Cooking can be an exhausting and long process for some. It’s fun, but it requires a lot more time and energy than one may think.
This is because if you happen to cook food a certain way, then you run the risk of ruining it. Either you’ll have to bite the bullet and eat it anyway, or it will end up getting thrown straight into the trash can.
Meat is a type of food that you especially need to cook in a certain way, or you could be at risk of ruining it.
One meat that falls under this category is salmon, and in this article, you’ll learn whether or not to cook it with the skin facing up or down.
Best Way To Cook Salmon: Skin up or Down?
Salmon is one of the more popular fish that fish eaters love to eat.
Whether you are cooking salmon you have caught or cooking the salmon, you should know whether or not you should keep the skin up or down. This is assuming, of course, you kept the skin on.
In the cases where you are poaching or slow-roasting salmon, you’ll want to take the skin off because it won’t get crispy.
Now, if you aren’t cooking it this way, it’s great to cook the salmon with the skin side down. Once it starts to brown or crisp then, you can flip the salmon so you can get the other side.
Read on to find out not only how to cook salmon but also the benefits of eating it.
How To Cook Salmon
Out of all the methods, there are to cook salmon, we found that there are four methods that stand out amongst the rest. These methods include:
- Stovetop cooking is one of the quickest and easiest ways to cook salmon. The first thing to do is season your salmon and then put some oil or butter into the pan. Heat it to medium-high. You only have to wait until the oil or butter is sizzling, which is then your cue to put the salmon inside the pan. Cook the salmon skin side down for five to six minutes, flip, and then cook for 3 to five minutes on the other side.
- Grilling is something to take advantage of should you have a grill on hand. If you do, then heat the grill too high and oil the grates of the grill ever so slightly. Then you can place the salmon skin side down on the grill. It needs to be grilled for around 10 to fifteen minutes and only has to be turned once during the entire process.
- Oven cooking might take a little longer than stovetop cooking, but it is really simple because all you have to do is cook it in the oven. After preheating the oven to around 450 degrees, season your salmon and then put the salmon skin side down on a baking sheet that is greased. Bake it in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, and then take it out. Once it cools, you are ready to dig in.
- Air Fryer is something to take advantage of if you happen to have an air fryer on hand. After preheating the air fryer to 370 degrees, spray the basket of the air fryer with some type of cooking spray. Then place the salmon in the basket with the skin side down and cook for about 15 minutes.
Benefits of Salmon
We found that there are quite a few benefits of eating salmon. They include the following:
- Protein can help increase the healing process, build muscle, curb hunger, and reduce muscle loss. Most meats and fish bring some level of protein to your diet, which is always one of the greatest benefits of eating these types of foods.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are some of the most well-known benefits of eating salmon or fish in general. These fatty acids can help lower your chance of heart attack, types of cancer, stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s, and help with rheumatoid arthritis.
- Potassium is great for your body because it can keep the fluid levels inside your cell normal. Also, it can assist with blood pressure and muscle contracting.
- Iron helps your body make something in hemoglobin, which your red blood cells desperately need. If you happen to have a lack of iron, then it can put you at risk of getting anemia which can make you lightheaded and weak. The only way to remedy this is usually to increase iron.
- Vitamin D helps the body absorb and retain certain minerals that are necessary for helping build your bone. It usually does this with calcium and phosphorus.
- B vitamins help with your metabolism and keep your skin and hair healthy.While having healthy hair isn’t the most important thing in the world, it makes you feel good to have a nice head of hair on your head. Healthy skin, on the other hand, helps prevents your skin from easily breaking down and getting any type of serious wound or infection easily.
Salmon comes with quite a lot of benefits. As long as you are eating the recommended amount of salmon, then you’ll be able to get all these benefits into your body.
Your health will thank you in the long run.
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all you salmon lovers out there. Not only did we figure out if you can cook salmon with the salmon skin side up or down, but we also touched on the benefits of salmon and the few ways to cook it.
There are risks, but as long as you eat it in moderation, you lower your risk of getting sick.
Salmon is one of those foods that you either love or hate. For those that love salmon and fish, then you’ll want to know how best you can cook it.
So next time you find yourself cooking salmon, you’ll know whether to cook it with the skin facing up or down!
You might also be interested in the following:
- Do You Cook Pork Butt Fat up or Down?
- Do You Cook Turkey Breast up or Down?
- Pork Shoulder Fat up or Down?
- Corned Beef Fat Side up or Down?
- Brisket Fat Side up or Down?
- Do You Use Aluminum Foil Shiny Side up or Down?
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.