You’ll want to read on if your recipe calls for salmon with the skin removed. Learn how to remove salmon skin in less than one minute. All you need is a cutting board, a sharp knife and a fresh salmon fillet.
I learned how to take off fish skin when I was 17 years old. My first job in a restaurant kitchen was as a prep cook. We ate a lot of fish because the menu called for a walleye sandwich. Once I learned how to take off the skin, I did it every day. Long story short: I spent the summer skinning fish after fish after fish!.
I’m sharing this basic cooking skill of salmon skin removal as part of our In The Kitchen Series. It is a technique that can be used for any fish. However today we’ll be focusing on salmon for our step-by-step tutorial. We love salmon here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes, after all. Try our favorite recipe for crispy pan seared salmon!
Salmon is one of the most popular and nutritious fish available. It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids and packed with protein. Many people prefer to buy salmon fillets with the skin still on because it helps the fish retain moisture during cooking. However, removing the skin from frozen salmon can be challenging. With the right techniques, you can easily remove the skin from frozen salmon fillets in just a few minutes.
Why Remove the Skin?
While salmon skin can be crispy and delicious when cooked properly there are a few reasons you may want to remove it
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The skin can give an unpleasant, rubbery texture if not cooked well. Many people find it unappealing.
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Removing the skin reduces the overall fat and calorie content. The skin contains a high percentage of fat.
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Skinless fillets allow more sauce or seasoning to directly coat the fish.
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Skinless presentation is cleaner and more refined.
So while leaving the skin on is also fine, removing it gives you more options for preparing your salmon
Let It Thaw Slightly
It’s extremely difficult to remove skin from a fully frozen fillet. Attempting it will likely tear the flesh. Let the frozen salmon sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes until the outside starts to thaw. This will make it easier to remove. This makes the skin separate more easily when you cut or peel it.
Be careful not to let it thaw too much or the skin will get mushy and harder to work with. Just a light thaw is all you need.
Use a Sharp, Flexible Knife
A sharp, thin blade makes clean cuts under the skin without tearing the flesh. A fillet or boning knife works perfectly.
Make sure to keep the blade nearly flat against the cutting board and salmon skin. Gently glide along the skin at about a 45 degree angle, letting the knife do the work. Sawing or forcing the knife under damages the flesh below. Work slowly and make repeated shallow cuts.
Start at the Thinner End
Salmon skin clings more tightly to the thicker, fattier end near the belly. So the thinner, tapered end of the tail is a better place to start separating the skin. You can peel off the skin in one piece from the thicker side once you can grab it.
Make a few gentle cuts at the thinnest area and lift up the skin with your fingers. Use the knife to carefully cut the membrane connecting it to the flesh.
Use a Flexible Fillet Knife
Standard rigid knives don’t shape to the contours of the salmon as well. A thin, flexible fillet knife allows you to follow the shape of the fillet and make clean cuts right along the skin.
These specialized fish knives let you delicately separate the skin without tearing the delicate flesh below. The thin blade is perfect for salmon and other fish.
Don’t Try to Rush It
It’s important to be slow and gentle when removing salmon skin. Attempting to forcefully rip it off or hurriedly cutting underneath causes the flesh to tear.
Removing skin from a partially frozen fillet takes patience. Work in small sections, gently freeing the skin as you move the knife. Let the knife do the work without using excessive force.
Use a Hand Towel for Grip
A neat trick is to place a hand towel or paper towels between your hand and the fish skin. The texture helps grip the slippery skin so you can peel it off. Simply wrap the skin around your fingers over the towel and pull firmly yet gently.
The towel also protects your hand from the knife if it slips while cutting beneath the skin.
Consider Skinning Before Freezing
If you want skinless salmon regularly, consider removing the skin right after purchasing fresh fillets. Then you can individually wrap and freeze the skinned fillets to pull out as needed.
While you can use the same techniques on frozen salmon, it’s much easier to remove the skin when the fish is fully thawed. Plan ahead if you’ll want skinless fillets often.
Cook the Skin Separately
Instead of simply throwing the skin away, consider cooking it separately for crackling crispness. Salmon skin becomes deliciously crispy when fried in a pan. Cook some skin side down over medium-high heat in oil until browned and brittle.
Sprinkle the salmon chips with salt and enjoy them as a snack or garnish for the fish. Don’t let those skins go to waste!
Tips for Easy Removal
Follow these tips for clean, easy salmon skin removal:
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Let frozen fillets partially thaw before attempting to remove skin.
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Use a sharp, thin, and flexible fillet knife. Cut shallowly along the skin.
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Start separating the skin at the tapered, thinner tail end.
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Work slowly and patiently to avoid tearing the flesh.
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Place a towel between your fingers and the skin for better grip.
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Consider skinning fish before freezing for easier removal when thawed.
With the right technique and tools, you can quickly remove the entire skin in one piece without wasting any precious salmon flesh. Using gentle pressure and shallow cuts prevents frustrating tears or ragged edges. Then simply finish preparing your beautiful skinless fillet as desired.
Sample Techniques
Here are a couple sample videos showing foolproof techniques for removing that tricky salmon skin:
[Run the frozen filet under cold water for a few seconds to loosen the exterior layer of skin. After that, use a sharp knife to slowly separate it from the flesh of the fish. If the skin isn’t already removed, carefully pull it from the fish.]
[Gently run your knife along the skin at a 45 degree angle, sawing slightly to free the skin without digging into the flesh. Peel the skin away slowly while cutting.]
With a few simple tools, some patience, and the right technique, you can have perfectly skinned frozen salmon ready to cook and enjoy. Ditch the rubbery skin and explore more flavorful preparations for this healthy and delicious fish. Removing skin from frozen fillets opens up your cooking options.
How To Skin Salmon Step-By-Step
Most of the time, your butcher or fishmonger will take the pin bones out of your salmon, but sometimes they won’t. It is important to remove them first before removing the skin and portioning the fish.
If the pin bones are still in your fish, pull them out with your pliers right now. Pull in the direction they are running or they will break.
Start with the salmon filet, skin-side-down, running crosswise on the cutting board. If you have a tailpiece (shown) you’ll want it pointing toward your non-dominant side.
Cut between the fish and the skin to “get it started. This first cut is meant to show just enough skin for you to be able to grab it with your weaker hand. For this first cut, you might have to cut through the fish’s flesh to get to the skin.
Take hold of the salmon skin with your less-used hand, preferably your left, and pull hard away from the knife. If it is too slippery, use your kitchen towel to help.
It helps if your knife is a little dull, because the blade should be at a slight angle downward. Carefully move the knife back and forth as you press down and to the right and pull the skin hard to the left. You are pulling it through your knife, not really moving it forward. That’s how I like to think of it.
Once you know how to remove the skin from salmon, you can either bake it whole like in Baked Salmon in Foil or cut it into pieces. Make sure to check out our favorite Dill Sauce For Salmon too!.
Equipment: What You’ll Need To Deskin Salmon
Cutting Board: Rest the cutting board on a sticky mat to keep it in place and avoid moving. I use a square of shelf liner or a wet towel works great too.
Needles Nose Pliers: You can use clean needlenose pliers to pull out the pin bones from your salmon fillet if it has them.
Kitchen Towel: You can use a kitchen towel or paper towel to help you hold on to the salmon skin if you want to.
Chef Jon taught me how to use a Chef’s knife to skin fish, and I still use it to remove the skin from salmon. We used boning knives in cooking school, but I still like the wider blade of a chef’s knife better for this job.
If you want to learn how to remove the skin from fish for the first time, try it with a Chef’s knife that is a little dull. When you press down on the skin with a very sharp knife, you might cut through it by accident.
Easily Remove Salmon Skin | How to Remove Salmon Fish Skin| Fish Skin Removal | Mouli’s Food Lab
FAQ
How do you get the skin off of frozen salmon?
How to remove skin of frozen fish?
Does boiling water take skin off salmon?
How to remove salmon skin?
All you will need to remove your salmon skin is; Firstly, you will want to place your salmon on a clean cutting board that is on the edge of the counter so that you can easily reach it from all angles, should you need to. Ensure the tail end is facing you as this makes the process a lot smoother.
Is fresh salmon safe to eat?
Yes, salmon is a source of omega 3, the fatty acid is responsible for acting in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, making the heart strong and healthy. Just be careful to analyze the supplier to make sure it doesn’t have any contamination.
Should you remove the skin when frying salmon fillets?
When frying salmon fillets, a lot of people remove the skin as it will crispy up and try to make the whole fillet a bit more stuff. The crispy skin is delicious and can be eaten, but if you were wanting to mix up your fried salmon fillet and toss it with some salad, the skin would prevent it from breaking apart properly.
Should you leave skin on salmon when cooking?
If you’re not a fan of handling raw fish, absolutely keep the skin on your salmon while you cook it. In fact, leaving the skin on the fish makes it easier to cook when you’re pan-searing salmon or grilling salmon. If either of these methods is your preferred choice, marinate or season your salmon fillets as normal.