You’re Probably Overcooking Your Salmon — Here’s How to Fix It

Nail buttery, perfectly cooked salmon every time.

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Updated on July 25, 2026

cooked salmon filet — Credit:
Westend61 / Getty Images

Salmon is one of the most popular fish to prepare and eat for a reason: It’s incredibly versatile and has a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture when perfectly cooked. But there’s a fine line between perfectly cooked salmon and a dry, mealy disappointment. That’s why cooking salmon to the right final temperature is so important.

With so many ways to prepare salmon — whether grilling, pan-searing, or even air frying — along with different wild and farmed varieties, it can be confusing to know the proper temperature at which to cook it. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking salmon to 145°F to ensure it’s safe from possible foodborne illnesses. But if you follow the recommended temperature from the USDA, that delicate piece of fish, especially wild salmon, is likely to become tough, dry, and fibrous. Depending on the type of salmon you buy, you should aim for somewhere between 120°F and 130°F.

The correct salmon cooking temperature

Many chefs consider the USDA’s recommendation regarding food-safe salmon temperature to be just that, a recommendation. Aside from the usual considerations about storage (that your fish was properly kept below 41°F), salmon’s biggest food safety concern is parasites. That’s why the USDA recommends freezing freshly caught fish to kill potential parasites. Most wild salmon sold in the country is flash-frozen for this reason (plus to maintain quality).

Of course, cook salmon to 145°F if you have a compromised immune system or are otherwise at higher risk of foodborne illness. But if you’re comfortable with a lower final temperature, consider how chefs cook salmon in restaurants.

We asked Michael Cimarusti, chef-owner of Providence in Los Angeles, about the optimal salmon temperature. “Cooked salmon is best enjoyed medium-rare,” he says. Cooking salmon to medium-rare provides the ideal moist, tender, and buttery texture without drying out the muscle fibers.

Medium-rare for fish is 125°F, lower than the 135°F typically recommended for medium-rare beef, pork, or lamb. That’s because the proteins and connective tissue in fish are quite different. The proteins in salmon and other fish begin to coagulate and lose moisture at around 120°F, compared to about 140°F in meat. Fish also have a more delicate protein structure and less connective tissue, so they begin to dry out around 140°F. That’s why many chefs recommend cooking fish, including salmon, to a slightly lower temperature than meat.

For wild salmon, a final internal temperature of about 125°F provides the perfect balance of firm yet succulent texture. Farmed Atlantic salmon, however, can be cooked to a slightly higher internal temperature because it has a greater fat content than leaner, more active wild varieties. While you can cook farmed salmon as low as 125°F, it should remain quite moist even up to 135°F.

Resting and carryover heat when cooking salmon

A critical part of the cooking process, especially for more delicate proteins like salmon, is carryover cooking. After your salmon is removed from the heat source, whether it’s a grill, skillet, or oven, the internal temperature will continue to increase.

“No matter the cooking method,” Cimarusti says, “resting is an important part of the cooking process. It is important that you let it rest for a minute or two to allow the heat to spread throughout the protein. If you don’t allow the fish to rest, you risk serving fish that is seared on the outside and cold in the middle. Rare is OK. Cold is not.”

To account for carryover cooking, remove wild salmon from the heat when its internal temperature reaches 115°F to 120°F, then allow the residual heat to finish cooking it to 120°F to 125°F for a perfect medium-rare. For farmed salmon, cook it to 125°F to 130°F, then let the carryover heat raise the temperature slightly. Note that the lower end of each range is best for thicker portions of salmon with more mass, which experience more carryover cooking than thinner fillets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you bring salmon to room temperature before cooking?

While it isn’t necessary, chef Cimarusti recommends tempering the salmon before cooking. You can do this by setting the salmon on the counter just until it’s no longer cold to the touch, which is about 15 minutes. “This ensures that the fish won’t be cold on the inside even if served rare or medium-rare.”
Should you leave the salmon skin on?

If pan-frying the salmon, consider leaving the skin on. Cook the fish, skin-side down, until the skin is crispy. Instead of flipping, Cimarusti likes to finish the fish in the oven and allow the “ambient heat from the oven to cook the flesh side.” The skin acts as a bit of a barrier from the heat.
What is the white stuff coming out of the salmon?

If you see white stuff coming out of cooked salmon, you’re looking at albumin, the protein in salmon that turns white when cooked. If it’s on the surface, it’s likely the fish is overcooked. Remove it from the heat source immediately. Try cooking the salmon at a lower heat to prevent the albumin from seeping to the surface.

How to check the internal temperature of salmon

Now that you know the target final temperature for cooking salmon and the importance of carryover cooking, what is the best way to actually check the temperature? We recommend using a good quality instant-read thermometer.

To get the most reliable read, insert the thermometer tip into the middle of the thickest part of the salmon. You can also insert a metal skewer or cake tester into the center of the salmon. It should meet very little, if any, resistance; this indicates that the protein and fat are properly coagulated. Remove the skewer or cake tester and touch the tip. You’ll know the salmon is cooked through if it’s hot or warm. If it’s cold, then it needs more time.