How to Cook Frozen Salmon

Wondering how to cook frozen salmon, or whether you need to thaw it first? Find out here!

Have you ever spent the day anticipating a delicious salmon dinner, only to get home and find you forgot to take it out of the freezer? Or perhaps you’ve entrusted your teenager with the task and their guilty expression tells you they totally forgot?

Either way, we have good news for you! Not only is it perfectly safe to cook salmon straight from the freezer, with a little care you can achieve a taste and texture as good as if it was thawed first!

Note: In this article we are referring to small salmon fillets, up to around 6 oz in weight. Larger fillets or sides of salmon are hard to cook from frozen because of their size, meaning that by the time the interior is cooked, the outside is overcooked and dry.

It’s better to save them for the next day and enjoy them, rather than ruin them by tring to cook them before they are thawed!

Why salmon is sooo good!

Quite aside from its wonderful flavor, salmon is full of important nutrients. It’s a great source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids, plus it contains selenium and B vitamins too! 

It’s easy to cook (yes, even from frozen) and seems to go well with just about anything, from salads to pasta to rice!

How to cook frozen salmon

Note: Whether you choose to cook your salmon in the oven or on the grill, you need to ensure that it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

To cook frozen salmon in the oven:

The idea is to initally steam the salmon by keeping it covered – this will start to cook it without drying it out. Then it is uncovered for the rest of the cooking time, giving a texture that’s just right!

1. Preheat your oven to 425 deg F.
2. Grease a baking dish and place your salmon fillets on it, skin side down. 
3. Add any seasonings of your choice, then cover the dish with foil.
4. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Carefully uncover the dish and gently push a knife into the fillet – it should go in fairly easily, although it may still feel slightly firm in the middle. If it’s too firm, put it back into the oven for a few more minutes.
6. Cook uncovered for the remainder of the cooking time (8 to 10 minutes), checking for a final internal temperature of 145°F.

To grill frozen salmon:

1. Preheat the grill to medium high.
2. Cut a piece of heavy duty foil large enough to wrap loosely around the salmon fillet. 
3. Grease the foil then place the salmon on it, skin side down.
4. Add any seasonings of your choice, then loosely wrap the foil around the fillet.
5. Place on the grill, cook for 8 minutes, then turn. Start checking for done-ness after a total of 15 minutes cooking time.

You may also be interested in how to cook frozen lobster tails and how to cook frozen meatballs.