American · Free recipe
Crispy-Skin Salmon Fillets
Bone-dry skin, a hot pan, and a little patience give these salmon fillets a crackling, potato-chip crust while the flesh stays rosy and moist. A quick lemon-caper butter spooned over at the end adds brightness without softening that hard-won crunch.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Method
-
Pat the salmon very dry on all sides, scrape the back of a knife along the skin to squeeze out moisture, and let the fillets sit uncovered for 10 minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper.
-
Heat the oil in a large stainless or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke.
-
Lay the fillets in skin-side down, pressing each firmly with a fish spatula for 15 seconds so the skin stays flat against the pan.
-
Lower the heat to medium and cook without moving for 6 to 8 minutes until the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way up the sides and the skin releases easily.
-
Flip and cook for 30 to 60 seconds for medium, then move the fillets to a plate skin-side up.
-
Pour off the oil, add the butter and capers, and swirl for 1 minute until the butter foams and smells nutty, then add the lemon juice and dill and spoon the sauce around, not over, the skin.
Zest note from the test kitchen
If the fillet sticks when you try to flip, wait another minute; properly crisped skin lets go of the pan on its own.
