The Trick To Removing Salmon Bones Easily

Salmon is a staple of weeknight meals and is a healthy protein that we can grill, broil, bake, or steam for dinner, knowing it will always come out flavorful and delicious — eating it even can make your hair look better. Before you get daunted by purchasing that salmon filet, you should know that there's actually a trick for removing them easily — and it doesn't involve a magnifying glass. 

Most salmon you buy from the grocery store these days comes with the pin bones removed, but they're very small, and it's not unusual for the supermarket fishmonger to have missed one or two. That means when you buy salmon, you should always look for them — you don't want a guest to end up choking on one. 

The easiest way to find pin bones in your salmon is to lay the salmon filet, skin-side down, over an upside-down mixing bowl. Doing so causes the pin bones to stick up from the flesh, which makes them easier to see so you can remove them. You should also use your fingers to gently feel along the fish for any bones that are there (via Cook's Illustrated). They're usually located in the thickest part of the fish filet (via The Kitchn). 

Then, use a pair of tweezers or needle-nose pliers to pull the pin bones out at an angle, usually in the same direction that they're already leaning toward. This ensures that you don't end up ripping the salmon flesh, and it also decreases the likelihood of the pin bone breaking at the surface of the fish. 

Once you've removed all of the pin bones from your salmon, it's ready to cook. Better yet, you won't have to worry about anyone accidentally biting into or choking on a bone when they just want to enjoy a nice fish dinner.