How To Remove Salmon Skin And Keep It Crispy

Learn how to remove salmon skin and keep it crispy after cooking. Discover tips on removing belly fat and cooking skinless salmon to perfection.

How To Remove Skin From Salmon Fillet

I use a sharp chef’s knife with some water on the blade. 

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Salmon Fillet Recipe

On the cutting board, lay the filet from left to right in the tail-to-head direction. Where the tail begins, make a small cut right above the skin about an inch into the filet, keeping the blade even with the cutting board so that the knife rides right between the skin and the flesh. 

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Skinned Salmon How To Remove Skin From Salmon Hack
Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Skinned Salmon Remove Salmon Skin Before Or After Cooking

Once you have a little room to work with, you can grab the skin with your left hand and gently slice back and forth while pushing the blade forward through the entire filet.

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - The Skinned Salmon How To Take Skin Off Salmon Before Cooking

This whole operation takes practice, and chances are it will be difficult the first couple of times you do it. 

If you are cooking salmon without skin, you can always buy already-cut skinless filets. 

However, learning this technique is pretty fulfilling. It allows you to save money and garner delicious parts of the fish otherwise thrown away. 

Can You Remove Salmon Skin After Cooking

The good news is that removing salmon skin after cooking is a simple and easy process. 

With a sharp knife, you can gently slide it between the salmon’s skin and flesh, keeping the knife as close to the skin as possible. 

Once separated, you can easily peel the skin away, leaving you with a delicious and perfectly cooked piece of salmon. 

That being said, some people prefer to keep the skin on their salmon, as it can add flavor and texture. 

Salmon skin can be crispy and delicious when cooked properly, making it a tasty addition to any meal. 

Removing The Belly Fat.

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Bloodlined Skinned How To Cut Bloodline Out Of Fish

Now that the filet is skinless, the next step is to get the belly fat off.

When you remove fat and skin from salmon, this will help us have evenly cut portions. 

The best way to cook salmon evenly.  

Starting from the head of the filet, find where the belly fat starts and cut in one straight line down the filet. 

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Cutting Away Salmon Gray Stuff On Bottom And Top
Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Removing Bloodline From Fish Bloodlined In The Air

My favorite way to deal with belly fat is to chop it into small pieces, toss it with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, green onion, and Sriracha, and eat it over a warm bowl of white rice. It’s super amazing.

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Cutting Off The Salmon Belly Gray Bottom
Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Poke Salmon In A White Bowl

Additional Salmon Cuts To Make

The next step is to trim the top of the filet of any tough or stringy parts that help even out the rest of the fish. 

Employ the same technique as before and cut in a straight line. You can also use this in your rice bowl. 

Now that we have an even fillet, flip it over. It’s important to get rid of the gray bloodline that runs down the center of the fish. It doesn’t taste amazing. 

To do this without hacking up the fish entirely, I slide the knife on an angle, taking small, gentle slices out until the fish is removed. It’s okay to leave some; in other words, don’t go digging for trouble.

Cooking Skinless Salmon With A Crispy Exterior

Now that the filets are completely cleaned up, cut them into even portions. The tail will be the skinniest piece, but it’s still delicious. 

Now, this is where the magic starts. 

We take a sheet tray, cover it with parchment paper, and put a roasting rack on top of that. 

Place the filets on the rack skin side down and two inches apart. 

Place in the fridge uncovered for 24 to 36 hours. During this time, the salmon starts to dry up. This is what makes the oven-baked salmon super crispy.

Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Top Portioned Salmon Salmon Portioned Before Drying
Salmon Cooking Salmon Without The Skin - Salmon Portioned After Drying For 36 Hours

Now that the salmon is ready to bake, put a large pan on high heat and preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Once the pan is ripping hot, add three tablespoons of oil and swirl it evenly around the pan. 

Season the salmon with salt, place the salmon flesh side down, and sear. 

Searing The Salmon

Searing Salmon

You will see that this salmon recipe starts to get super crispy. 

Once this happens, flip the salmon and sear for 3 mins. 

You’re ready to finish your salmon in the oven until it reaches your desired temperature.

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