12 Ways To Cook Delicious Salmon

Though tuna may hold the distinction, salmon is arguably the true chicken of the sea. It's versatile, abundant, and consumed by the masses. In fact, a National Fisheries Institute study shows that salmon is the second most consumed seafood product in the United States, behind shrimp.

As much as you can't deny salmon's dominance in the seafood industry, this pink-fleshed fish has gained quite a reputation among many food lovers as being boring and drab. (You'll find similar critiques of the humble chicken breast.) Eating the same meals over and over again can make anyone grow tired, but the beauty of a protein like this fish is that there are infinite culinary possibilities. 

We're highlighting some of the best methods for cooking salmon and the tips you need to make it delicious every time. Before you give up on America's favorite fish, consider changing up your routine with a different cooking style. Within each category, you can find plenty of ways to make it your own.

Impeccably roasted salmon should be tender and juicy, not dry and flavorless. The most common mistake with baking salmon is overcooking it. With some of the guidance out there, it is not surprising to see why this happens.

The oven temperature as well as the size and thickness of the fillets will dictate cooking time, but you will know it's done when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. For our lemon-garlic baked salmon recipe, we recommend setting the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with a cook time of around 20 minutes. The higher the temperature, the cooking time will shorten, but so does the margin for error. With the oven set to 450, you have to watch closely to ensure you don't overcook the fish. You are also more likely to get that unpleasant albumin (aka the white stuff on salmon) at higher temperatures. When you see that white substance on your salmon, all is not lost; it's simply the coagulation of naturally occurring proteins in the fish, and perfectly safe to eat. You just might not like the look of it.

For best results, roast salmon skin-side down. Even if you don't intend to eat the skin, keeping it attached will help protect the fish from overcooking and limit the occurrence of albumin. Like with pan-searing, baked salmon is a versatile main dish that goes well with a variety of foods but especially roasted vegetables.

Poaching is an age-old fine dining technique for a reason and using it for salmon will result in a clean, classic look and flavor. It's ideal for when you find yourself with skinless salmon fillets because when you poach fish, you don't have to worry about it drying out without the skin. The salmon will retain moisture and will gently flake apart with gentle pressure from your fork.

Your poached fish will be even more delicious if you follow this one simple trick: Use a flavorful liquid. All you need is water to poach salmon, but it will taste far better if you amp up the flavor in your poaching liquid. Add aromatics and a little vinegar to the water, or substitute the water completely for another liquid, such as wine, cider, or coconut milk. Don't forget to season your poaching liquid with salt. If you season the surface of the fish just before cooking, the salt will wash off in the liquid. 

Poached salmon benefits from a spoonful of sauce, such as beurre blanc or creamy dill yogurt. It'll also pair well with a variety of vegetable side dishes,  asparagus being one of the most time-honored examples. 

It's no secret that Marylanders love their crab cakes. Although they are a mid-Atlantic specialty, the savory seafood discs are found on restaurant menus all over the country. Salmon cakes are a similar concept, but they are given considerably less attention.

A dish with a thousand names, you might also see slight variations called salmon "patties," "fritters," or "croquettes." Whatever you want to call them, this is an excellent way to use up leftover salmon. If you are on a budget you can also make a very affordable dish feel gourmet with canned salmon. While the cost of seafood is generally already high, it is expected that salmon prices will continue to increase due to rising ocean temperatures that affect production.

We developed our recipe for pan-fried salmon croquettes using canned salmon, fresh herbs and vegetables, breadcrumbs, and Old Bay. Salmon cakes yearn for a creamy sauce to accompany them, and a combination of sour cream, lemon, and dill certainly fits the bill.

A versatile technique that can be used with a variety of cooking methods, glazing salmon is a great way to impart added flavor. You can add a glaze to all sorts of salmon dishes from baked to grilled. Simply put, a glaze is a shiny coating on food, and most are made by reducing some combination of sugar and liquid. Glazes tend to add sweetness and sometimes a touch of heat to your fish, but you have to be careful when using this type of sauce. The sugars make them more prone to burning and a scorched glaze will taste bitter and unappetizing. 

In our recipe for bourbon glazed salmon, we reduced brown sugar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, garlic, and bourbon until it thickens. Brush the glaze onto the salmon before cooking to ensure it caramelizes in the oven as the fish bakes. The beauty of glazes is that you can try different flavor profiles every time. Just keep in mind that salmon in this style will take a little longer to cook because you have to make the glaze first.

Smoked salmon and lox are terms that tend to get used interchangeably although they are not quite the same. The real difference between smoked salmon and lox is that the latter is only salt-cured while the former is cured and then smoked. Lox, which comes from the Yiddish word "laks" (which means salmon) is traditionally made only from the salmon belly, while smoked salmon could take be prepared via any part of the fish. Smoked salmon can also be cold-smoked or hot-smoked. When it is cold-smoked, it closely resembles lox, understandably causing linguistic confusion.

Whatever you prefer, smoked or cured salmon is a treat like none other. Its silky, buttery texture and rich taste make it feel like a luxury item. You can even make it yourself if you have a few days to wait for the final results. Whether you go homemade or store-bought that are plenty of ways to make the most out of your prized salmon. Bagels with cream cheese, lox, sliced red onion, and capers are a classic Jewish deli combo. Feel free add whatever toppings you like or even switch out the cream cheese for avocado. Smoked or cured salmon can also be a great salad topper or incorporated into a pasta dish for a buttery finish.

The term cooking typically elicits images of heat: wood-fired ovens, gas stoves, electric cooktops, etc. However, it can also mean the act of preparing food for consumption. When it comes to salmon, raw preparations have just as much merit as cooked techniques. There is no shortage of raw salmon dishes from around the world for you to try. 

In Italian cuisine, you've got crudo and carpaccio. In fact, carpaccio is a subcategory of crudo where the fish is sliced or pounded very thin. (Crudo simply means "raw" in Italian.) Travel across the globe to Japan, and you'll find the ever popular sashimi (simply prepared slices of raw fish), nigiri (sliced raw fish over a mound of rice), and sushi (a broader term for a dish of rice wrapped in seaweed with fresh ingredients like seafood, often raw). Another Pacific island, Hawaii offers us poke. Japanese influences are noted in this dish mouthwatering dish that includes cubes of raw fish that are often dressed with ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, and topped with sesame seeds.

If you are wondering if it is safe to eat raw salmon, the answer is: it depends. High-quality salmon that was flash-frozen is considered the safest to consume since the super cold temperatures are designed to kill potential parasites.