Salmon Varieties: A Beginner's Guide

For beginners, salmon varieties only needs a pan, a little patience and good fish. None of it needs special equipment. Below, we walk through salmon varieties step by step.

Start here

Worth keeping in mind: coho, sometimes sold as silver salmon, sits between those two, with moderate richness and a milder taste. Pink and chum salmon are smaller and leaner, and they commonly appear canned, smoked, or frozen. Their delicate flesh suits salmon cakes, salads, and quick weeknight dishes.

Keeping seafood cold right up to cooking time protects both flavor and safety.

What you need

Atlantic salmon sold in American stores is almost always farmed, since wild Atlantic populations are limited. Farmed salmon is consistent in size and fat content, with soft, pale orange flesh and a mild flavor. Its higher fat level keeps it moist even when cooked a little longer than intended.

None of this needs to be exact; thickness and stove heat vary, so trust the visual cues.

Your first attempt

The key point is that these differences affect cooking times. Lean wild fillets such as sockeye cook faster and dry out sooner, so they benefit from lower heat, shorter times, or being served slightly underdone at the center. Fattier king and farmed salmon tolerate higher heat and longer roasting.

The practical takeaway is to pull seafood from the heat a moment early, since it keeps cooking on the plate.

What to expect

Worth keeping in mind: color is not always a reliable guide to quality, because it varies naturally from species to species and with diet. Freshness checks matter more: a clean smell, moist and glossy flesh, and fillets that hold together without gaping. Many wild salmon are sold frozen, and well-frozen fish commonly compares favorably to fresh fish that has traveled a long distance.

It helps to have everything ready before you start, because seafood cooks fast.

Easy upgrades

The word salmon covers several species, and each one cooks and tastes a little differently. Knowing the main types aids when choosing fish for a particular recipe and explains why one fillet can look so different from another at the same counter.

Next steps

King salmon, also called Chinook, is the largest and richest of the Pacific species. Its flesh is thick, high in fat, and buttery, which makes it forgiving on the grill or under the broiler. Sockeye is leaner, with deep red flesh and a firm texture and a pronounced flavor that holds up to bold seasoning.

Fresh, well-stored seafood does most of the work for you.

Practical tips

A few simple things tend to help:

• Keep a lemon and fresh herbs on hand to finish dishes.
• Cook seafood within a day or two of buying it.
• Pat fish dry before it goes in the pan.
• Swap fish of similar texture when your first choice is not available.

The bottom line

The best seafood dish is the one you feel confident making again. Keep it simple, watch the cues, and do not rush the prep. That is really all it takes.