Gordon Ramsay Salmon Steaks

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Gordon Ramsay Salmon Steaks recipe is made with thick-cut salmon fillets, foaming butter, garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon juice. The result is a tender, flaky interior with a perfect, golden-brown crispy crust. This restaurant-quality technique is the perfect show-stopping main course for a weeknight dinner and is ready in under 15 minutes.

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Why You Will Love This Salmon Steaks:

Professional Technique Made Easy: This recipe relies on a simple, foolproof chef technique (high-heat searing followed by basting). This method guarantees a perfect result that you can replicate at home.
Ultimate Texture Contrast: The skin is perfectly golden and shatteringly crisp, while the thick interior remains incredibly flaky and moist. This texture difference is what sets a great salmon steak apart.
Rich, Savory Flavor: The foaming butter, garlic, and thyme used for basting penetrate the thick salmon steak, ensuring the entire fillet is infused with savory, aromatic flavor from edge to center.
Fast Gourmet Dinner: Despite tasting like a high-end restaurant meal, the total cook time is under 10 minutes. This makes it a realistic and impressive main course for a busy weeknight.

Gordon Ramsay Salmon Steaks Ingredients

4 thick-cut salmon fillets (about 6–8 oz each), skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2 cloves garlic, slightly smashed
2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
1 lemon, halved (for juice and serving)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Salmon Steaks

Prep the fish: Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Score the skin 2 or 3 times diagonally across each fillet. Season the skin generously with sea salt.
Heat the pan: Place a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron or stainless steel is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. The oil should be shimmering hot before adding the fish.
Sear the skin: Place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the pan. Immediately press down gently on the fish for 10 seconds with a spatula to prevent the skin from curling. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes without moving them.
Baste the fish: Once the skin is deep golden and crisp, flip the salmon. Immediately add the cubed butter, smashed garlic, and thyme sprigs to the pan.
Finish and serve: Tilt the pan slightly and use a spoon to scoop up the foaming butter, pouring it over the salmon flesh for 2-3 minutes. The fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.
Rest: Remove the salmon from the pan and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

Use a Meat Thermometer: Since salmon steaks are thick, relying on the clock can be tricky. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part to ensure the internal temperature reaches 145°F for safe, tender fish.
Score the Skin: Scoring the skin prevents the fillet from curling up in the hot pan and ensures the skin can crisp evenly across the entire surface.
The Basting Trick: Basting the salmon with the foaming butter, garlic, and thyme adds immense flavor and keeps the flesh incredibly moist as the last bit of cooking finishes.
Resting is Essential: Like steak, salmon benefits from resting. Allowing the fillet to rest for 2-3 minutes after cooking keeps the juices inside, resulting in a flakier, more tender bite.

What To Serve With Salmon Steaks?

These rich salmon steaks are the perfect base for simple, contrasting sides serve them alongside a bed of creamy mashed potatoes or a light potato puree to soak up the butter sauce. Roasted asparagus with shaved Parmesan or a simple quinoa salad also makes an excellent complement.

How To Store Leftovers Salmon Steaks?

Refrigerate: Cooked salmon is best eaten fresh. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 1 day.
Freeze: Do not freeze cooked salmon.

How To Reheat Leftovers Salmon Steaks?

Reheating a thick salmon steak requires very gentle, low heat, as the fish dries out quickly and the crispy skin is difficult to restore.

Warning: Do not use the microwave! Microwaving will instantly dry out the fish and make the texture mealy and rubbery.

1. In the Oven or Toaster Oven (The Recommended Method)

This low-and-slow approach is the safest way to warm the fish gently and keep it moist.1

Preheat: Set your oven to a low heat, about $300^{circ}text{F}$ ($150^{circ}text{C}$).
Prep: Place the salmon steak on a small baking sheet.
Cover: Cover the fish loosely with aluminum foil. This traps steam and gently warms the fish without letting the surface dry out.
Heat: Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the center is just warmed through.

2. Re-Crisping the Skin (Optional Step)

If you are very careful, you can try to revive the skin after the salmon is heated through:

Place the warm salmon in a hot skillet with a tiny drizzle of oil skin-side down for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Watch it closely! As soon as you hear a vigorous sizzle, remove it immediately.

FAQs

How do I check if the thick Salmon Steaks is done?

Use a meat thermometer insert it into the thickest part of the Salmon Steaks. It is ready when the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

Why did my skin stick and tear in Salmon Steaks?

The pan likely wasn’t hot enough. The pan needs to be screaming hot when the skin is perfectly seared, it will form a crust and naturally release itself from the pan.

Can I remove the skin of Salmon Steaks before cooking?

You can, but you will lose the crispy texture that this recipe is famous for. The skin also protects the delicate flesh from drying out during the high-heat searing process.

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Salmon Steaks Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 steak

Calories: 410 kcal
Total Fat: 27g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 110mg
Sodium: 350mg
Total Carbohydrate: 4g
Dietary Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 37g

Recipe by Sophie LaneCourse: Dinner, Lunch, MainCuisine: American, European, BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

410

kcal

Ingredients

4 thick-cut salmon fillets (about 6–8 oz each), skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2 cloves garlic, slightly smashed
2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
1 lemon, halved (for juice and serving)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Prep the fish: Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Score the skin 2 or 3 times diagonally across each fillet. Season the skin generously with sea salt.
Heat the pan: Place a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron or stainless steel is ideal) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. The oil should be shimmering hot before adding the fish.
Sear the skin: Place the salmon fillets skin-side down in the pan. Immediately press down gently on the fish for 10 seconds with a spatula to prevent the skin from curling. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes without moving them.
Baste the fish: Once the skin is deep golden and crisp, flip the salmon. Immediately add the cubed butter, smashed garlic, and thyme sprigs to the pan.
Finish and serve: Tilt the pan slightly and use a spoon to scoop up the foaming butter, pouring it over the salmon flesh for 2-3 minutes. The fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish.
Rest: Remove the salmon from the pan and let it rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use a Meat Thermometer: Since salmon steaks are thick, relying on the clock can be tricky. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part to ensure the internal temperature reaches 145°F for safe, tender fish.
Score the Skin: Scoring the skin prevents the fillet from curling up in the hot pan and ensures the skin can crisp evenly across the entire surface.
The Basting Trick: Basting the salmon with the foaming butter, garlic, and thyme adds immense flavor and keeps the flesh incredibly moist as the last bit of cooking finishes.
Resting is Essential: Like steak, salmon benefits from resting. Allowing the fillet to rest for 2-3 minutes after cooking keeps the juices inside, resulting in a flakier, more tender bite.