The Best Crispy Skin, Pan-Fried Alaska King Salmon with Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

This post was sponsored by Alaska Seafood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Inside: Keep reading to find out how to make a tasty crispy skin king salmon with lemon garlic sauce using delicious Alaska king salmon.

I am originally from a port city in Veracruz, Mexico where seafood is king. That is one of the reasons that I love cooking all types of seafood and sharing them here on my website. One particular type of seafood that I didn’t grow up eating very much of though is salmon. Why? Simply because it was not as readily available as other types of seafood where I was from. Now that I am in the United States, that has changed, and I have grown to love fresh caught wild Alaska salmon.

There are so many different ways to prepare salmon; from smoking it to baking it, and to pan-frying it like I did today. One of the reasons that I love pan-frying salmon is that it allows me to have a perfectly crispy skin.

What Kind Of Salmon Should You Use?

There are many species of wild Alaska salmon, including the following:

• king salmon
• sockeye salmon
• pink salmon
• keta salmon
• coho salmon

Regardless of what kind of salmon you use though, you should make sure it is wild caught from Alaska. Alaska seafood is sold fresh and frozen year-round and goes so well in so many different recipes. Each variety provides important nutrients, like omega 3s, vitamin d, and selenium, so it is a great option for you and your family.

For lots of great recipes using wild Alaska seafood, visit www.wildalaskaseafood.com

Why King Salmon?

Whenever I am making a seafood dish, I like to use high-quality ingredients. After doing some research on the different varieties of wild Alaska salmon, I decided to use king salmon for this recipe. I chose king salmon because it is the largest of the Alaska salmon species. It has a higher fat content than the other species and the flavor is absolutely delicious. It is also known as chinook and is usually caught in the summer. That said, Alaska king is often harvested and made available year-round fresh and frozen.

There were a few other options at the seafood counter at my local grocery store, but as soon as I saw the king, I knew I had to have it. I confirmed with the fishmonger that it was wild-caught Alaska salmon, and then bought a couple of pounds for this recipe. When you go to your local grocer to pick up your salmon, remember to “Ask for Alaska” so you can be sure that you are getting the best, most sustainable seafood in the world.

How To Ensure A Crispy Skin

One of the best parts of this recipe is the crispy skin that you can get by pan-frying it. Since I bought the king salmon fresh, I had to start by removing the scales. I used a sharp knife and just carefully removed the layer of scales, leaving just a perfect layer of skin.

Next, I heated up some butter in a hot frying pan and gently laid the filet down skin first. After letting it sear and cook for about five minutes, I turned it over and let it cook on the other side for about a minute or two. This resulted in a perfect, medium well center and a crispy skin.

What About The Sauce?

Although the crispy skin may be the star of this recipe, the sauce that I made to go with it is just as important. There are many different sauces that you can use when cooking salmon. My favorite, however, is the lemon butter and garlic sauce that I am sharing today. It provides a perfect amount of flavor to complement the natural flavor of wild Alaska salmon, and it is easy to make. I finish it off with a touch of honey just so it has a slight sweetness to it as well.

You can start basting the filet with the sauce before taking it off the frying pan, but I usually prefer to drizzle it on the top after it is done cooking.

Side Dish Options To Go Along With Wild Alaska Salmon

This recipe is great on its own, but there is always room for some good side dishes. Check out some of the following for inspiration:

• Bacon and Garlic Asparagus A Perfect Side Dish
• Jicama and Cucumber Slaw with Sweet and Spicy Dressing
• Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs

I hope that you have enjoyed this recipe. If so, let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to give it a five star review!

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Crispy Skin Salmon with Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

Keep reading to find out how to make a tasty crispy skin salmon with lemon garlic sauce using delicious Alaska king salmon.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, seafood

Keyword: alaska, king salmon, salmon, seafood

Servings: 4

Calories: 378kcal

Author: Charbel Barker

Ingredients

• 1 pound wild Alaska king salmon cut into 4 oz filets
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey

Instructions

• Cut the wild Alaska king salmon into 4 oz filets and score the skin of the fish. 
• Drizzle the skin side of the salmon filet with olive oil
• Add half a teaspoon of pepper and salt inside the score marks
• Season the flesh side of the salmon filet with salt and pepper
• Heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil on a hot frying pan and place the salmon filet skin side down. Let cook for 5-7 minutes
• Flip the salmon filet to the flesh side, and let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove and let rest.
• Serve skin side up and drizzle with the lemon butter garlic sauce. 

Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

• Add the butter to a hot frying pan or pot
• Add the crushed garlic and stir, reducing heat to medium
• add the water, stir, and let simmer for 1 minute
• add the lemon juice, stir, and let simmer for 1 minute
• add the soy sauce, stir, and let simmer for 1 minute
• Add the honey, stir, and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 2297mg | Potassium: 82mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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