knife, you can simply remove the skin and discard
- This process should take less than 5 minutes
How to make broiled salmon
- Remove the skin from the salmon if you do not like the skin. Wash the salmon and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet and pour the lemon garlic vinaigrette over the top. Season with kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika.
- Place under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the salmon from the broiler. If unsure about the done-ness, check the internal temperature of the salmon using an instant meat thermometer. If the internal temperatures reads 145 degrees, the salmon is done.
Difference between broiling and baking
Broiling is different than baking although both are done using an oven. When broiling, food is exposed to very high heat which allows your food to cook quickly, caramelize or char.
If your oven doesn't have an on/off button for broiling, refer to your oven's manual. Typically broiling can be set between 500 to 550 degrees F.
FAQs
Remember that salmon cooks really fast, and it's important to pay close attention when you're cooking such a delicate fish.
When broiled, the outside surface of the salmon will become slightly caramelized while the inside should be soft and the flesh should flake easily when using a fork.
The inside may look as though it isn't done when in fact it is done. Even when removing the salmon from the broiler, carry-over cooking should be taken into account.
If you're unsure, you can always use an instant meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the salmon. The USDA recommends that fish of any type should be cooked at a minimum of 145 degrees F.
To reheat, wrap the salmon in foil and place in a 375 degree preheated oven and heat until just warm. Do not heat to long as the salmon can become dry.
To store, place any leftover salmon in an airtight container or in a ziploc bag and place in the fridge for up to 2 days .
Check out the Best Sides for Salmon to make your dinner idea come to life.
Salmon is a very delicate fish and when it's broiled it only requires 7 to 10 minutes. I would recommend using a timer to prevent the salmon from becoming over cooked and tasting dry.
Expert Tips
- To get good caramelization, make sure the salmon is dried thoroughly
- Salmon can become over cooked really fast (within minutes), pay close attention and use a timer if necessary when broiling, grilling, baking or even pan frying salmon.
- You can substitute grape-seed oil for a really good olive oil.
- This salmon recipe cooks fast, make sure your sides are ready ahead of time.
- Use a quarter size baking sheet instead of a larger one to keep the lemon garlic vinaigrette from spreading too much away from the salmon.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Garlic Broiled Salmon
Equipment
- quarter size baking sheet, cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet
- Chef's knife or other sharp knife for removing skin
- Cutting board used for removing the skin
- Parchment paper and foil paper used for removing skin and easy clean up
Ingredients
- 3 lbs salmon (or steelhead )
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 teaspoon smoked paprika
Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoon grape-seed oil (or olive oil)
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 large lemon)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced or thinly chopped)
Instructions
Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
- Add all the ingredients into a measuring cup and whisk until combined. Use any remaining vinaigrette on a salad.
Salmon
- Wash salmon and thoroughly dry with paper towels. If you prefer the skin removed, please refer to the section within the post on how to remove the skin.
- Place the salmon on a bakig sheet and pour the lemon garlic vinaigrette over the top. Season with kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. Place under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the salmon from the broiler. If unsure about the done-ness, check the internal temperature of the salmon using an instant meat thermometer. If the internal temperatures reads 145 degrees, the salmon is done.
- Serve immediately wit your favorite sides and enjoy.
Notes
- To get good caramelization, make sure the salmon is dried thoroughly.
- Salmon can become over cooked really fast (within minutes), pay close attention and use a timer if necessary when broiling, grilling, baking or even pan frying salmon.
- You can substitute grape-seed oil for a really good olive oil.
- This salmon recipe cooks fast, make sure your sides are ready ahead of time.
- Use a quarter size baking sheet instead of a larger one to keep the lemon garlic vinaigrette from spreading too much away from the salmon.
Terryg50
Everything in your recipes are great 👍
Cree
Hey Terry - I appreciate your kind words. Thanks so much for visiting. Take care ~ Cree