7 Ways to the Best Salmon of Your Life

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Salmon is something to savor for many reasons: its buttery meat, quick cook times and nutritional benefits. So treat salmon with the care and specialness it deserves by upgrading it in one of these seven weeknight-simple ways. Playing up its silkiness with textural contrasts, switching up the cooking method and even varying the type of salmon you use can all make it feel new again.

Why it matters

Because of their active lives and varied diet, wild salmon can be more nuanced and robust than farmed fish. And as an added benefit, wild salmon can also be more sustainable.

The details

For juicier fish and crispier skin, salt the fish for at least 15 minutes or up to two hours. Anchovies are a sneaky secret ingredient, adding much-needed depth to certain dishes. The tenderness of salmon is especially on display when the fish is coated with something crispy before searing or roasting. It's easy to pick chicken nuggets over chicken fingers. They have more shattering coating in each bite. The same logic applies to salmon. If you cut the fillets into 1-inch cubes before cooking, there will be more surface area for seared crusts and saucy glazes. You could cook salmon in a skillet, but the broiler is a less splatter-prone, less-smelly option. Salmon likes a tangy, soft dairy, so look to something like sour cream or Greek yogurt.

• The article was published on March 20, 2026.