How Long Should You Salt Salmon Before Cooking for Maximum Flavor?

Japanese people have eaten salted salmon for breakfast for a very long time. This dish is called shiozake, which is often just called “shake.” Even though salted salmon is easy to find in Japanese grocery stores, it can be hard to find in the US. Curing the salmon and letting it rest in the fridge on paper towels overnight makes this recipe taste and feel like Japanese salted salmon. The salmon should be served with a lot of white rice, miso soup, pickles, and any other dishes that you think go with it.

Salmon is one of the most popular and nutritious fish available. When prepared properly, its tender pink flesh has a delectable mild flavor and buttery texture While fresh salmon tastes great on its own, salting it before cooking can take it to the next level. But exactly how long should you salt salmon to achieve the ideal flavor?

We’ll talk about why salting salmon is good for it, how long you should salt it for, how to do it right, and how to change things based on your recipe. Read on to become a salmon salting expert!.

Why Salt Salmon Before Cooking?

There are several key benefits to salting salmon prior to cooking:

Enhances flavor – Salt penetrates the flesh, amplifying the natural taste of the salmon It balances out any fishiness and makes the flavor pop
Improves moisture – Salmon has high moisture content. Salting draws out some excess liquid, resulting in firmer, juicier texture.
Allows seasoning to settle—Gives other seasonings, like herbs or pepper, time to soak in and add more layers of flavor.
Enhances browning – The drier surface from salting promotes better sear and caramelization during cooking.
Prolongs shelf life – Salting cures the salmon, extending how long it stays fresh.

So while fresh salmon is great, a little time with salt before cooking takes it to new heights of flavor, texture, and overall quality.

How Long to Salt Salmon for Best Results

For ideal results, salmon should be salted for at least 8 hours before cooking. Leaving thicker cuts overnight, or 12-24 hours, allows even better seasoning penetration.

During this time, the salt dissolves and permeates the flesh, dissolving muscle proteins which allows it to better hold moisture and seasoning. A shorter salting time doesn’t achieve the same level of penetration or flavor enhancement.

However, even just 30-45 minutes of salting makes a noticeable improvement compared to no salting at all. So if you’re short on time, a quick salting is better than nothing.

Here are general salmon salting time guidelines based on thickness:

Fillet or steak under 1 inch thick – 30-45 minutes
1 inch thick – 8 hours
1.5 inches or thicker – 12-24 hours (overnight)

Customize based on your taste preferences and the particular recipe. The longer salmon salts, the more pronounced the flavor becomes.

Tips for Salting Salmon Correctly

Follow these tips for ideal results when salt curing your salmon:

Pat salmon dry before salting – removes excess surface moisture so salt can better adhere.
Use kosher or sea salt – larger grains distribute more evenly.
Apply salt generously and evenly over all surfaces.
Place salmon on a wire rack over a sheet tray – allows moisture to drip away.
Refrigerate uncovered – keeps cool while allowing moisture to evaporate.
Rinse briefly before cooking if too salty – light rinse removes excess salt if over salted.
Pat very dry before cooking – removes moisture drawn out by salting to promote browning.

With the right technique, salting transforms the salmon’s texture and amplifies its savory flavor.

Adjusting Salmon Salting Time Based on Recipe

While the guidelines provided are ideal, you may need to adjust salting time up or down based on the particular recipe:

Broiling or grilling – These cooking methods benefit from longer salting such as overnight. Achieves firm texture and pronounced seasoning.
Poaching or baking – Shorter salting time to avoid over-seasoning delicate flavor. 30-45 minutes is often sufficient.
Served raw – Gravlax or other raw preparations need significantly longer salting to cure, usually 24 hours or more.
Marinades – Shorter salting since liquid will season. Just 30-60 minutes improves texture.
Served cold – Can reduce salting time since cold dulls flavor perception.

So consider the total recipe and cooking method when deciding on salmon salting time. Tweak the duration to suit your specific needs.

With the proper salting time, usually at least 8 hours, the salmon’s texture becomes refined, moisture is optimized, and the flavor transforms into a glorious umami-rich delicacy. Follow these tips to turn great salmon into superb salmon through the magic of salt.

how long should salmon be salted before cooking

Shiozake (Japanese-Style Salted Salmon)

1 tablespoon (15ml) sake, optional; see note
Two salmon fillets, each 4 ounces, with the skin still on. Fish from the belly is best.
2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is about 7 grams or 1/4 of an ounce.

Sprinkle sake, if using, all over salmon fillets. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt evenly all over both fillets. Press salt into the meat and skin to make sure it sticks well. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik .
Salt the salmon fillets and put them in a glass dish with paper towels inside. For example, use a small glass baking dish. Cover container and refrigerate overnight, or up to 36 hours. Every 12 hours, replace paper towels and flip fillets over.
When you’re ready to cook, put the oven rack at the top and heat the broiler. Place salmon fillets on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil the salmon for about three minutes, or until it has lost some of its fat and begun to brown. (The timing will change based on the broiler’s power and how far away it is from the element.) ) .
To make the salmon fillets look nice, flip them over and cook for another three minutes, or until the fat starts to spit (see note). Serve immediately. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik .

Special Equipment

Using sake lends some flavor benefits, but is entirely optional.

The amount of salt recommended in this recipe is about 3% of the weight of the salmon fillets. You can change how much salt you use, but remember that the salmon is supposed to be very salty.

Japanese cured salmon should be cooked all the way through (well done); getting color on the fillets is more important than making sure they’re not too done.

The Best Salmon You’ll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality) | Epicurious 101

FAQ

Can you over salt salmon?

Seafood. Once you’ve salted your fish — say, a nice salmon fillet or a cod — you have to cook it right away. If not, “you’ll pull out a lot of moisture in the fish, making it dry and unpleasant,” warns Booth. That means if you’ve over-salted your fish, you have to jump into action ASAP.

Should you salt salmon skin before cooking?

Oil, salt and pepper – Drizzle the fish with a tiny bit of oil and spread with fingers, just to give the salt and pepper something to adhere to. Make sure you do this only just before cooking, because the salt will draw moisture out of the salmon skin and make it sweat = bad for crispy skin!

How long to soak salmon in salt brine?

From there, you’ll lay your salmon fillets in a shallow container (a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish works well) and pour the solution over them, submerging them fully. Then, cover the dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for eight to 10 hours to allow the fish to fully soak up the brine.

How long should a salmon fillet be salted?

The salting duration varies depending on the size and thickness of the salmon fillet. As a general guideline, smaller and thinner fillets require less salting time, while larger and thicker fillets benefit from a slightly longer duration. As a starting point, a 1-inch thick salmon fillet can be salted for approximately 20-30 minutes.

What is a healthy amount of salmon to consume per month?

This will depend on what type of salmon you consume. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not recommend eating salmon more than twice a week due to several types of contaminants present in the fish (if it is salmon from aquaculture, this number increases to once a month). Compared to aquaculture, wild salmon has lower levels of PCBs and better nutrients, however, its price comes to cost almost twice as much, in addition to being more difficult to find this product on the market. Consuming canned salmon is also a good tip – this is because, for the most part, it is of wild origin (apparently, farmed salmon does not keep well when canned).

Should you salt salmon before cooking?

Salmon is a delicious and versatile fish that can be prepared in various ways. One popular technique is salting the salmon before cooking. Salting not only enhances the natural flavor of the fish but also helps in preserving it. However, it is crucial to understand the importance of salting salmon and how to do it correctly.

How long do you let salmon rest before cooking?

Let salmon rest for 5 minutes, skin side up. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a lemon wedge. This technique will work with any type of salmon, but it can be most dramatic with leaner coho or sockeye salmon as opposed to fattier king.

How do you cook salmon with salt?

Sprinkle the salmon with salt, preferably kosher salt or a semi-coarse sea salt. Hold your hand about 10 inches above the fish to get an even coating. Grind a little fresh pepper over the fish. Flip the fish and repeat on the other side. That’s it! You’re ready to cook. How Much Salt Should You Use on Salmon?

How long should salmon be cooked?

Follow this tip: While the cook time for salmon will vary depending on the size of the fish and the cooking method, the ideal level of doneness for salmon is medium-rare to medium, where the flesh is tender and still retains some of the darker orange color at the center.