How to Remove Salmon Skin Without a Knife

I have worked in all kinds of kitchens, as a private chef as well as a professional recipe developer in a test kitchen. That said, removing the skin from salmon has always been a task I dread. No matter how sharp my knife is or how diligent I am with my technique, I always wind up struggling through it, only to find I’ve left big hunks of perfectly good salmon meat behind, still attached to the skin I’ve just removed.

However, I recently came across this trick for removing the skin from a salmon fillet in two steps that seemed almost too easy. I honestly did not believe it could really work. Are you telling me all that’s needed is a kettle of boiling water and a paper towel to remove salmon skin? I tried it myself, and believe me, I am never attempting to skin salmon with a knife again. Here’s how to do it. 

Place salmon skin-side up on a wire rack over a shallow dish. Place a wire rack over a shallow dish like a baking dish or pie plate. It should be deep enough to catch the water as it runs off the salmon, and wide enough that the salmon does not hang over the edge.

Use a kettle to carefully pour boiling water over the salmon skin. Pour slowly to avoid any splashing and be sure the entire surface of the skin is touched by the hot water. Let the salmon sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Use a paper towel to gently separate the skin from the salmon meat. Voila! You’ll be able to wipe the skin right off. If it is difficult to remove in certain spots, use a bit more hot water to help loosen the skin where it’s clinging to the flesh.

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