Salmon is an amazing protein. It is delicious, packed with nutrients, and superbly versatile. It can be enjoyed in many different ways, whether it’s fried, oven-cooked, smoked, grilled, or even raw. For some people, however, salmon can be quite tricky to deal with and a challenge to get the cook right. What does cooked salmon look like? And how do you know when it is fully cooked?
Cooking Salmon 101
Getting that balance of juicy, tender, refreshing, and flavorful fish requires some skills and timing. But like any skill, it can be learned. So how can you tell your salmon is perfectly cooked? What does cooked salmon look like? Overcook it just for a couple of minutes and you will end up with dry, opaque orange and super-firm, chalky, and mealy fish. Cook it too fast and you can get soft and spongy meat that feels more like eating raw salmon.So what does cooked salmon look like?
A nicely cooked salmon looks opaque and slightly pinkish white on the outside and translucent pink on the inside. If it looks light on the outside and opaque pink, it is overcooked. If it is dark pink on the inside, then it’s undercooked or even raw.
Here’s how to cook that perfect salmon
Cooking salmon is not rocket science. You need to know the appearance of a cooked salmon and the right internal temperature to aim for to be able to tell when it’s ready.Get a food thermometer
Start with a food thermometer. This is the most accurate way to tell if your meat is cooked on the inside. It can be tricky just by looking at the appearance of the meat from the outside. The only way to know for sure that it’s done is by checking the internal temperature. Note that there are many different types of salmon to choose from – Atlantic, Coho, Chinook/King, Pink, Red, etc. They also come in different thickness and parts in the supermarket. Thus, each piece will cook differently. The exact timing can vary slightly every time you cook it. When using a thermometer, insert the probe at the thickest part of the protein. Make sure the internal temperature is around 125˚ to 130˚ F at the middle of a medium cooked salmon. Note that the meat will continue to cook even after you remove it from the heat. 110˚F is considered raw, while above 140˚F will leave you with overcooked and dry fish. If you like your fish medium rare, then you can stop at 120˚F.Check the color and texture
While cooking, take note of the color changes in your meat. The fish should turn from dark pink to lighter in color. Cooked salmon looks opaque and pinkish white on the exterior and translucent pink in the interior.Cake tester method
Another easy way to check the doneness of your fish is to use a cake tester (long, thin, metal rod used for checking cake’s doneness). Insert the rod at the thickest part of the fillet for around three seconds. Pull the metal gently and touch it on the skin below your bottom lip. If the metal feels warm, the fish is done. If it is cool, then it needs more time to heat and cook.Butter knife method
This is quite similar to the method mentioned above. Simply insert the butter knife at the thickest part of the meat for three to five seconds before pulling it out. Press the butter knife gently to your lower lip to feel the temperature. Warm means it’s cooked, while cold means it needs a little more time to cook.Salmon timetable for cooking
As said earlier, salmon can be enjoyed in different ways. Different types of cooking, of course, have different guidelines. The cooking time also depends on the thickness of the cut. Here’s a quick guideline for different ways to cook salmon.- Baked salmon: 13 – 15 minutes at 325˚ F
- Broiled salmon: 4 – 5 minutes for thin, 7 – 10 minutes for one-inch thick salmon cut
- Grilled salmon: 7 minutes (375˚ – 450˚F) on medium-high heat
- Pan Seared salmon: 4-8 minutes on medium-high heat (2 to 3 minutes skin side up, 2 to 5 minutes on the other side)
Additional Salmon Cooking Tips
Here are more tips to perfect your salmon.
