Real talk: Salmon is very easy to overcook. The distance between underdone and overdone is short, and if you aren’t careful, you run the risk of a dry, uninteresting supper. Or worse, one fillet out of four will be perfect, while the others are ruined.
Weeknight Cooking
Dinner Tonight: Sweet Chili Salmon with Cauliflower and Lime
The key to even cooking is simple: Cut the fillets yourself.
By Published Nov. 12, 2018.
Sign up for the Cook's Country Dinner Tonight newsletter
10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
How to Cook Salmon Consistently
Two things will help. One is an instant-read thermometer, which gives you a read on exactly what’s happening inside the fish. Rather than rely solely on timing, you can rely on the internal temperature, which is a much better gauge of doneness.
The second is to buy a single piece of center-cut salmon and cut it into four equal fillets yourself. This ensures that all the fillets are the same size and shape and have the exact same density. When one is done, they’re all done. Everyone wins.
Recipe
Sweet Chili Salmon with Cauliflower and Lime
We wanted hot, sweet, sour, and savory all in one simple dish.Get the Recipe
This recipe shines for the play between the sweet honey flavor and the spicy chili powder. It’s at once comforting and invigorating—just right for a weeknight.