Salmon is not chicken. Salmonella isn’t lurking inside salmon like a paranoid ex. The main risk is parasites, but farmed salmon (which is what most of us buy) is fed pellet food and is virtually parasite-free. Wild salmon? Slightly higher risk, but still pretty low.
If you’re cooking farmed salmon from the grocery store, the USDA’s 145°F rule is overkill—like wearing a hazmat suit to pet a puppy. At 125°F, you’re holding the fish at that temperature for just a few minutes, which kills most pathogens. Trust the temp, not the panic.
For the truly paranoid: you can pasteurize salmon at 130°F for 1–2 minutes. But honestly, if you’re that worried, eat it raw—at least then it’s intentional.
