We Asked 3 Chefs How to Cook Salmon Perfectly, They All Agreed

Salmon is one of America’s favorite fish—we eat over three pounds per person every year—but not all salmon behaves the same once it hits the pan. If you’ve ever ended up with a chalky wild sockeye or a floppy, oily farmed filet, you’ve already discovered the problem: Farmed and wild salmon have fundamentally different fat content, texture, and flavor, and that means they demand different cooking approaches.

Sure, you can swap one for the other, but you’ll get far better results when you play to each type’s strengths. Before you throw a filet on the grill or slip one into a poaching pan, it’s worth understanding what makes them different—and how to cook each without ruining it.

The Fat Factor: Why Wild Salmon Is Leaner and Farmed Is Richer

The most important difference between farmed and wild salmon isn’t where they come from; it’s what they eat and how they live.

Farmed salmon spend their lives in marine net pens and are fed high-calorie pellets, not unlike dog kibble, formulated to help them grow quickly. That diet, and little need to swim long distances, yields a fish that is fatter, softer in texture, and more forgiving in the kitchen than most of its wild counterparts.

Wild salmon, by contrast, live a much harder life. They hatch in rivers, migrate to the ocean for years of swimming and hunting, and eventually return upstream to spawn. Along the way, they eat a diverse diet of shrimp, krill, and small fish. Registered Dietitian Jacqueline Gomes of Wild Alaskan Company explains: “Because wild salmon are fed a natural diet of shrimp, krill, and other small marine life, they have a lower fat content and a deeper reddish-pink color.” This deeper red color comes from astaxanthin, the antioxidant pigment found in their prey.

That leaner build, combined with a lifetime of exertion, makes wild salmon firmer in texture and more complex in flavor. As chef Evan Hennessey of Stages at One Washington in Dover, NH, puts it: “Because of their very different diets, the wild version tends to be deeper in color and flavor complexity. The fact that they also swim at their own pace gives them a less fatty and more firm texture.”

All of this translates directly to the kitchen: Wild salmon cooks more quickly, dries out faster, and requires gentler methods, while farmed salmon’s higher fat content allows it to withstand intense heat without becoming tough.

Seeing the Difference Helps You Cook It Right

At the market, salmon is usually labeled as wild or farmed, but that only tells part of the story. The key to predicting how it will behave in the pan is to examine it closely. Farmed salmon tends to be thicker, lighter pink to orange, and streaked with visible fat lines. Wild salmon is usually thinner, with tighter muscle structure and a more vibrant red hue.

“The farm-raised salmon is all about the fat,” Hennessey says. “It tends to be a much softer texture and carries the more oily flavor that people associate with salmon. The diet and age are controlled, and there is usually a higher fat content to get them to harvest weight faster.”

Recognizing the difference matters because it determines how the fish will behave in the pan or on the grill. A thick, fatty farmed filet will stay juicy under high heat, while a lean wild filet will go from translucent to chalky in minutes if treated the same way.

King Salmon: The Buttery Outlier

Among wild salmon, one species stands apart: King, or Chinook. The largest Pacific salmon, King is prized for its unusually high fat content, which makes it more similar in cooking behavior to farmed Atlantic salmon—but with far more depth of flavor.

“For me, it is wild King salmon every time,” says Chris Piro, chef-owner of Again. in Portsmouth, NH. “It is the richest of all the wild species with incredible fat content and a natural buttery flavor that does not need much done to it. The fish has structure but still melts on the palate in a way that feels almost indulgent.”

King salmon is a seasonal luxury (late spring through early fall) and significantly pricier than other wild species. But if you find it, you can treat it more like farmed salmon—pan-searing, roasting, or grilling with confidence.

A Note on Sustainability

We’re focusing here on cooking, but it’s worth a quick aside on sustainability. Farmed salmon has drawn criticism for environmental impacts, but not all farms are created equal. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch recommends farmed salmon from Maine, the Faroe Islands, and New Zealand, as well as nearly all U.S.-caught wild salmon. Look for certifications from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Once you know what kind of salmon you have and how it was raised, you can choose a cooking method that brings out its best qualities.

How to Cook Farmed vs. Wild Salmon Without Ruining Either

Because fat, texture, and flavor differ so dramatically, wild and farmed salmon shine in different cooking methods. Here’s how to match the fish to the heat.

Raw

Best: Farmed or King

Why It Works: From sushi to crudo to poke, many chefs reach for farmed salmon when serving raw. Its higher fat content translates to a softer, more luxurious mouthfeel. “Ideally, both farmed and wild salmon have different roles in the kitchen,” says chef Chris Piro of Again. in Portsmouth, NH. “If I am serving it raw like in a crudo or aguachile, I usually choose farmed salmon. It is fattier, has a better bite, and feels more luxurious when you eat it.”

Farmed also has a mellower flavor, which balances bold acid-driven seasonings and chile heat. “The fat also helps it handle acidity and seasoning, which is exactly what I want in a raw dish,” Piro explains. If it’s available (and you’re willing to pay the premium), wild King salmon is another excellent raw option, prized for its buttery texture.

Another factor is safety: wild salmon is more susceptible to parasites, which is why farmed salmon is generally considered a safer bet for raw applications. If you’re trying salmon raw at home, make sure you source it from a trusted fishmonger and read up on safe handling practices.

The Takeaway: For sushi, poke, or crudo, opt for farmed (or splurge on King) — fat delivers the silky texture raw fish needs.

Pan-Seared

Best: Farmed

Why It Works: The high fat content of farmed salmon makes it a great choice for searing in a hot skillet. You can cook it confidently over medium-high heat, developing a crisp, crackly skin without drying out the flesh. Wild King salmon, with its high fat content, can also withstand pan-searing.

Lean wild species like sockeye or coho are less forgiving. “It cooks faster, dries out quicker, and it’s not as forgiving,” says Josh Smith, co-owner and executive chef of Talise in Gloucester, MA. Because the flesh is firmer and contains less intramuscular fat, wild salmon is more prone to going chalky if left in the pan too long. To avoid that, monitor the heat closely while searing wild salmon and aim for a lower internal temperature—around 120°F so it stays moist.

Farmed salmon, by contrast, can be taken a little higher—closer to 125–130°F—without losing its buttery juiciness, thanks to its higher fat content. That extra time in the pan to reach the higher temperature is what helps achieve a better sear and makes it so much more forgiving in a hot skillet.

The Takeaway: if you want dramatic, crispy skin and don’t want to babysit the filet, go farmed. If you’re determined to pan-sear wild salmon, consider using gentle heat and removing it from the pan quickly.

Roasted or Baked

Best: Both Farmed and Wild

Why It Works: Roasting works beautifully for both farmed and wild salmon, but only if you adjust the oven temperature. Fatty farmed salmon can take a hot roast—up to 450°F—or even a blast under the broiler, which crisps the exterior while keeping the interior juicy.

Wild salmon, on the other hand, stays moist with gentler treatment. “For an easy, hands-off method, try baking wild salmon low and slow with your favorite spices for tender, flaky results,” suggests Gomes. A filet brushed with olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and pepper, roasted at 275–300°F, will come out delicate and perfectly cooked.

The Takeaway: Roast farmed salmon hot and wild, gentle.

Grilled

Best: Farmed

Why It Works: Grilling is the ideal method for preparing farmed salmon. Its high fat content protects it from the grill’s intense heat, keeping it moist and flavorful. Oil your grates well, pat the salmon dry, and you’ll be rewarded with smoky, charred, juicy fish.

Wild salmon, however, is trickier to grill successfully. Lean flesh, combined with high heat, means it dries out easily and can stick to the grates. Gomes recommends brining or marinating wild salmon before grilling to add extra moisture and protection. Even then, cook it quickly over moderate heat and pull it as soon as it flakes — otherwise you risk a parched filet.

The Takeaway: Farmed salmon is built for the grill; wild salmon requires extra care (or an alternative method).

Poached

Best: Wild

Why It Works: If there’s one method where wild salmon outshines farmed, it’s poaching. Its lean, firm flesh becomes tender and silky when gently cooked in a flavorful broth or court bouillon. Because wild filets are often thinner than farmed, they cook quickly at very low heat. Daniel Gritzer’s cold-start poaching method works exceptionally well here, ensuring delicate, perfectly cooked fish.

Farmed salmon can certainly be poached, but its richness can feel heavy in such a subtle preparation. Wild salmon, with its clean, briny flavor and leaner texture, is a natural fit.

The Takeaway: Poaching is where wild salmon shines. The gentle heat complements its lean build.

Smoked

Best: Both

Why It Works: Hot smoking brings out the sweet, savory, and smoky qualities in salmon, and both farmed and wild species take well to it. The key difference is how much heat they can withstand. Farmed salmon’s higher fat content allows it to reach an internal temperature of about 125 to 130°F without losing moisture.

Wild salmon, however, should be smoked to a lower final temperature—closer to 120°F—to prevent the lean flesh from drying out. Because the margin of error is smaller, temperature monitoring is even more critical with wild species.

The Takeaway: Smoke both, but know your temps: 125°F for farmed, 120°F for wild.

The Bottom Line

At the market, wild and farmed salmon might look like interchangeable pink fillets. However, once you put them in a hot pan or on the grill, the differences become apparent. Farmed salmon is fattier, softer, and more forgiving—it thrives under high heat and bold cooking methods. Wild salmon, leaner and more muscular due to its more complex life at sea, cooks faster and dries out more easily, requiring only gentle heat and careful handling.

That’s why treating them the same almost guarantees disappointment: a wild filet will go chalky if blasted under the broiler, while a farmed one can feel greasy or limp if poached too delicately. Instead, think of them as two different proteins with their own sweet spots. Use wild for poaching and low-and-slow roasting, farmed for searing and grilling, and save King salmon as the luxurious wild-card that can do it all. Respect the fat, respect the fish, and you’ll never end up with a dry sockeye or an oily Atlantic again.