This study was aimed to compare several potentially reliable extraction methods for norovirus (NoV) in ready-to-eat raw fish meat. Methods Several methods of viral elution, viral concentration, RNA extraction and real-time reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were compared and optimized by artificial contaminated NoV type GII in raw salmon sashimi, in order to improve the NoV detection. Results It was shown that viral particles could be well extracted and PCR inhibitors could be eliminated by a combination elution of Tri/Glycine/Beef extract solution, PEG/NaCl precipitation and chloroform-butanol (1∶1,V/V) extraction. In addition, the optimized extraction and detection method in this study could increase the average recovery rate of NoV type GII from no more than 3% to 15.15% in ready-to-eat raw fish meat, and the detection sensitivity was 17.3 RT-PCRU/25 g.Conclusion This optimal method has a better performance in repeatability and reproducibility, and it is suitable for rapid detection of NoV in ready-to-eat raw fish meat.