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    Home » Recipes » Fish & Seafood

    The Best Sous Vide Salmon Recipe

    Mar 28, 2020 · 7 Comments

    Sous vide salmon is an absolute game changer. This revolutionary method allows you to make perfectly moist and flaky salmon, every single time. Time to say goodbye to the days of dry salmon, and hello to juicy fish cooked exactly how you want it.

    sous vide salmon cooked at 130F for 45 minutes then seared in panIn this recipe, we will walk you through everything you need to know to make the best salmon of your life. From how to sous vide salmon, to how long to sous vide, to different searing methods, this recipe has it all.

    Selecting Quality Fish

    I always recommend using high quality proteins in my recipes, especially when it comes to fish. Purchasing salmon that is wild-caught and sustainably-sourced tastes better and is better for the planet. Over fishing messes with food chains and ecosystems, and farmed fish can be packed with harmful antibiotics or diseases.

    That's why buying sustainably wild-caught fish is always on my list whenever possible.

    Fresh Atlantic salmon raw

    Sous Vide Salmon Brine

    To brine a protein, submerge the meat in a mixture of salt and cold water. Brining allows the meat to absorb extra liquid and salt, which results in juicy, flavorful meat that won't dry out as easily during cooking.

    To create a brine for sous vide salmon, please do the following:

    1. First, create the brine by using a ratio of 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 cup of cold water. 
    2. Next, pour the brine solution into a container that is large enough to fit the fish.
    3. Fully submerge the salmon in the brine, and let sit for 30 minutes. 
    4. Last, gently rinse the fish off with cold water and prepare the salmon for packaging.

    Packaging

    An essential part of the sous vide process is putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container. The two most common techniques to package your ingredients are vacuum sealing and using the water displacement method.

    A vacuum sealer removes all the air and seals the contents in a plastic bag through a vacuum. This process ensures the food is airtight and properly sealed, and prevents the bag from floating which can result in uneven cooking. If you are in the market for a vacuum sealer, I’d recommend the Anova sealer.

    The displacement method is a technique where you first place your food and marinades in a sous vide bag, submerge the bag in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag.

    Either method works for salmon. Note that if you are adding a marinade in the bag, please make sure your vacuum sealer is capable of sealing liquids. If not, please use the displacement method.

    Salmon Time and Temp Chart

    The time and temperature guide below is the product of years of extensive testing, and will take the guesswork out of cooking sous vide. Simply select a temperature based on your desired doneness, then determine the length of the cook.

    Sous vide Atlantic salmon cooked at 115F for 45 minutes
    Salmon cooked at 115F for 45 minutes

    Sous Vide Salmon Temp

    DonenessRangeOur Favorite
    Soft, buttery, moist104 – 115F / 40 – 46C115F / 46C
    Slightly flaky, tender, moist116 – 125F / 46.5C – 51.5C125F / 51.5C
    Firm, flaky, moist126 – 135F / 52 – 57C131F / 55C

    Sous Vide Salmon Cooking Time

    TypeRangeOur Favorite
    Salmon30 minutes to 1 hour45 minutes

    Cooking salmon sous vide at 52C/125F for 45 minutes is our favorite time and temperature. Cooking the fish for 45 minutes is the sweet spot for a tender, very moist salmon. Also, cooking at a temperature of 125F results in a firm, slightly flaky fish with unbelievable texture.

    Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule).

    Although this combination of time and temperature is our favorite, we recommend you explore different combinations to find your personal favorite. Cooking fish sous vide yields a unique texture that you can’t achieve through other cooking methods, and is worth trying.

    To explore other time and temperature options, check out our cooking guide.

    Can you Sous Vide Frozen Salmon?

    The quick answer is, absolutely! Cooking frozen foods sous vide is an ultra convenient, safe way to prepare your protein. Just take the food directly from the fridge, repackage it (unless you know the bag is sous vide safe) and let the sous vide work its magic.

    The only thing you'll need to adjust is the cook time. We recommend adding an additional 30 minutes when cooking frozen salmon sous vide, so an hour and 15 minutes total.

    Best Way to Sear Salmon After Sous Vide

    A cool thing about cooking fish sous vide is that searing is not required. You can literally go from bag to plate if you want. However, the fish comes out of the bag an opaque color that is not the most appealing. 

    If want your food to look like it is Michelin star quality, you are going to have to get a rich sear on it.

    sous vide Atlantic salmon cooked at 125F for 45 minutes
    Salmon cooked at 125F for 45 minutes

    To get a great sear on your salmon, you’ve got to:

    1. Pat the fish completely dry with a paper towel
    2. Season generously with salt or seasoning of your choice
    3. Sear at extremely high temperatures.

    At this point you want to determine the best searing method. For fish, we suggest either pan searing or using a searing torch. The trick is getting the pan or torch extremely hot, then searing for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Either method will result in a quick, high-quality sear without drying out the fish.

    Top Sous Vide Salmon Recipes

    sous vide salmon with ginger miso glaze on a bed of rice
    Salmon cooked at 130F for 45 minutes
    • Salmon with Ginger Miso Glaze – This ginger miso salmon is an Asian inspired dish that will make your mouth drool. You can quickly whip up the marinade at home and glaze your salmon with it. Give it a try stat.

    • Salmon with Lemon and Dill – This lemon dill salmon is a healthy, delicious recipe that will keep you wanting more. The lemon and dill are perfect compliments to the fish, but will not overpower.

    • Cilantro Lime Salmon – In this recipe the salmon is cooked to perfection using a sous vide, then covered in a delicious cilantro lime butter sauce. The result? A masterful tasting salmon that you can whip out for any occasion.

    Special Equipment

    Sous Vide Machine – This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule.

    The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you can only control the device by using your mobile device. Either way, both sous vide machines are top class and you can’t go wrong with either choice.

    12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.

    Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for hours care-free.

    Cast Iron Skillet – If you are looking to take your searing game to the next level, we recommend investing in a cast iron skillet. By using a cast iron in this recipe, you’ll achieve a deep sear on the protein. Cast irons are also extremely handy for searing just about any and all sous vide meat. Lodge offers the best quality and price, which is why it is our favorite cast iron brand.

    Next Level Sous Vide –Looking to take your sous vide skills to the next level? The Next Level Sous Vide eCookbook will push your culinary boundaries with 65 delicious recipes that are equally approachable and tasty. With pro tips and a detailed explanation of the sous vide process, you will be on your way to maximize your sous vide skills.

    Check out our full list of recommended gear here.

    sous vide salmon seared and topped w/ cilantro
    5 from 3 votes
    Print

    Best Sous Vide Salmon

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword best, fish, salmon, sous vide, sous vide salmon
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Hands-On Cook Time 5 minutes
    Sous Vide Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 4 people

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb fresh salmon
    • Salt and pepper (or seasoning) to taste

    Instructions

    Preparation

    1. Set sous vide machine to 52C/125F.

    2. Season the salmon with salt and pepper (or seasoning) to taste. Place the salmon in a sous vide bag, and remove the air through a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop salmon in the bath for 45 minutes.

    Finishing

    1. Remove bag from bath. Gently take salmon out of the bag, pat dry and lightly re-season with seasoning.

    2. Heat medium size skillet on high and add oil. Sear the fish skin side down for 1 minute, flip the salmon and sear for 30 seconds - 1 minute fish side down. Remove from pan, serve and enjoy!

    « Sous Vide Shredded Beef Recipe
    Sous Vide Flap Steak Recipe »

    About Jason Veselak

    Jason is a home chef with a passion for preparing perfectly-cooked, gourmet meals at home - so naturally he became obsessed with cooking sous vide. This obsession led to a quest to find the perfect cooking time, temperatures and techniques for every type of food he puts in the bath. Jason is excited to share his pro-tips and favorite recipes to help make cooking sous vide an unforgettable experience for everyone. Follow his culinary adventures at @sousveezy on Instagram to learn more!

    This post may contain affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori R says

      April 05, 2020 at 11:08 am

      I've heard such mixed reviews about SV salmon, but this recipe helped me decide a time and temp that I'd enjoy! 131F for 45 minutes was firm like a traditional salmon but so so juicy. Loved it!

      Reply
    2. Sharon Connelly says

      August 25, 2020 at 9:45 am

      My husband was OVERJOYED with Jason’s technique for salmon . I simply added rosemary and red pepper flakes with salt and pepper after brine bath before Sous vide for 45 minutes. Patted dry afterwards then torched . Now he wants salmon ALL the time. Stated this salmon outranks any other ever had . Thank you so very happy much!!

      Reply
    3. TommyGee says

      September 06, 2021 at 7:39 am

      Recently, Rubbermaid has reverted to making their Commercial Food Storage containers (the ones mentioned near the end of this article as being great for Sous Vide) with BPA again for durability, according to their comments on Amazon.
      Since your food is bagged when cooking and temperatures are generally quite low, the risk of BPA "contamination" should be extremely small, so I agree with the recommendation as it fits the cooker and the food so perfectly. I just wanted to make you aware of the change.

      Reply
      • Jason Veselak says

        September 07, 2021 at 6:33 am

        Appreciate you providing that insight! I didn't know about the change but I'll definitely be sure to look into it more. Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Jod says

      November 30, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      Hi Jason, I'm curious if the different types of salmon affect your time/temp recommendations? I always purchase Costco's Frozen Wild-Caught Sockeye Salmon with skin on and I prefer to Sous Vide from frozen for convenience, and I've had a difficult time finding a good time/temp combo for this specific type of salmon. Any recommendations?

      Reply
      • Jason Veselak says

        December 05, 2022 at 7:51 am

        Hi Jod, have you tried 125F for an hour and 15 mins? This is what I would try first, then adjust the temperature up or down depending on the result and what you are looking for. Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Terry M says

      February 01, 2024 at 12:36 pm

      We cook sous vide salmon often as it is the easiest and most fool proof method. A couple fresh sprigs from our rosemary plant, few pats of butter and some lemon into the bag. Also like the way the skin just peels off. Only issue is with the sear, or more specifically the equipment. While lodge is the cheapest and most readily available, it is a sub-par quality. Recommend looking in basement or checking out yard sales and picking up an old pan and cleaning/restoring it. You’ll appreciate the difference. You grandmother knew best!!

      Reply

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