Learn how to broil salmon so that it’s perfectly cooked with great flavor. It only takes about 10 minutes to cook salmon this way.
Looking to find out how to broil salmon so that it’s juicy and flaky with deliciously crispy skin? You’re in the right place. With the high heat of the broiler, you can have salmon that is cooked to perfection in about 10 minutes.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: Easy Broiled Salmon
Ingredients
I’ve kept this salmon recipe fairly simple because I want to highlight the beautiful salmon flavor as well as the technique of broiling the salmon. So the only ingredients that are required are a side of salmon, oil, salt, and some garlic powder.
Can you add other seasonings? Absolutely. Add in some black pepper, lemon pepper, or even some paprika. Squeezing some lemon juice on the salmon at the end or serving with a sauce is also delicious.
Note that if you have skin-on salmon fillets that are a single portion each, you can broil those using the same exact method.
How To Broil Salmon Perfectly
As we know, the best way to get crispy-skinned salmon is to broil it skin-side-up. So, when I was experimenting with the best way to broil salmon, I compared broiling it skin-side-up to broiling it skin-side down. What I found is that not only does broiling it skin-side-up get you that glorious crispy salmon skin (it’s like salmon bacon!), but you also get really juicy meat because the skin is protecting it from the intense heat of the broiler elements. So then, the best way to broil salmon is skin-side-up.
Note that even if you don’t want to eat the salmon skin, I still recommend that you broil the salmon this way. When salmon is broiled without the skin over it, it gets quite dry across the top. Leave the skin on, broil it skin-side-up, and then remove the skin before serving. It will pull off very easily and you’ll be left with beautifully cooked salmon.
How Long To Broil Salmon?
Since broiling cooks at a high heat, it doesn’t take very long to broil salmon. Plan for 7-10 minutes of total cooking time per inch of thickness of your salmon.
For example, most Atlantic salmon is about 1 inch at its thickest point, so about 7 minutes under the broiler will yield a medium fillet. For a more well-done fillet, once the skin is bubbling and darkened, you’ll want to transfer it to a lower rack in the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes. King salmon from the Pacific is usually a little thicker, so you’ll need a little more time.
The USDA recommends that salmon be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F. I recommend using an instant read thermometer to check, but you can also cut into the middle to see if the salmon flakes easily with a fork. If you like your salmon less well-done than the safety recommendation, you can adjust your cooking time downwards.
More Delicious Salmon Recipes
You can browse my full collection of seafood recipes, or stick with salmon with some of the great recipes below.
Podcast Episode: Broiling Salmon
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this salmon, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
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How to Broil Salmon Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Broil
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Learn how to broil salmon so that it’s perfectly cooked with great flavor. It only takes about 10 minutes to cook salmon this way.
Ingredients
- 2 – 2.5 lb. side of salmon, with skin*
- 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position and a second oven rack to the lower-middle position. Preheat broiler to high.
- Place the salmon on a sturdy baking sheet or broiling pan skin-side-down. Brush the flesh of the salmon all over with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and with all of the garlic powder.
- Flip the salmon over. Brush the skin with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle it with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Place pan in the oven on the upper-middle rack. Broil until skin is bubbling and dark in places, 5-7 minutes.
- Once the skin has crisped sufficiently, test to see if the salmon is cooked to your liking by cutting into the middle to check how flaky it is, or use an instant-read thermometer. If the salmon needs more time to cook, move the pan to the lower-middle position in the oven to continue to broil less closely until cooked to desired doneness.**
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Notes
*If you have individually portioned skin-on salmon fillets, you will cook them in exactly the same way as described above. If your salmon does not have skin, you can also cook it like the above, however, you will move it down as soon as the top of the salmon is lightly browned and then finish cooking it lower in the oven.
**Plan for 7-10 minutes of total cooking time per inch of salmon. For example, most Atlantic salmon is about 1 inch at its thickest point, so about 7 minutes under the broiler will yield a medium fillet. For a more well-done fillet, you will transfer it lower in the oven for 3-5 minutes for a more well done fillet. The USDA recommends that salmon be cooked to 145°F internally.
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