Quick answer: Salmon dries out when it's overcooked. Cook it gently and stop as soon as the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork — around 60–63°C in the centre. Cooking it skin-side down for most of the time protects the flesh, and a moderate heat beats a fierce one.
Salmon is quick and forgiving to cook, but because it’s lean through the middle it turns dry and chalky the moment it’s overdone. The trick is to cook it gently and pull it off the heat a touch earlier than you think.
Know when it’s done
Perfectly cooked salmon is opaque and just flakes when you press it with a fork, with the very centre still moist and barely translucent. If you have a thermometer, aim for around 60–63°C in the thickest part — carry-over heat finishes it off as it rests. Overcooked salmon (white “albumin” leaking out, firm and dry flesh) has gone past this point.
Use a moderate heat
Blasting salmon on high dries the outside before the inside is ready. Whatever the method, keep the heat moderate and don’t walk away — a fillet only needs a few minutes.
Method by method
- Pan-fried: Start skin-side down in a little oil over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh has turned opaque most of the way up. Flip and give it just 1–2 minutes. The skin acts as a shield.
- Oven-baked: 180°C for 12–15 minutes depending on thickness. A drizzle of oil and a lid of foil keep it moist.
- Air fryer: 180–200°C for 7–10 minutes — fast and reliable; check early.
- Poached: Barely simmer in stock or water for 8–10 minutes for the most delicate, moist result.
Extra insurance for moist salmon
- Bring it to room temperature for 10–15 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
- Don’t skin-side-up the whole time — the skin protects the flesh from direct heat.
- Rest it for a couple of minutes off the heat before serving.
- A little fat helps — brush with oil or butter, or top with a slice of lemon and a knob of butter.
If in doubt, undercook slightly
Salmon carries on cooking after it leaves the pan, so stopping just before it looks fully done usually lands it perfectly. You can always give an underdone piece another minute — you can’t undo dry.
Food safety: Cook salmon until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily; if using a thermometer, aim for around 63°C in the thickest part. Check the centre is no longer glassy or translucent before serving, especially for children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system.