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!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 279kcal
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