Salmon is one of the most popular fish in the world. It’s also one of the tastiest, with a mild flavor and texture that makes it the perfect canvas for your favorite seasonings. When it comes to eating the fish, most people will eat just the flesh. What about salmon skin, can you eat that too?
Can You Eat Salmon Skin?
Yes, you can eat salmon skin, but it needs to be cooked first. Raw salmon skin is too tough to eat. When cooked, the skin is crispy and can be eaten alone or used in recipes. It can be added to soups, stews, salads, and stir-fries as an alternative to bacon or chicken skin.
Benefits of Eating Salmon Skin
Salmon skin has a lot of benefits. It is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which are essential for your health.
Vitamin D helps build strong bones and teeth, maintains muscle strength, and protects against chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation in the body. This can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by helping to prevent blood clots that can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Salmon skin also contains niacin (vitamin B) and selenium, both of which are important for optimal health.
What Does Salmon Skin Taste Like?
Salmon skin is thin and crispy when cooked. It has a delicate flavor that’s slightly smoky and savory. The texture is crunchy and juicy.
Sushi chefs use salmon skin as an ingredient in nigiri sushi and sashimi. You can also find salmon skin used in Japanese cooking, especially in dishes like oshinko (pickled vegetables).
Salmon skin is simply the thin layer of fat and protein that covers the flesh of a salmon fillet. It gets removed during processing, but you can buy frozen whole salmon with the skin still attached so you can slice it off yourself at home.
How To Clean Salmon Skin
Salmon skin is a healthy addition to your diet and can be enjoyed by anyone who likes the taste of salmon. However, it is important to know how to clean salmon skin before you begin cooking it.
Step 1: Rinse the Skin
Rinsing the salmon skin under cold water is a great way to remove any fish scales or debris from the surface of the skin. It also helps rinse away any blood that may have accumulated on the surface of the skin.
If you are not sure whether or not your salmon was wild-caught or farmed, you may want to rinse it more thoroughly than usual as farmed fish tend to have more blood on their skins than wild-caught fish do.
Step 2: Pat Dry with Paper Towels
Once you have rinsed off all of the blood and scales from your salmon skin, pat dry with paper towels until no moisture remains on top of your salmon skin.
You do not want any moisture left on top of your salmon because it will start steaming when placed in an oven or hot pan which will cause it to become chewy instead of crispy when cooked properly.
How To Cook Salmon Skin
The skin of the salmon can add a lot of flavor to your meal, but it can also be difficult to eat. Here’s how to cook salmon skin without it falling off your plate into your lap:
Season The Skin Of Your Salmon
Salmon skin is naturally oily, which means it’s not great for frying or grilling. Instead, season the skin with salt and pepper and then let it sit for 30 minutes before cooking so that it absorbs some of the seasonings. This will help give it an extra boost of flavor when you bite into it later on.
Cook It With The Fish
If you’re cooking salmon with its skin still attached, use a very low temperature so that you don’t burn the flesh around it. You want to cook both parts together at once so they finish at the same time; otherwise, you’ll end up with undercooked fish flesh and overcooked skin!
Conclusion
As you can see, salmon skin can be eaten if you know how to cook them. You can cook them by frying them which will make it crispy to eat.

Kate has been in the food business for over 20 years. Worked as a cook at several buffets which include Old Country Buffet, Five Star Buffet, and Ichiban Buffet. Now, I’m mostly at home cooking for my family, caring for chickens and ducks, and tending the garden.