How to Reheat Salmon Without Drying It Out — Or Stinking Up Your Kitchen

Whether you have tasty cuts of Copper River, king, coho, or sockeye, knowing how to reheat salmon will help you enjoy any leftovers hanging out in your fridge.

We asked two expert chefs to share their top tips on everything from the best way to reheat grilled salmon to how to reheat salmon without drying it out. 

What is the best way to reheat cooked salmon?

Second-day salmon makes a great meal, as long as you know how to reheat cooked salmon. Nothing ruins leftovers faster than a someone who doesn’t know how to reheat salmon without overcooking it. 

The key to learning how to reheat grilled salmon or how to reheat salmon filet, says HelloFresh Chef Claudia Sidoti, is to warm your leftover fish at a low temperature. Here, she shares her four steps for how to reheat salmon in the oven.

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Cover the salmon loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the edges from drying out. 
3. Place the cooked salmon on a baking sheet.
4. Put in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. 

How do you reheat salmon without drying it out?

If you’re looking for the top-secret rules of how to reheat salmon without drying it out, the experts say patience is key. 

“Blasting cold fish in the oven at a high heat is the most common mistake I see home cooks make, and it leads to a dry, flavorless piece of fish,” explains Dan Churchill, the healthy chef and host of Feast With Friends on Genius Kitchen. “By reheating your salmon low and slow, you can make sure that your fish will stay moist and flaky, which is just what you want,” he adds. 

If you have leftover salmon and want a kid-friendly meal, then check out Churchill’s tips on how to reheat salmon cakes. “Freezing your salmon cakes when they’re fresh is the best way to ensure that they can be reheated later on,” he says. With that said, here are the steps he follows for reheating salmon cakes.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. While your oven is warming, pan-fry your frozen cakes in an oil-coated skillet until they turn golden-brown.
3. Place your pan-fried cakes into the preheated oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until they reached the desired internal temperature and their centers are warmed. 

Is it OK to microwave salmon?

Yep! If time is an issue and the oven isn’t an option, the microwave is your next best friend. And when it comes to knowing how to reheat salmon in the microwave, Churchill says there is one thing to remember: You can get a bit of that lingering fish smell when you use this method. 

The trick, he says, for reducing the fish smell is to keep the heat low and reheat incrementally. That said, learning how to reheat baked salmon is really quite easy. 

Here, he goes over the simple steps for reheating your favorite fish as well as how long to reheat salmon in microwave.

1. Set your microwave to a low heat, or about 35 percent power.
2. Using a microwave safe dish, microwave your leftover salmon for about 30 seconds.
3. After 30 seconds, re-adjust your salmon to ensure even heating.
4. Continue reheating in 30-second increments until your salmon reaches the desired internal temperature.

How to you reheat hot smoked salmon?

Smoked salmon is a brunch favorite and popular on the menu at Churchill’s restaurant Charley St. If you’re hoping to have leftovers for days, there are a few tricks to remember when learning how to reheat hot smoked salmon.  

Give these six simple steps a try and Churchill says you will be enjoying your smoked salmon in no time with a salad, your favorite crackers, or on a toasted piece of sourdough. 

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place your smoked salmon in either a shallow baking dish or a baking sheet.
3. Before placing in the oven, lightly coat the top of the salmon with a little butter or olive oil.
4. Warm the smoked salmon in the oven for about five minutes, depending on the strength of your oven.
5. After five minutes, check to see if your salmon has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Continue cooking in two-to-three-minute increments until your salmon reaches the desired temperature.

Make sure not to leave your reheated smoked salmon sitting around for too long. Sidoti says bacteria can grow if you don’t eat it soon after reheating. 

How do you reheat poached salmon?

When it comes to knowing how to reheat poached salmon, Sidoti says to follow these three steps.

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the salmon in a pan.
3. Add a small amount of water and cover with foil.
4. Reheat for five to eight minutes, or until heated through. 

Go ahead and give a few of these reheating methods a try and see how fresh your leftover salmon tastes. And if you’re looking for a way to serve up a delicious dinner that is quick to prep and sure to please, why not reheat a few of those leftover baked potatoes that are taking up space in your fridge. You will have a family-style dinner in no time.

Want to revive more leftovers? Take a look at our tips on how to reheat quiche, how to reheat a quesadilla, and how to reheat lasagna!