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Home » Recipes » Dinner » Fish + Seafood » Cast Iron Salmon

Feb 28, 2020(updated July 6, 2022)

Cast Iron Salmon

4.13 from 66 votes
By Dani Spies
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

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Cast iron salmon is rich, moist and delicious and so easy to make! Using just 4-ingredients you can have crispy skin salmon in just 20 minutes.  A super simple weeknight meal and a great head start ingredient for a busy week.

fork cutting into fish

Cast iron salmon is one of my favorite ways to make this fish.  It’s super easy to do and results in a moist and flakey salmon filet with super crispy skin.  Serve this up with a couple of simple sides (we love asparagus + rice pilaf) and you’ll have a delicious and nutritious dinner ready to go any night of the week.

salmon in cast iron skillet

Which Is The Healthiest Salmon To Eat?

Wild salmon is the healthier option but that doesn’t mean that you can’t buy a good quality farmed salmon.

I actually recommend using farm-raised salmon for this recipe, because it has a higher fat content and holds up really well to this high-heat cooking technique.  However, I love using wild salmon when making baked salmon.

When buying farmed salmon, look for salmon that is raised in the United States, Canada, Norway and Scotland.  These are the areas with the best farming practices.

How To Cook Cast Iron Salmon In The Oven?

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and place the pan in the oven.  Allow the pan to get nice and hot while your oven heats up.  This results in a nice crispy skin.
  2. Pat the salmon filets dry and season the salmon skin with kosher salt.
  3. Place the seasoned salmon, skin side down in the hot pan (be sure to grease the pan first).
  4. Season the top of the salmon with a little extra salt and some black pepper.
  5. Pop the pan back in the oven and cook for 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness of your salmon filets.

This very simple cooking technique results in a super moist and flavorful salmon with nice crispy skin.

What Is The White Stuff On My Salmon When I Cook It?

It’s a coagulated protein from the muscle fibers in the salmon and is nothing to worry about, it’s 100% safe to eat.

Rumor has it that a quick brine can help to eliminate this, but I have never actually tried it myself.  In all honesty, the white stuff doesn’t really bug me.

cast iron salmon with rice and asparagus

fork cutting into fish
Print Recipe
4.13 from 66 votes

Cast Iron Salmon

Salmon is an easy and delicious weeknight meal. Make an extra sevring to have on hand as a head start ingrednet for a busy week.
Course: DINNER, LUNCH
Cuisine: American, dairy free, gluten free, low carb + keto, Paleo
Author: Dani Spies
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 173kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces salmon, cut into 4 ounce filets
  • 1 teaspoon ghee, or coconut or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt,
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 450 Fahrenheit and place 12-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to heat up.
  • Use a paper towel to pat both sides of salmon dry. If the skin is wet, it won't get crispy.
    patting salmon with paper towel
  • Season the salmon skin with kosher salt.
    sprinkling salt on salmon skin
  • Carefully, remove hot pan from the oven and melt ghee in the pan.
    ghee melting in hot pan
  • Add salmon, skin side down, to the pan. You want to hear a sizzling sear when it hits the pan. Season top of salmon with a little more salt and black pepper and place in the oven for about 15 minutes.*
    seasoning salmon in cast iron skillet
  • Once the salmon is opaque and flaky and opaque, it's ready to serve. I usually just stick a fork in and twist to make sure my salmon is done.
    flaking off the salmon with a fork
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*General rule of thumb is to cook for 4-6 minutes per every 1/2 inch of thickness.  So be sure to adjust cook time as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1salmon filet | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Dairy Free, Fish + Seafood, Gluten Free, How-To, Low Carb + Keto, Nut Free, Paleo, Video, Whole 30

About Dani Spies

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.

Learn MoreWork With Me

Reader Interactions

Yum! I love this recipe.

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    If you loved this recipe please leave a comment and star rating below. Questions are also welcome. Cheers!

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    Comments

  1. Rhonda L McKenna says

    June 11, 2020 at 6:03 pm

    5 stars
    This is the fastest, easiest, BEST way I have found to cook salmon!! I was amazing. I want to try again with wild salmon because I’m still not sold on the farm salmon, but I used it here because that is what Dani recommended. I will say the farm salmon is much better, but then I love fat lol. I need to do more research on the farmed salmon subject.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      June 13, 2020 at 11:04 am

      I have been experimenting with the wild salmon as well … it’s a little drier but still delish!

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    October 29, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it. We’ve always fixed it on the grill but decided to try this tonight. It was so good.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      October 30, 2020 at 8:48 am

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!

      Reply
  3. Meagan says

    April 16, 2021 at 7:09 pm

    5 stars
    By far our favorite salmon recipe. We make it about once a week or every 10 days. Haha

    Reply
  4. Crystal says

    January 18, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing and perfect for a work week. Super easy.

    Reply
  5. Andrew Winfield says

    January 27, 2022 at 10:34 am

    5 stars
    Interesting article…. Can I cook skinless salmon in iron cast skillet with Ghee, will it slick on it without skin? Let me know soon… I plan cooking it soon afternoon, thanks….

    Reply
    • Dani says

      January 27, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      Good Q! I would think yes. Would love to hear how it goes!

      Reply

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