Fish sticks to the pan because its proteins bond with the metal as it cooks, and they bond more readily when the skin is wet, the fish is fridge-cold and the pan is not hot enough. Patted dry, laid skin side down in a preheated pan with hot oil and then left alone, a fillet releases by itself after a few minutes and the skin turns crisp. If fish sticks in a non-stick pan that used to work well, the coating is often worn.
Key points
- Dry the skin thoroughly: moisture is the main cause of sticking and soggy skin.
- Preheat the pan, add an oil suited to frying, lay the fillet skin side down and press it gently at first.
- Do not move it: once the skin is crisp it lets go of the pan. Only then turn it to finish on the flesh side.
- For skinless fillets, a dusting of flour, a sheet of baking paper or a non-stick pan in good condition makes life easier.
This article looks closely at one case from our guide to why food sticks to your pan, which covers every kind of food.
Why does fish stick to the pan?
The Royal Society of Chemistry explains that food sticks because bonds form between it and the metal, and protein-rich foods such as fish are particularly prone to it. Fish skin is also very rich in collagen: a 2022 paper in the journal Foods puts it at 50 to 70%. In the heat the skin shrinks, curls and loses contact with the pan in places. Add to that the usual mistakes:
- Wet skin. While water is evaporating, the surface stays around 100 °C. The fish steams instead of frying, and the crust that frees it takes longer to form.
- A pan that is not hot enough. Stainless steel and uncoated titanium are poor conductors of heat and need proper preheating.
- Fish straight from the fridge. French cookware maker Cristel lists fridge-cold ingredients among the causes of sticking.
- Too many fillets at once. The temperature drops, steam builds up and the skin goes soft.
- Turning too soon. Pulling at a fillet before the crust has formed tears the skin.
- A worn coating. No trick makes up for a non-stick coating that has reached the end of its life.
How to get crispy fish skin, step by step
This works for salmon, trout, sea bass, sea bream or mackerel: any fillet with the skin on. Cristel recommends choosing fillets with skin, because it protects the delicate flesh.
- Dry it. Pat both sides with kitchen paper. Nigella Lawson also suggests scraping the back of a knife along the skin to remove the last drops.
- Salt at the right time. Salt draws water to the surface, so salt just before cooking, or about 15 minutes ahead and then pat the skin dry again.
- Preheat. Heat an uncoated pan empty over a medium heat. The water droplet test tells you when it is ready: drops bead up and glide rather than sizzle away.
- Add oil. Nigella Lawson uses a thin layer of flavourless vegetable oil, heated until it shimmers but does not smoke.
- Lay the fillet skin side down, away from you. It should sizzle.
- Press gently. Hold the fillet flat with a fish slice so the skin does not curl. Cristel suggests the first 30 seconds.
- Leave it alone. If it spits fiercely, turn the heat down a little. Cristel waits until the edges turn opaque.
- Turn it when the skin releases. As Nigella Lawson puts it, crisp skin comes away from the pan easily, so do not move the fillet too soon.
- Finish on the flesh side. Lower the heat and give it a short time only. Thicker fillets can also go into a hot oven to finish, as Nigella Lawson notes.
Tip: if the fillet still clings, do not scrape underneath it. Wait a minute and try again: skin that sticks is usually just not ready yet.
Skinless and delicate fish
Cod, haddock, pollock or plaice fall apart more easily and have no skin to protect them. Three things help:
- A light dusting of flour, with the excess brushed off, which Nigella Lawson mentions for a crisp finish.
- Baking paper cut to the size of the pan and held in place with a few drops of oil.
- A non-stick pan in good condition, the easiest option for these fillets, over a medium heat.
The principle is the same as for eggs sticking to the pan: preheat well, then lower the heat so the proteins do not burn onto the base.
Which frying pan is best for fish?
| Pan | For fish | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stick (PTFE, ceramic) | Easiest, including skinless fillets | Do not heat empty on high (Stiftung Warentest) |
| Stainless steel | Good crust on the skin | No non-stick effect: preheat, add fat, be patient |
| Cast iron, carbon steel | Handles high heat | Only once well seasoned |
| Uncoated titanium surface | Handles high heat, no coating to wear out | Conducts heat much like stainless steel: preheat and use fat |
Which? notes that with stainless steel you need to add some fat. With cast iron or carbon steel, a new or damaged seasoning is the usual culprit.
Titanium cooking surface
Uncoated titanium conducts heat much like stainless steel (around 16 to 22 W/m·K against 14 to 16 W/m·K) and has no non-stick layer, so the technique is the same. Our comparison of titanium vs stainless steel frying pans goes into the details.
One option in this category is the Untitan pan: titanium cooking surface, uncoated, PFAS-free. It has a hammered surface and a stainless steel base that makes it suitable for all hobs, including induction, and comes in 26, 28 and 30 cm. The method above still applies: the hammered surface, well preheated with a little fat, helps food release. You can try it for 30 days and return it if it is not for you.
Common mistakes
- Cooking fish that is still damp after rinsing or defrosting.
- Pouring oil into a cold pan and adding the fish straight away.
- Lifting the fillet every thirty seconds to check.
- Crowding the pan instead of cooking in batches.
- Frying in butter alone over a high heat: it burns before the skin is ready.
When the pan is the problem
If fish sticks in a non-stick pan despite dry skin, oil and a medium heat, technique is rarely to blame. Either a baked-on film of grease has built up, which can be removed, or the coating is worn. Our guide to a non-stick pan sticking explains how to tell the difference.
In uncoated pans (stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, titanium), the pan is rarely faulty: what is missing is usually heat, fat or patience.
Frequently asked questions
Why does salmon skin stick to the pan?
Usually the skin is not dry enough, the pan is not hot enough, or the fillet is moved too soon. Crisp skin releases by itself.
How do you get crispy salmon skin?
Dry it, salt it just before cooking, lay it in hot oil, press it flat at first and do most of the cooking skin side down.
Should you cook fish skin side down first?
Yes. The skin protects the flesh, and because you only turn it once, it stays crisp.
Sources
- Nigella Lawson: Crispy Fish Skin
- Which?: How to buy the best stainless steel pans
- Royal Society of Chemistry: Kitchen Chemistry, Why do pans stick?
- Guan et al.: Valorization of Fish Processing By-Products, Foods, 2022
- Cristel: how to stop food sticking in stainless steel (in French)
- Stiftung Warentest: using frying pans correctly (in German)
- Engineering ToolBox: thermal conductivity of metals