How To Reheat Salmon – I Test 6 Methods [Pics]

This article was updated on 6th September 2023 for freshness and to incorporate new insights.

I’d eat salmon every day if I could. The only problem is reheating it. Fish is notoriously tricky to reheat, and salmon is no exception. Is it even possible without ending up with dry, tough fish?

I experimented with six different reheating methods to find out the best way to reheat salmon and preserve its subtle flavors and flaky texture.

The best way to reheat salmon is in the oven. Rub your salmon in olive oil and add a splash of lemon. Wrap it in foil, along with a few tablespoons of stock or water, and place it in a 300°F (150°C) oven. Reheat the salmon for 12-17 minutes, depending on the size of the filet.

How I tested reheating salmon

Salmon is tied for my favorite fish (along with seabass), so I had no issue with cooking up a load of filets one night for dinner. After eating one, I left the rest in the fridge overnight.

The next day, I tried out the following reheating methods:

• In the oven (or air fryer): A great method.
• In a skillet: Nice crispy skin.
• In a dish: Great for dried-out salmon.
• By steaming: Good, but less suited sauce-covered salmon.
• In the microwave: Avoid if possible.
• Sous vide machine: Great if you have one, but slow.

Reheating salmon in the oven

Time: 10-15 minutes
Rating: 9/10

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Place the salmon on a piece of foil and rub it with olive oil and a splash of lemon.
3. Wrap the salmon in the foil, sprinkling a few tablespoons of water, stock, or even white wine over it before sealing. Seal the edges together by folding them over and pinching them closed.
4. Heat the salmon for 12-17 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the filet.
5. Check that the internal temperature reaches at least 125°F to 130°F (50°C to 55°C) before removing the salmon from the oven.

Note: You can also use the air fryer like an oven to reheat your salmon. Don’t put the salmon into the air fryer unwrapped though, otherwise it will dry out very quickly.

If you prefer, you can use butter instead of oil. And you can also add extra flavors like some chilis, garlic, herbs, or even quick cooking vegetables like tomato slices to the packet.

Make sure that the foil is tightly closed and that there are no gaps. It’s essential to keep the moisture inside so that the fish doesn’t dry out. And avoid opening the foil packet too often during the reheating process, because each time you do all the steam will escape.

Pro tip: speed up the reheating process, slice the salmon before putting it in the oven.

Results: This reheating method worked well – my salmon came out super tasty and wasn’t dry. And you can heat lots of salmon at once, so it’s convenient for larger quantities. The only downside is it’s a bit slow.

Reheating salmon in a skillet

Time: 5-7 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Heat a light coating of butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the salmon to the pan skin-side down, along with 2-3 tablespoons of water or stock. If you’re using a sauce you can add this too.
3. Cover the skillet with a lid to trap the steam. The steam is what’s going to warm the salmon.
4. Heat the salmon for around 5 minutes, or until it’s warmed through.

Note: I went a bit overboard with the butter in my experiment and I forgot my own advice of putting the salmon in skin-side down.

If you want to be super careful not to overcook the salmon, place the skillet half off the heat. Position the salmon in the ‘cold’ part and the liquid in the ‘hot’ part. This way, the salmon isn’t exposed to any direct heat.

If you want to crisp the salmon skin, remove any leftover liquid after the 5 minutes heating time and add another dash of oil or butter. Turn the salmon skin-side down, increase the heat to high and fry it for a further 2-3 minutes.

Like with the oven, you can easily add extra flavors to the pan, such as lemon juice, garlic, or ginger.

Results: I liked this method because I was able to crisp the skin (but this won’t matter if you don’t have any!). And my salmon was moist and flavorsome because I was able to baste it with the butter/stock mixture.

Reheating salmon in a dish

Time: 2-3 minutes
Rating: 9/10

1. Flake your salmon and set it aside.
2. Cook your chosen dish (eggs, pasta, stir fry, stew, soup etc.).
3. Toss the flaked salmon into the dish near the end and heat for 2-3 minutes.
4. The warmth from the dish will be enough to gently heat the salmon. 

The saucier the dish the better here, but anything where you can feasibly mix the salmon in with the other ingredients will work.

Get the dish piping hot before adding the salmon to make sure it doesn’t cool down too much when you add the cold fish. Letting the flaked salmon warm to room temperature while you cook the dish will also help with this.

And always keep the flakes relatively small to ensure the salmon heats through.

Results: This option is great for salmon that’s already overcooked. You don’t notice the dryness as much when it’s mixed into another dish, and you’re not cooking the fish any further here – you’re just warming it.

Reheating salmon in a steamer

Time: 4-5 minutes
Rating: 9/10

1. Set up a steamer (or makeshift one), filling it with 2-3 inches of stock or water. 
2. Wait for the water to reach a gentle simmer, and then place the salmon in the steamer basket.
3. Make sure that the lid fits snugly to keep the steam in.
4. Steam the salmon for 4-5 minutes until it warms through.
5. Pat the salmon dry before serving.

Using stock instead of water will add a little bit of extra flavor to the salmon.

To set up a makeshift steamer, fill a pot with some water and then rest a sieve or colander on top, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Place the salmon in the sieve and then cover it with a lid that will keep the steam inside.

If you don’t have a lid, you can use foil, but you might need to steam the fish for a bit longer because some steam will escape.

Results: Using the steamer is not a great idea if your salmon has a sauce or marinade. The steam will condense on the surface of the salmon, diluting the flavors. But I really recommend this method if you have plain salmon that’s a little on the dry side (and you don’t mind soggy skin).

Reheating salmon in the microwave

Time: up to 2 minutes
Rating: 4/10

1. Wrap the salmon in a damp paper towel after rubbing the flesh with some butter or oil.
2. Place the salmon on a microwave-safe plate.
3. Set the power to 50% and heat the salmon in 30-second intervals. If you can’t set the microwave to 50%, then heat the salmon in 15-second intervals.
4. Carefully turn the fish over at each break and heat for up to 2 minutes.

You need to heat the fish slowly, or you’ll get tough rubbery salmon. And the damp paper towel is a must to conserve moisture.

Warning: reheating salmon in the microwave stinks!  This isn’t a great choice for small offices or for people who are sensitive to fish smells.

You can reheat your salmon at the same time as other things, for example, rice. Just make sure to add enough moisture to your dish so the fish doesn’t dry out.

Results: If you’re expecting crispy skin, forget it. The microwave leaves you with wet, slimy skin. The salmon flesh was okay, but it wasn’t as buttery as with other methods I tried. And the thinner ends of the filet were dried out by the time the thicker part of the filet was hot.

Reheating salmon in a sous vide machine / water bath

Time: 30-40 minutes
Rating: 8/10

If you have a sous vide machine, you can also use this to reheat your salmon. Set the water temperature to 120°F (49°C)  and place vacuum-sealed salmon in the water for around 30-40 minutes. Optionally sear the skin in hot oil before serving.

Since the temperature of the salmon won’t go above 120°F (the temperature of the water), there’s no issue with leaving it in there a bit longer than needed.

If you don’t have a sous vide machine, you can create your own water bath and monitor the temperature with a thermometer, but this is a little fiddly!

Results: This method won’t cook your salmon any further, so the texture will be just like it was when you first cooked it. All you’re doing is warming the fish. But it’s very slow. Also, most people don’t have access to sous vide machine, and making your own water bath requires a fair amount of effort.

How to store salmon

Store leftover salmon in a shallow, airtight container in the fridge. You can also wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Cooked salmon will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. 

Ensure you get the salmon in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking it. If the salmon is left out at room temperature for too long, it will start to breed bacteria and will become unsafe to eat.

Can you freeze salmon?

You can freeze cooked salmon, but I don’t recommend it. I find that freezing salmon ruins the delicate flavor of the fish, and the texture becomes dry and spongey instead of buttery and flakey. If you do freeze salmon, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn. 

How to freeze salmon:

1. Allow the salmon to reach room temperature, but don’t allow it to stay out for more than 2 hours.
2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. 
3. Wrap the fish tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Alternatively, place the salmon in a freezer bag and remove all the air.
4. Freeze the fish in the coldest part of your freezer.
5. Use the salmon within one month.

By patting the fish dry, you avoid ice forming inside the packaging.

Try to remove as much air as possible from around the salmon to keep it fresh and not tasting like an old freezer.

How to thaw and reheat frozen salmon

Always thaw frozen salmon before reheating it. Reheating salmon from frozen will give you a horrible mushy texture. Leave the salmon to thaw in the fridge overnight, or rest it in a cold water bath (changing the water every 30 minutes) until soft. 

Once thawed, reheat the salmon for 12-17 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven. Wrap it tightly in a foil package along with some water and butter or lemon juice to keep the salmon moist.

What to do with leftover salmon

If you don’t want to risk your salmon drying out when you reheat it, or you just want a new and exciting dish, here are some cool ways to use up leftover salmon. 

• Use it in a spread: Mix the leftover salmon with avocado to make a tasty spread for crackers.
• Make a salad: Put a twist on a Mediterranean salad. Add the leftover salmon to sliced cucumbers, Feta cheese, olives, and tomatoes. Then drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
• Make fishcakes: This one’s a bit more effort but totally worth it. Dip the fish cakes in sweet chili sauce (or one of these alternatives) to complete the dish. 
• Add your salmon to scrambled eggs: A truly decadent breakfast and more filling than simple salmon on toast.
• Make summer rolls: Summer rolls are my guilty pleasure and work really well with salmon.
• Make salmon fried rice: More upmarket than chicken fried rice. Keep the soy sauce to a minimum to make sure the flavors of the salmon shine through.

How To Reheat Salmon [Tested Methods]

In this short recipe, I show you the best way to revive and reheat your leftover salmon.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 0 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine All

Servings 1 person

Calories 146 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 portion salmon
• 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
• Place the salmon on a piece of foil and rub it with olive oil and a splash of lemon.
• Wrap the salmon in the foil, sprinkling a few tablespoons of water or stock over it before sealing. Seal the edges together by folding them over and pinching them closed.
• Reheat the salmon for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fillet.
• Check that the internal temperature reaches at least 125°F to 130°F (50°C to 55°C) before removing the salmon from the oven.

Notes

If you prefer, you can use butter instead of oil.

Make sure that the foil is tightly closed and that there are no gaps. It’s essential to keep the moisture inside so that the fish doesn’t dry out.

To speed up the reheating process, slice the salmon before putting it in the oven.

Keyword reheat salmon, salmon