Cooking salmon in the Instant Pot is quick and easy, whether you’re using fresh or frozen fillets. I love this hands-off method for preparing it as an easy weeknight dinner. It’s ready in less than 20 minutes!
Benefits of Salmon
Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which according to the Mayo Clinic may help to reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack. Your body cannot create omega-3 fatty acids on its own, so it’s essential that you get them from your diet. Fish is a great source of two types of these fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and you can find another type, ALA, in plant-based sources like walnuts and flax seeds.
Salmon is also a great source of protein and B vitamins. Just 4 ounces provides 22-23 grams of protein per serving! The vitamins in salmon may help to reduce inflammation and maintain optimal brain function, too.
Which type of Salmon is Best?
When shopping for fish, be sure to look for wild-caught Alaskan salmon. In many cases, farmed salmon can be exposed to more chemicals than the wild-caught variety, and because the farmed salmon is fed high-fat feed to produce larger fish, it also tends to be higher in fat and calories than the wild caught variety.
Can Salmon be Cooked from Frozen?
Yes! All you have to do is add 2 minutes to the cooking cycle. This is why I love the Instant Pot– it takes the hassle out of thawing the fish first, and you can often save money by purchasing it frozen, too.
Can I Cook Vegetables at the Same Time in the Instant Pot?
Yes, sort of. Vegetables turn to MUSH if you cook them at high pressure for 3 minutes.
Total mush.
So, instead of cooking the fish for the full 3 minutes, I recommend cooking it for just 1 minute, then quickly releasing the pressure, removing the lid, and adding your vegetables on top. Secure the lid again then use the manual setting to cook on high pressure for 0 minutes (yes, zero minutes– you read that right) and when the timer beeps again, quickly turn the pressure release valve to venting to release the pressure again. Everything should be cooked perfectly that way!
When cooking salmon in the Instant Pot (Here’s an affiliate link to the 6-quart model I use) I’ve found that I can’t get much flavoring to “stick” to the salmon, so I prefer to whip up a seperate sauce in my blender while it’s cooking away.
If you love the Maple Dijon Salmon in my first book, Everyday Detox, try serving my Honey Dijon Dressing over the top for a similar flavor.
Instant Pot Salmon (Fresh or Frozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound wild-caught Alaskan salmon , cut into 4 fillets
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Pour a cup of water into the Instant Pot and arrange the metal trivet on top. Place the salmon fillets into a single layer on the trivet and sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper.
- Secure the lid and turn the pressure release valve to sealing. Use the manual setting to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. (If using frozen fish fillets, cook them on high pressure for 5 minutes instead. No need to thaw.)
- When the cooking cycle has completed, quickly turn the pressure release valve to venting to release the pressure. Serve the fish warm with your favorite sauce and side dish. (See the notes in my post above for cooking vegetables with the fish.)
Video
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 161, Fat: 7, Carbohydrates: 0, Fiber: 0, Protein: 22
Recipe Notes:
- I haven’t tested this cooking method for other types of fish, so I can’t say for sure how it will work with other varieties.
- The seasoning options are totally adaptable and up to you– you can keep it simple with salt and pepper, or add a slice of lemon and dill on top, or use your favorite salad dressing to punch up the flavor.
As always, if you try something different please leave a comment below so we can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried cooking fish in your Instant Pot before? I’m happy to report that the fish smell did not stay in my Instant Pot for long. Whew. (Curry and cumin is much worse when it comes to making the lid smell after cooking.)
This was amazing! Moist and flaky and so easy. I thawed a previously frozen salmon fillet, and used 3 minutes. It was ‘almost’ perfect, but a tad overdone since salmon continues to ‘do’ as it sits, so next time I’ll do the QR between 2 and 3 min. for a similar sized piece. I cooked the thinner tail end of the fillet separately for 2 minutes, and same thing, will do a little less next time.
I’m wondering if it would make a difference if the 1 cup of water is room temperature, or heated before going into the IP.
Thanks Megan, your 3 books are my go-to for everything, although I must admit almost everything I cook is in the IP these days, so your IP book is the most dog-eared! Maybe another one is on the horizon???
I tried this today. It came out perfect. I love salmon, always cooked it in the oven. But the instant pot was good in my opinion even better cooked in instant pot
Sorry meant cooked even better than the oven
Just my opinion
Thank you for posting this recipe! This will be my new go-to every time I make salmon. Being able to cook from frozen saves so much time. I only eat wild caught salmon which I’ve found tends to dry out more than farmed salmon. My filets were on the thicker side and came out perfectly cooked. Once cooked, I squeezed on fresh lemon juice which added extra moisture and flavor. My husband and I loved it.
I cooked Atlantic salmon tail From frozen at 5 minutes & it came out a little over (as the tails are a but thinner). Will reduce to 4 next time. Regarding veggies in the pressure cooker, I find the root vegetables hold up well to 5 minutes cook time. I cooked a potato (cut into 1 inch chunks), a medium carrot in 5-6 chunks, butternut squash in 1.5 inch chunks + some medium size Brussels sprouts (base scored with a cross at least 1/4 inch deep). Large pieces of cauliflower also do ok. The flower will be a bit soft but the stalk is nice and tender as long as it is left in large pieces, at least 2 inches across the top of the flower
This is amazing! I was immersed in this recipe, very quickly I was able to try it. Thank you for sharing!
This is my go to for a quick dinner. Thanks!
Excellent. Timing is perfect.. Only thing different was i put salt and pepper on the Salmon, (frozen) fresh garlic, a slice of butter, and a couple slices of lemon on top. I put mine on trivet with parchment paper underneath so it didnt fall apart.. but melts like butter..
So I may have over salted mine… However having followed the comments about following the recipe exactly and other people saying their salmon was too dry. I had thinner pieces of salmon and cooked them from frozen but I cooked them for 4 minutes instead of 5 and I did let them naturally release for 5 minutes. But they turned out super moist! And I cooked them with some dill seasoning as well and a thick slice of lemon on top of each one! It was tasty!
Grateful for all the feedback from other people so I knew to adapt the cooking time a bit!
This was really delicious. I cooked frozen fillets for 3 minutes and they came out perfect. Finally, a quick and easy way to cook frozen wild salmon!
5 mins on high is not enough time for frozen salmon.
Love cooking my salmon in the instant pot! I still like to oven roast but it’s so nice to have it done so quickly!
I put in the water and trivet and then I put filets wrapped in tin foil with salt and lemon pepper and a tablespoon of cold butter on top of each one. It’s amazing every time!
Wanted to comment for all the folks who are cooking salmon tails, which are thinner (mine were 3/4 in thickest part). Tried frozen for 5 min, was good, but because I like my salmon on the rare side, I will try 4 min next time. Hope it helps.
Fish was still raw in some parts after cooking for three minutes and it also stuck to the metal trivet
I’ve used this recipe several times and have netted great results with standard 6-7oz filets. Thanks!
There is no wZy in hell my frozen salmon was done in 5 min. Please rethink this
I did the fish and vegetables at the same time. The fish at 1 minute was fine. Then the veggies at 0 minutes afterward came out too raw. I put them in for another cook at 1 minute and they were OK but I could have cooked them longer with a little better result.
Good meal though and I will do this again.
Use your favorite seasoning! You have the taste of salmon with hints of whatever else you like.
Fantastic salmon recipe
i have done this and want to recommend this treatment for flavor.. after fish is in the pot sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and Herbs de Provence along with S&P.
Great recipe and quick. Salmon cooked perfectly. I put a slice of lemon on top of each filet, four (4) total. Next time I will use the left over IP water to cook my rice on the stove.
I gave this a shot with a pretty thick fillet of frozen salmon and pressure cooked for 5 min… came out quite under and I had to microwave it. I would say more like 8 minutes would have done it for me. Anyways, rather than just a cup of water, I used 3/4 cup of white wine, 1/4 water, a splash of lemon juice, three finely slices garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes for the steaming liquid. Then I sprinkled some homemade greek dry seasoning on the fillet. The flavour was awesome and the cooked parts of the salmon were moist and flavourful. I will definitely try this recipe again and try to get the cook time dialled in! Thanks for a good starting point!!
Great recipe! I wondered why you state in the chart “Cook Time” is “15 minutes” when we are told to cook for 3 minutes then do a quick pressure release? I do my frozen fresh caught Atlantic Salmon for 5 minutes and it’s PERFECTO! I squeeze a little lemon over the top after a drizzle of good organic olive oil and then salt pepper and paprika and a smidge of parsley flakes. Yummy to my Tummy! Thanks! Please approve this version- I forgot to hit the 5 stars!
Didn’t have a lot of time or resources, but I had my instant pot & Cajun seasoning, plus a few minutes! I made 3 pieces of fish to meal prep for this week. I added a nice salad with lots of fresh veggies. Fish came out perfect!