Cast Iron Skillet Salmon

This salmon cooked in a cast iron skillet makes a healthy and gluten-free weeknight supper so simple! A delicious cajun-spice coated salmon fillet gets a sear in the cast iron pan and then finished in the oven. Served on rice and with a lemon wedge, this is a near perfect meal.

Cooking salmon has never been easier!

This fool-proof recipe for cooking salmon in a cast iron skillet turns out perfectly every dang time.

Inspired by my recipe for Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast, this salmon recipe uses the skillet in the same way: searing first then finishing in the oven.

Be sure to make some fluffy basmati rice to go with the salmon or get your greens in with this Easy Butter Lettuce and Pomegranate Salad.

Jump to:

• 📝Ingredients
• 🔪Instructions
• 🥘What to serve with this cast iron salmon
• 💃Variations
• 🥣Equipment
• ❓Is cast iron good for salmon?
• 🥡Storage
• ✅Top tips
• 🌊What's the difference between Atlantic and Pacific Salmon?
• 🙋‍♀️Is salmon skin good for you?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

📝Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this salmon recipe:

• Salmon fillets with the skin on (if you don't have salmon with the skin on, consider making this Easy Baked Salmon with Mayo or Easy Baked Salmon with Mango Salsa)
• Butter
• Cajun seasoning - I like this gluten-free one from Clubhouse or you can make your own, check out this one from the Recipe Critic
• Lemons for serving

See recipe card for quantities and detailed instructions.

🔪Instructions

Here's what you'll do to make the salmon in a cast iron skillet:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan.
3. Pat the fillets dry and coat the top in the cajun seasoning.
4. Once the butter is melted and starts to bubble, add the salmon fillets, skin side down to the pan.
5. Let the salmon cook for 3 minutes and don't flip it! As it cooks, spoon some of the melted butter overtop.
6. After 3 minutes, place the whole pan into the oven to finish cooking the salmon.
7. Depending on the size of the fillets, it will take another 10-13 minutes to cook in the oven.

Hint: if you're going for that crispy salmon skin, getting it as dry as possible first will help. Pat the fillets down with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Don't forget to dry the skin side too!

You can also place in the fridge on a paper towel lined plate for a few minutes before cooking. This also helps to remove moisture.

Another way you can get the salmon skin super crispy is to sprinkle the skin-side only with a light dusting of some gluten-free flour before cooking in the cast iron pan.

🥘What to serve with this cast iron salmon

Salmon is a type of fish that goes with so many things!

Below are some of my favourite healthy side-dishes to serve with salmon.

First, I will say I also love to keep it simple.

Lightly steamed veggies - like broccoli or green beans, and steamed basmati rice are my favourite things to serve with salmon.

It keeps it easy, delicious and gluten-free. And not to mention healthy!

Here are some ways to change it up from the can't-go-wrong sides of veggies and rice:

• Steamed green beans with a little olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese on top
• A salad like this Easy Butter Lettuce and Pomegranate Salad or this one: Simple Romaine Salad with Radish and Parmesan
• Make 2 side dishes in one with Simple Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes (one pan)!
• Can't go wrong with some lovely steamed basmati rice and this Yummy Mango Salsa
• Take basmati rice up a notch! Make Spinach and Lime Basmati Rice: make 1 cup of rice (about 3 cups after cooking) according to package instructions except use vegetable broth instead of water. Once rice is done cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot oven medium heat. Add 4-5 cups of fresh baby spinach, sprinkle with Kosher salt and stir constantly while the spinach cooks down. Add rice on top and stir to combine; remove from heat. Grate the rind of 1 lime over top and squeeze the juice of the lime into the rice and spinach. Serve warm with a cajun salmon fillet on top

💃Variations

Being a spicy salmon recipe, the cajun seasoning is there to really bring the heat🔥

If you're not a fan of the spice, check out these other options for flavouring the salmon:

• Mayonnaise - I know. It sounds kinda strange but trust me on this one. Mayo on salmon works! Just smear some mayo on top of the salmon before you sear it in the cast iron pan. The mayo will help keep it moist while it finishes cooking in the oven. Or check out Easy Baked Salmon with Mayo for more details and tips
• Maple syrup - if you love salmon like I do, then you've probably had this tried-and-true pairing of maple flavour and salmon. It's popular for a reason: it's delicious! Marinade the salmon fillets for 30 minutes in a combo of maple syrup, a little gluten-free soy sauce, crushed garlic, onion powder and fresh ground pepper. Bake in a 400 degree F pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or until done
• Lemon and dijon mustard - another classic, this combo of lemon and mustard, with a clove of crushed garlic and some salt, pairs perfectly with salmon. Just coat the top of the salmon with the lemon+dijon before searing
• Keepin' it Simple - if you're looking to keep it simple, sprinkle some Kosher salt over the fish and top with slices of lemon before searing. You can't go wrong just letting the delicious salmon flavour shine through😄

🥣Equipment

Of course, we're cooking in cast iron for this recipe but maybe you haven't taken the jump into cast iron yet?

No problem-o😄

Any pan that will go from the stovetop into the oven will work.

Check the bottom of your pan or the manufacture's website if you're not sure.

❓Is cast iron good for salmon?

Cooking salmon in a cast iron skillet is an easy and effective way to cook this delicious fish.

Just make sure the cut of salmon you're cooking has the skin still on it. This will make it easier to sear it in the cast iron pan. The skin holds the salmon together while it gets a nice sear from the hot skillet.

The salmon skin can also get nice and crispy when you cook it in a cast iron skillet.

But if you're wondering if salmon is better in the oven or skillet, both are great ways to cook salmon - just with different benefits.

If you like crispier salmon skin, then go for the cast iron skillet method.

Baking in the oven totally works too though. If you bake the salmon in the oven, you can eat the skin as it is or if you don't like the texture of non-crispy salmon skin, just skip it.

🥡Storage

Leftover salmon is good for up to 2 days in the fridge.

My favourite way to use up leftover cooked salmon is to have it with some simple scrambled eggs the next morning. Yum yum😋

✅Top tips

Don't overcook the salmon!

It can be easy to do, especially if your fillets are small - say ~4 oz (around the size of a deck of cards.)

To prevent overcooking with smaller fillets, reduce the cook time in the oven.

Once you put the salmon into the pre-heated oven to finish baking, check it after 5 minutes.

If it's not done (see below for how to tell), put it back in and check it after another 3-4 minutes.

How to know when the salmon is done

To know when your salmon is done baking, you can either:

• Check the internal temperature with a good instant read thermometer. The salmon is done when the thermometer reads 145 degrees F. This has to be in the thickest part of the fish
• Or, you can test for doneness using the "fork method": when the salmon flakes easily with a fork, in the thickest part of the salmon, it's done

If you're using small fillets, cook for about 3-4 additional minutes (after searing in the cast iron pan first) in the oven.

If you use a large piece like the one in the photos or a large piece of Coho salmon, cook for an additional 10-13 minutes in the oven.

🌊What's the difference between Atlantic and Pacific Salmon?

Generally speaking, farmed salmon is from the Atlantic Ocean and wild salmon is from the Pacific. To be sure, you'd have to ask where you buy your salmon.

Check at the store where you purchase your salmon or if you're buying frozen, check the label on the packaging.

Wherever possible, choose "wild caught" salmon. There are significant environmental concerns related to the practices of farming salmon.

More on the types of salmon here.

If you, or someone else in your family isn't a big fan of strong salmon flavours - like my hubby, try wild Coho Salmon. It has a really nice, mild salmon flavour and the fish flakes well when cooked.

🙋‍♀️Is salmon skin good for you?

We know that those omega 3 fatty acids that are soooo good for us are swimming around (ha!) in the salmon flesh.

But what about the skin of the salmon?

Well, the healthy omega 3 fats are actually in the skin too! The skin on salmon is generally safe to eat and provides the omega 3 fats, B vitamins and selenium - the same nutrition that the salmon flesh provides.

The only time you would consider skipping the skin is when the salmon is farmed.

Farmed salmon typically has higher than safe levels of pollutants stored in the skin. Avoid buying farmed salmon if you can. If you can't, don't eat the skin.

Otherwise, the skin on wild salmon is not only fine to eat, it's packed with nutrition so dig in!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

If you do, please rate and comment below - I love hearing from you😄

~April

📖 Recipe