Who doesn’t love cooking pink salmon? This fish is delicious and very versatile. In this blog post, you will learn how to cook the perfect pink salmon every single time. You’ll also find out what cooking tools are needed for cooking a great piece of pink salmon.
What to look out for when buying pink salmon.
First of all, what is pink salmon? Pink salmon are the smallest of all Pacific Salmon found in North America. They weigh around 3-5 pounds and average to be 20-25 inches long.
When you buy pink salmon, it’s important to know that the fish should be fresh and not spoiled. The best way of telling if a piece is bad or good before purchase is by smelling it, spoilage will usually show itself in an unpleasant odor which can also taint the flavor.
How to cook pink salmon 4 different ways
Before cooking pink salmon, there’s one important rule to remember. Every single fillet has some little bones in the middle that needs to be removed with your fingers or tweezers.
Every single one needs to go so they don’t get stuck in your throat and ruin your dinner. Take a finger from the left hand and skim over the line in the middle of your fillets, every time you feel something hard pull them out with tweezers or pliers!
What kind of kitchen tools do you need?
Before you start with all these amazing tips and tricks, the most important thing are your kitchen tools. Here are some of our favorites:
- Utopia Kitchen Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Set 3-Piece
- ClingWrap Plastic Food Wrap
- Ultra-Thick Heavy Duty Household Aluminum Foil
- Cooks Standard Hard Anodized Nonstick Square Grill Pan
- Baking Sheet & Rack Set (3 Sheets & 3 Racks)
How to oven bake pink salmon.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius. Line aluminum foil along with a baking sheet and place your pink salmon on top of it; season with salt, pepper, olive oil, or cooking spray before cooking for 15-20 minutes until fish is cooked through. Once finished cooking, serve immediately!
You don’t want to overcook your pink salmon, undercooking your salmon fillet a little is currently okay! but always make sure that your fillet is super fresh.
How do you grill pink salmon?
I’m a big fan of salmon, and I love grilling with skin on. It gives the fish an added flavor that just makes it all the more delicious! So here are my tips for perfect grilled pink salmon:
Brush both sides of your fillet in olive oil then season each side with salt and pepper to taste before putting them on a hot grill, cook one side first (skin-side down) until you can see some white lines forming – this means that there’s enough heat from below cooking through, so flip over onto their second surface. Cook 5-6 minutes or until they come lose easily off the grill
How to pan-fry pink salmon
Season your pink salmon fillets with pepper and salt. Heat up some coconut oil or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat before cooking both sides of the filet for about four minutes on each side. Then add chopped garlic (optional), lemon juice, and chopped fresh dill into the pan for an extra punch of flavor.
Marinated pink salmon
Eating pink salmon raw is delicious when making sushi and it’s okay to eat raw pink salmon. But buy the freshest, most high-quality fish for your best experience! If you have a little time on your hand, try this marinated salmon recipe!
- Place 2 pink fillets on one piece of plastic wrap with the skin facing down.
- Cover the fillets completely with a layer of brown sugar, sea salt, and dill.
- You should put them in the fridge and marinate them for at least 12 hours.
- After marinating for 12 hours remove the brown sugar, sea salt, and dill under running water.
- Now you can slice thin slices of pink salmon gravadlax, and you have a delicious salmon appetizer!
How do you know when pink salmon is done?
Before we go we wanna give you 2 tricks to make sure your pink salmon is cooked to perfection!
- Salmon will change from dark pink to light pink as it cooks. After 6-8 minutes of cooking, check for doneness by taking a sharp knife and peeking into the thickest part. If the meat is beginning to flake but still has some dark pink color in the middle when you cut through it, then your salmon should be done!
- One of the best ways to tell if your salmon fillet is cooked through and ready for serving (You need some cooking experience for this one), would be by pressing the thickest part of the fish. If it’s firm but bounces back a little this means that you’re in pink salmon is done!
