On 27 August 2015, Gilardino signed with Palermo. He made his debut for Palermo in a 2–2 draw against the Carpi on September 13. On 4 October, Gilardino scored against Roma, ending 2–4 for the giallorossi. Gilardino scored the second goal of the season in the game against Inter Milan, making his eighth goal against the Nerazzurri. On 30 January 2016, he scored his 184th Serie A goal in a 1–1 away draw against Carpi, equalling Gabriel Batistuta as the eleventh-highest score in Serie A history. He also tied the record for the most different clubs scored against in Serie A (38), which he now holds alongside Francesco Totti and Roberto Baggio. On 15 May 2016, he scored in a 3–2 home win over Verona to help save Palermo from relegation at the conclusion of the 2015–16 Serie A season; the goal also enabled him to equal Giuseppe Signori and Alessandro Del Piero as the joint-ninth highest goalscorer in Serie A history, with 188 goals. He finished the season with 10 Serie A goals in 33 matches.