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Regardless of which of the cooking methods you pick, use the recipe below to season your frozen salmon and cook it to perfection!
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Can You Cook Frozen Salmon without Thawing It?
Yes! As a matter of fact, cooking frozen salmon has become one of my go-to hacks for nights when I need to get a meal for my family on the table quickly!
You can cook salmon and serve it as the main part of the meal and pair it with a healthy side dish or use it in a recipe with salmon, there’s no need to thaw it out to benefit from eating it.
Below, you’ll learn how to cook frozen salmon in a few different ways, and the methods applied to frozen salmon with and without skin!
How to Pan Fry Frozen Salmon
The first time I cooked frozen salmon on a pan, I was surprised at how great it turned out! Since then, I’ve stopped stressing whether or not my salmon was thawed out and followed these simple steps for great results.
- Pat it dry
With a paper towel, pat dry the salmon. Even if it’s still frozen solid, this will help any seasoning stick. - Preheat the pan
Heat a pan over medium-high heat. This is the key to achieving a seared crust on frozen salmon just like you get when you pan-sear salmon that’s been thawed, is to get the pan nice and hot first. - Add oil
Once the pan is hot, add the oil. Once hot, distribute the oil around the pan. - Cook the first side
Place the salmon skin side up on the pan. If you have skinless salmon, the top side is the presentation side, usually oval, this goes down first. Cook the first side for 4 minutes, until it’s browned, and flip it over. - Season the salmon
After you flip the salmon over, season it with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasoning for salmon. - Cook the second side, covered
Once flipped, add a bit of butter over the top of the salmon and seasoning, which will melt, and cover. Cook the second side for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon; once the flaky layers separate easily with a fork and the salmon is opaque, you’ll know the salmon is done. - Serve
Squeeze a lemon over the salmon pieces in the pan and use a spatula to transfer them onto a plate.
How to Bake Frozen Salmon
I take advantage of baking frozen salmon on nights when I need to let the oven do most of the work, and I can focus on making a salad for dinner or helping the kids with homework. Here is how to achieve the perfect baked salmon from frozen:
- Preheat the oven
Although there are several temperatures you can bake salmon when it’s fresh, I prefer preheating the oven to 400F. - Season the salmon
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon skin side down on top. If you have skinless salmon, the flat side. Season with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings (I love using Cajun seasoning on mine). - Bake
Bake the salmon for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon fillet, until the salmon separates easily with a fork, the color is opaque (a solid pink) and the salmon’s internal temperature is 145F. - Serve
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, squeeze a fresh lemon over the tops of the salmon pieces, and serve.
How to Air Fry Frozen Salmon
Using the air fryer to cook frozen salmon is also a great option for a quick mid-week meal. This is what I do to cook it in an air fryer:
- Prep
Remove any excess water from the salmon fillet by patting it dry with a paper towel. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 390F. - Season
Season the tops of the salmon with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasoning. - Air fry
Place the salmon pieces inside the air fryer basket. Cook at 390F for 7 minutes, open the air fryer, spray or brush a little olive oil over the tops of the salmon, and top with lemon into slices, over the seasoning. Cook for another 4 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, until it’s cooked through. - Serve
Remove the cooked salmon from the air fryer onto a plate.
When to Season Frozen Salmon
When cooking frozen salmon in the oven or air fryer, you can season it before cooking; if you cook it on a pan, it’s best to season it after flipping it over -I’ve learned the hard way that putting the seasoning on frozen salmon and cooking it first will often burn the seasoning.
Wondering what the white stuff is on salmon after cooking? while it’s not anything to worry about, you can learn about the salmon white stuff here.
How to Know When Frozen Salmon is Done Cooking
Whether you cook frozen salmon in the oven, on a pan, or in the air fryer, you know it’s done when the flaky layers separate easily with a fork, the middle of the layer is no longer “raw/wet” looking, and the coloring has changed to an even pink. With a meat thermometer, the salmon should reach 145F.
Make Frozen Salmon Taste Delish
Ingredients
- 4 frozen salmon fillets, with or without skin
- 1 tablespoon oil, depending on the method
- 2 teaspoons salmon seasoning, or your favorite
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 lemon, optional
Instructions
Prep the salmon:
- If the salmon is individually wrapped, remove it from the plastic bag. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel.
Pan-Seared:
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil, warm it up, and distribute it around the pan.
- Place the salmon skin side up on the pan -if using skinless, oval (tops) side on the pan. Cook the first side for 4 minutes, until it’s browned, and flip it over. Once flipped, season it with salt, pepper, and salmon seasoning.
- Squeeze half a lemon over the top of the salmon pieces, cover it, and cook the second side for 7 to 10 minutes. Once done, squeeze the other half of the lemon over the tops and serve.
Oven Baked:
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the salmon pieces on top of the parchment, skin-side down, and season with salt, pepper, and seasoning.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and squeeze a fresh lemon over the tops before serving.
Air Fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 390F. Season the tops of the salmon with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasoning.
- Place the salmon pieces inside the air fryer basket, skin side down if it has skin. Cook at 390F for 7 minutes, then, spray or brush the olive oil over the tops of the salmon pieces, and top with lemon slices. Cook for another 4 to 7 minutes, remove from the air fryer and serve. You can also squeeze the lemon at the very end, right before serving.
How to know it’s done:
- Regardless of the method you select, the time it takes to cook will vary on the thickness of the salmon fillets. You’ll know it’s done when the salmon layers separate easily with a fork, the color is opaque (a solid pink) and the salmon’s internal temperature
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