If you’re looking for an affordable, nutritious fish dish that can be prepared quickly, then look no further than coho salmon.
This delicious fish has been around since the 1950s, and it was once considered by many as “the poor man’s tuna.”
Today, however, this versatile whitefish is enjoying newfound popularity among seafood lovers who appreciate its delicate flavor and firm texture.
What Are The Ingredients In A Coho Salmon Recipe?
The main ingredient of any good coho salmon recipe is fresh or frozen coho salmon fillets.
If you don’t have access to these high-quality pieces of fish, you should substitute them with other types of whitefish like halibut or cod.
Other key ingredients include butter (or margarine), olive oil, garlic, lemons, onions, salt, and pepper.
These ingredients help create a savory sauce that will add depth to your fish while infusing it with bold flavors.
Finally, there are optional ingredients such as capers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, parsley, dill, and basil which provide additional layers of taste and color to your finished dish.
How Do You Cook Coho Salmon?
Coho salmon is typically pan-fried or baked at high heat, but it also works well with other cooking methods such as grilling, broiling, steaming, poaching, and even smoking.
The most common preparation method involves baking or frying the fillets.
For example, they may be breaded and sautéd until golden brown on one side before being flipped over and placed in a hot oven for about 5 minutes per inch of thickness (e.g., 8 inches thick will take 10 minutes).
To make sure your coho salmon cooks evenly, place the fish skin-side down first.
It helps to keep the fish from sticking together when flipping it over after it comes out of the oven.
If you don’t have parchment paper, use aluminum foil instead, which makes cleanup easier.
Once cooked through, remove them from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
What Is The Best Way To Season Coho Salmon?
Coho salmon requires little seasoning because of its naturally mild taste.
Although it may not have the same strong aroma as other types of salmon, you will still get plenty of flavor from your cooking process if you follow these simple steps.
1. Seasoning Coho Salmon Before Cooking
- Add 1 tablespoon each salt and ground black pepper to the bottom of a large pot or pan.
- Next add 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- Heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
- Place half of the salmon in the pan (cut into 4 equal pieces).
- Cook on one side for 5 minutes without turning them, then flip and continue to cook another 5 minutes.
- Remove the cooked fillets from the pan, set aside, and repeat step 2 three more times.
2. How Do You Cook Coho Salmon?
You can bake, broil, grill, sauté, steam, or fry this delicious fish.
The key to preparing coho salmon successfully is timing.
If you don’t want to ruin your fish, make sure you start off by placing it skin-side down in boiling water for about five minutes before flipping it over.
Then, place it on a plate and cover it while you finish up the rest of the preparation.
3. Marinade Your Fish
The next step is to create a tasty marinade for your coho salmon.
To begin, combine the following ingredients in a small bowl:
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- A few drops of sesame oil
- Mix well together, and pour the mixture all over the top of the four pieces of salmon.
4. Finish Up!
Now that everything is prepped, time to put it all together.
First, coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Next, lay out your salmon slices flat on the tray so they aren’t touching each other.
Finally, sprinkle them evenly with ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar.
Afterward, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
What Are Some Common Side Dishes To Serve With Coho Salmon?
Coho salmon pairs well with just about any type of vegetable or grain, but here are three classic accompaniments that would go great with this tasty fish.
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Asparagus
- Mixed vegetables (like broccoli)
The following recipe serves four people, making enough to feed two families on one night!
If serving more guests, simply double up on everything except for the roasted garlic cloves.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Coho Salmon?
The most important thing to know about this tasty fish is how well it fits into your daily diet plan.
That said, one serving of coho salmon provides roughly 40 percent of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin D, which is essential for bone health.
And while it contains less protein than other types of fish, it also offers more omega-3 fatty acids per gram than any other type of fish.
Coho salmon also contains high levels of B vitamins such as niacin and folate, along with iron and zinc, which promote overall good health.
It’s not just great for you—it’s delicious too!
How Many Calories Are In A Coho Salmon Recipe?
Coho salmon contains about 3 grams of protein per ounce (28.35 g), along with 7 percent fat, 23 milligrams of cholesterol, and less than 1 gram of carbohydrate per serving.
Since most sources recommend eating two servings daily, one would need to consume roughly 6 ounces (170.6 g) of coho salmon each day in order to meet their recommended intake requirement.
The calorie count of coho salmon depends on how you cook it.
Different types of cooking methods affect the amount of calories contained within a particular food item.
For example, baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit will increase the caloric content of your food more so than broiling or grilling over medium heat.
In addition, different cuts of meat contain varying amounts of calories depending on where they were cut from the animal.
Calories in a coho salmon recipe may vary based on the size of the fish.
When preparing coho salmon recipes, keep in mind that larger pieces of fish have more surface area than smaller ones, which means they require more time to bake or grill.
The USDA recommends buying fillets or steaks rather than whole fish, but if you prefer, you can always split them down the middle lengthwise before cooking.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Coho Salmon?
Coho salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous positive effects on our bodies.
These beneficial fats help reduce inflammation, fight heart disease, promote brain function, and prevent cancer cell growth.
They also aid in weight loss when consumed regularly.
In fact, eating just two servings per week could lower your risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
Moreover, these essential fats may even improve cognitive development in children and enhance athletic performance in adults.
The high level of protein found in coho salmon makes it ideal for those seeking to build muscle mass without adding bulk.
As with all types of fish, coho salmon contains significant amounts of mercury, but they don’t pose any greater threat than other varieties of fish.
Furthermore, because their meat is leaner, coho salmon recipes often contain less fat than others.
The USDA recommends limiting consumption of certain types of fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and ocean perch due to concerns about excessive levels of mercury.
However, there is currently no recommended limit regarding how much coho salmon we should consume on a daily basis.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) notes that most commercial brands of coho salmon meet federal standards for safe handling, processing, labeling, and storage.
Nevertheless, if you choose to purchase fresh wild coho salmon from local suppliers, make sure that it is cleanly caught, cooked within 24 hours after capture, and stored properly to ensure safety.
For more information visit the FDA website.
In addition to containing valuable nutrients, coho salmon is low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat while being high in vitamin D and dietary fiber.
It also provides over 50% of the total Daily Value of calcium, making it a great source of bone-building minerals.
What Are Some Tips For Cooking Coho Salmon?
Coho salmon is best when cooked in a simple pan with minimal seasoning like butter or olive oil.
It also works well grilled or broiled on top of a bed of vegetables such as broccoli or asparagus.
You may add extra salt if desired but keep in mind that coho salmon does not need much in the way of additional flavors because of how mild it tastes on its own.
You will want to cook your coho salmon until it flakes easily with a fork.
The flesh should be opaque throughout so that all of the nutrients remain intact and there aren’t any translucent areas where the bones could show through.
The ideal temperature for cooking coho salmon is 145 degrees Fahrenheit (about 60 Celsius).
Once the coho salmon reaches this point, remove from heat and allow it to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
If you prefer your food served slightly pink, simply return the fish to the stovetop for another minute or two.
Once the fish is ready to serve, gently flake apart using a spoon or spatula, allowing each piece to brown slightly before eating.
How Should You Store Coho Salmon?
Coho salmon is quite perishable, so it must always be kept in fresh water at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). If your home doesn’t have a refrigerator, never keep this delicacy on ice.
Salmon fillets will last up to three days if stored properly in the fridge.
It’s best not to freeze coho salmon because freezing destroys all of its nutrients and flavors.
You may also want to avoid reheating frozen coho until just before serving time, as the fish will lose moisture and become dry and tough.
Tips for storing coho salmon
- Keep coho salmon in a sealed plastic bag with paper towels inside. The towel absorbs excess moisture from the fish, helping prevent spoilage.
- Store coho salmon in the crisper drawer under other vegetables like lettuce, carrots, and celery.
- Don’t wash coho salmon too soon after purchase, as any dirt or debris clinging to the flesh could cause bacterial growth.
- Wash coho salmon right before using it to remove any parasites or bacteria.
What Is The Shelf Life Of Coho Salmon?
When purchasing fresh coho salmon, keep in mind that it will lose some moisture during shipping and storage.
So if your fish looks dry when you get it home, don’t worry—it will still taste great!
The best way to ensure that your coho remains moist is to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before placing it in the fridge or freezer.
It’s also important to note that because coho salmon contains high levels of omega 3 fatty acids, it does not require refrigeration after purchase.
However, due to the low acidity of the fish, you may want to cook it within four days of purchase if you plan on freezing it.
To learn more about how to properly care for your fish, read our article on how to clean and fillet coho salmon.
Equipment
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Chilean Coho Salmon portions
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- chopped green onions
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Preparation
- Take your pieces of frozen salmon out of the refrigerator, set them on the counter and let them sit there for 10 minutes to rest and reach room temperature.
- Take salmon out of packaging, dry both sides of the salmon with paper towels
How to cook
- Ensure that the oven rack is positioned in the center. Set the oven to 425 °F. For around 10 minutes, place a cast iron pan or other ovenproof pan on the burner with high heat. The pan has to be hot to prevent the salmon from sticking.
- Stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan. Stir in honey and chili paste after bringing to a simmer over medium-high heat. A few generous spoonfuls should be taken out and placed in a bowl to the side for subsequent serving.
- Salmon chunks should be equally covered after being brushed with olive oil on both sides.In order to give the salmon a good crust, place it skin side up on the hot pan and cook for about 3 minutes.Flip the salmon halves over, skin side down, as soon as the salmon begins to get opaque on the sides and top.While the salmon is still in the pan, drizzle the prepared glaze over the top. Then, immediately place the pan in the oven and cook for 6 minutes.The salmon may seem slightly undercooked in the middle after 6 minutes, but it will continue to cook as it rests.Allow to sit for 4-5 minutes after wrapping in foil.
- Serve topped with glaze set aside from earlier, chopped green onion, and sesame seeds.Place over rice, add your favorite veggies and enjoy!
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Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.