Pan Seared Salmon With Cucumber Salad

This easy seared salmon recipe is topped with a fresh cucumber based salad and takes less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish! Top it off with a cucumber and onion salad for the perfect essence that everyone is guaranteed to love!

Salmon is not only a quick and easy dinner, but it's also extremely healthy. It takes no effort to make and everything can be made in one skillet. Pan seared salmon recipes like this one and my Salmon Fillets in Dill-Pepperoncini Cream Sauce are the best fish dinners because they provide amazing flavor and are done and ready to eat in no time flat!

What You Need To Know About Salmon

The two most popular types are Atlantic and Sockeye. I like both, but for this recipe I use Sockeye. Here's the difference:

• Sockeye Salmon is considered wild and is typically referred to as “red salmon”. I mean, look at it below. It has an amazing color!! The reason is because they return upriver to their spawning grounds and as they do, the fish change from a blush color to an amazing red color. Personally, this is my favorite type because it has a rich full flavor and also a firm texture.
• Atlantic Salmon is typically farmed and is a little less rich in taste. It is a mild-tasting, paler "pink colored" fish.

Regardless of what type you choose for this Pan Seared Salmon recipe, they are both incredibly healthy. Both types are rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Ingredients You'll Need

You'll need 4 salmon fillets. For the salad, all you need are 4 basic ingredients. I often use an English cucumber instead of a regular cucumber because it's generally a bit sweeter. Leave the peeling on the cucumber. Lots of nutrients are in the skin.

How to Pan Sear Salmon

It's a simple process. When the olive oil has heated, place the fillets in the pan. If skinless, sear one side for 3-4 minutes on medium to medium-high heat. Then flip it over and do the same for the other side.

I've made this seared salmon with both the skin on and off. Wild salmon tends to be sold with the skin attached. Atlantic salmon is typically sold skinless. When I sear it with the skin on, I sear it skin side down. The heat will cook through the skin until it's done. Sear it on medium heat and move the filet around a bit to avoid burning the skin. To add a little extra flavor, I do like to flip it over to sear it skin side up for 2-3 minutes.

So let's jump into it. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to each fillet and then place the raw fillets in a pan. Pour in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and sear on the stove top for a total of 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.

While it is searing, start making the cucumber salad. Finely chop the cucumber, red onion, and cilantro. Add the chopped ingredients and the juice of 1 lime to a bowl and mix together.Let it sit for about 5-7 minutes. This allows all those flavors to really come together.

Once done, top it off with the cucumber salad. Grab a fork because it's ready to eat!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Additional Ingredient Options - I often add chopped jalapeno to the salad to provide a little spice. To add more heat, just add in some jalapeno seeds. Fresh chopped garlic and capers are also great adds.
• Storage - fresh is best but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store the cucumber salad in a separate container.
• Nutrition - research shows that wild salmon provides more omega 3 fatty acids than Atlantic salmon. Regardless of the type of you eat, salmon contains Vitamin B, Phosphorus, High Protein, Omega 3-fatty acids, Selenium, and Vitamin B12. So eat it up!
• When is pan seared salmon done? - It's recommended to cook it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. But here's how I check for doneness.
  • The color will change from a red color to an opaque pinkish color when it's done.
  • After 6 minutes of searing, check for doneness by inserting a fork.
  • If it easily flakes, it's done. If not, keep searing for a few more minutes.
• Can you eat the salmon skin? I don't, but some people do eat the skin. If you cook the skin correctly, it is crispy, full of flavor, and has a lot of minerals and nutrition. It's a personal choice.

Other Salmon Fillet Recipes

• One Pan Pistachio Salmon
• Maple-Chipotle Grilled Salmon
• Roasted Salmon with Dijon Dill Sauce
• Salmon Fillets in Dill-Pepperoncini Cream Sauce

Pan Seared Salmon With Cucumber Salad

This easy seared salmon recipe is topped with a cucumber salad and takes less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish! Top it off with a cucumber and onion salad for the perfect essence that everyone is guaranteed to love!

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American, Fish

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 6 ounce boneless salmon fillets
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 lime
• ▢ ½ cucumber, diced
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons red onion, minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cilantro, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, fresh cracked
• ▢ 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, optional

Instructions

• Remove the pith from the lime and finely dice the flesh of the lime.
• In a small bowl, lightly mash the lime with the fork to release some of the lime juice and then stir in the jalapeño pepper (optional), cucumber, onion, cilantro, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside and let the salsa ingredients marinate together.
• Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Season the salmon with a pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Sauté the salmon, skin side down, until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes.
• Carefully flip the salmon and continue to cook until flesh is opaque and flakes easily when a fork is inserted...about 4 minutes more.
• Transfer salmon to plates and spoon cucumber salsa over top.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

• Additional Ingredient Options - I often add chopped jalapeno to the salad to provide a little spice. To add more heat, just add in some jalapeno seeds. Fresh chopped garlic and capers are also great adds.
• Storage - fresh is best but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store the cucumber salad in a separate container.
• Nutrition - Some research shows that wild salmon provides more omega 3 fatty acids than Atlantic salmon. Regardless of the type of you eat, it contains Vitamin B, Phosphorus, High Protein, Omega 3-fatty acids, Selenium, and Vitamin B12. So eat it up!

FAQs

• How do you pan fry salmon? - It's a simple process. When the olive oil has heated, place the fillets in the pan. If skinless, sear one side for 3-4 minutes on medium to medium-high heat. Then flip it over and do the same for the other side.
• Can you pan fry salmon with skin on? - I've made this recipe with both the skin on and off. Wild salmon tends to be sold with the skin attached. Atlantic salmon is typically sold skinless. When I sear it with the skin on, I sear it skin side down. The heat will cook through the skin until it's done. Sear it on medium heat and move the filet around a bit to avoid burning the skin.
• When is pan seared salmon done? - It's recommended to cook it to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. But here's how I check for doneness.
  • The color will change from a red color to an opaque pinkish color when it's done.
  • After 6 minutes of searing, check for doneness by inserting a fork.
  • If it easily flakes, it's done.
• Can you eat the salmon skin? I don't, but some people do eat the skin. If you cook the skin correctly, it is crispy, full of flavor, and has a lot of minerals and nutrition. It's a personal choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1filet | Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 6.3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2016, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions and tips in February, 2020.