You’re Probably Overcooking Your Salmon — Here’s How to Fix It

Salmon is one of the most popular fish to cook and eat for a reason: It’s incredibly versatile and has a buttery, melt-in-your mouth texture when perfectly cooked. But there’s a fine line between properly cooked salmon and a dry, mealy disappointment. That is why it’s so important to know the ideal final temperature when cooking salmon.

With so many different ways to prepare salmon — whether you are grilling, pan-searing or even air frying — along with different species of wild and farmed salmon, there are plenty of variables that can make it confusing to know the proper temperature to cook salmon. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking salmon to 145°F to ensure it’s safe from possible foodborne illnesses. But if you follow the recommended temperature from the USDA, that delicate piece of fish, especially wild salmon, is likely to become tough, dry and fibrous. Depending on the type of salmon you buy, you should actually aim for somewhere between 120°F and 130°F.

The correct salmon cooking temperature

Many chefs consider USDA’s recommendation regarding food-safe salmon temperature to be just that, a recommendation. Aside from the usual concerns about storage (that your fish was properly kept below 41°F), the biggest food safety concern with salmon is parasites. That's why the USDA recommends freezing freshly caught fish to kill potential parasites. Most wild salmon sold in the country is flash-frozen for this reason (plus to maintain quality).

Of course, cook salmon to 145°F if you have any health concerns. But if you are confident, consider how chefs cook salmon in their restaurants.

We put this salmon temperature question to Michael Cimarusti, chef-owner of Providence and Connie and Ted’s in Los Angeles. “Cooked salmon is best enjoyed medium-rare,” he says. Cooking salmon to medium-rare provides the optimal moist, tender and buttery texture without drying out the muscle fibers. 

Medium-rare for fish is 125°F, less when compared to meat like beef, pork or lamb, which is typically 135°F for medium-rare. That’s because the protein and collagen in fish are quite different from those in meat. The proteins in salmon and other fish begin to coagulate and lose fluids at around 120°F, compared to 140°F for meat. Most fish have a more delicate protein structure with less fat and connective tissue than meat. Fish will start to become dry around 140°F, which is why a lot of chefs recommend cooking fish, including salmon, to a slightly lower temperature compared to meat.

For wild salmon, a final internal temperature of about 125°F provides the perfect balance of firm yet succulent texture. Farmed Atlantic salmon, however, may be cooked to a higher internal temperature as it has a greater fat content compared to leaner, more active wild varieties. You can cook farmed salmon as low as 125°F or up to 135°F and it should stay quite moist.

Resting and carryover heat when cooking salmon

A critical part of the cooking process, especially for more delicate proteins like salmon, is carryover cooking. After your salmon is removed from the heat source, whether it's a grill, skillet or oven, the internal temperature will continue to increase.

“No matter the cooking method,” Cimarusti says, “resting is an important part of the cooking process. It is important that you allow it to rest for a minute or two to allow the heat to spread throughout the protein. If you don’t allow the fish to rest, you risk serving fish that is seared on the outside and cold in the middle. Rare is okay, cold is not. This is easily avoided if you allow the fish to rest for a moment before serving.”

To achieve this effect, remove wild salmon from the heat source when the internal temperature reaches 115°F to 120°F and allow the residual heat to carryover cook the salmon to 120°F to 125°F for a perfect medium-rare. For farmed salmon, cook it to 125°F to 130°F and allow carryover heat to increase the temperature slightly. Note that the lower ranges are for thicker portions of salmon with more mass, which will have a greater amount of carryover cooking compared to thinner fillets.

How to check the internal temperature of salmon

Now that you know the target final temperature for cooking salmon and the importance of carryover cooking, what is the best way to actually check the temperature? We recommend using a good quality instant-read thermometer.

Insert the thermometer tip into the middle of the thickest part of the salmon to get the most reliable read. You can also insert a metal skewer or cake tester into the center of the salmon. It should meet very little, if any, resistance; this indicates that the protein and fat are properly coagulated. Remove the skewer or cake tester and touch the tip. If it’s hot or warm, you’ll know the salmon is cooked through. If it's cold, then it needs more time.