Here’s how to make the absolute best grilled salmon! It’s perfectly tender and flavored with a magic seasoning blend that takes it to new heights.
Want to grill salmon to perfection? Salmon is notoriously easy to overcook and under-season. I’ve had my share of disappointing salmon experiences, so I set about to find the best way to grill salmon.
After lots of recipe testing, here’s my perfect grilled salmon recipe! This method comes out tender with a lightly crisp crust, flavored with my magic salmon seasoning that tastes so good, you’ll want to put it on everything. My whole family loves it and I hope you will too!
5 Star Reader Reviews
“This was the best salmon I’ve grilled in a long time. This is a fantastic and wonderful recipe!” -Chef Paul
“WOW!!! The BEST salmon I have ever had! Delicious!!” -Pam
Ingredients for Grilled Salmon
You only need a few quality ingredients to make the very best grilled salmon:
- Skin-on salmon fillets: Try to find wild-caught if you can: it tastes better and is most sustainable. Skin on is important because it acts as a barrier between the fish and the grill while cooking.
- Olive oil and salt: You’ll just need a bit for rubbing and sprinkling.
- Seafood seasoning: My favorite way to season grilled salmon is this homemade seafood seasoning! It brings smoky, savory, and salty notes, with a hint of celery seed and allspice. You’ll need smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, celery seed, cumin, and allspice.
How to Grill Salmon: Step by Step
Some people swear by cooking grilled salmon in foil. But in my recipe testing, I’ve found the very best way is right on the grill grates. This way, you get all the smoky flavor and a crispy exterior! Here are the basic steps for how to grill salmon, or see the full recipe below.
Step 1: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450°F). Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub it generously with oil and sprinkle it with salt and seafood seasoning.
Step 2: Grill the salmon skin side up for 3 to 5 minutes until grill marks appear and it releases from the grates. Flip and cook another 2 to 5 minutes, until flaky and just pink at the thickest portion and the internal temperature is 125 to 130°F.
Step 3: Remove from the grill to a baking sheet and allow to rest for a few minutes, then serve.
The Secret to Moist and Seasoned Fish
An optional first step is to brine the salmon: simply place the salmon in a salt water solution while the grill preheats. It makes for perfectly moist salmon, and also helps the salmon come to room temperature which makes it cook more evenly.
I don’t like added steps, but in this case you can simply place the salmon in the brine while preheating the grill and there’s no time lost! Or, you can marinate the salmon: go to Marinated Grilled Salmon.
Tips for the Best Grilled Salmon (No Sticking!)
Some people complain about salmon sticking to the grill. Here are two pro tips I’ve learned:
- Don’t rush the flip. When the salmon is cooked just enough, it releases from the grill grates, making it easy to flip. Touch it before that time and it can stick and break apart.
- Oil the fish, not the grates. A light coat of oil on the salmon is enough.
- Cook with skin-on salmon, which helps it to stay together on the grill. The skin acts as a natural barrier and keeps the fillet from falling apart.
- Cook at medium-high, not high. Too high heat blackens the outside before the inside cooks through.
Why I Don’t Use Foil
Another great way to prevent sticking to the grill is to make grilled salmon in foil. I personally don’t think foil is needed; here’s why:
- I’ll admit, grilling salmon in foil does eliminate the need to flip the fish on the grill.
- However, the texture is softer and the top doesn’t get crispy as grilling right on the grates. Also, the fish doesn’t pick up as much of the charred grill flavor. So I prefer grilling it on the grates!
Alternate Method: Grilled Marinated Salmon
Another option is grilling marinated salmon, which infuses even more savory, moist flavor into the salmon fillets. Here are the pros and cons:
- The salmon marinade adds complex, savory flavor to the fish fillets.
- It takes at least 30 minutes to marinade the salmon. However, half of this is your preheat time, so it only adds 15 minutes to the overall recipe! You can also marinate the salmon for up to 3 hours refrigerated, then pull it out 30 minutes before grilling.
Seasoning Variations to Try
Once you’ve tried this grilled salmon with my magic seafood seasoning, you might want to change it up.
- Cajun or blackened: Sometimes I like adding heat with Cajun Seasoning or Blackened Seasoning.
- Tex Mex: You can also go Tex-Mex with Fajita Seasoning.
- Teriyaki: If you’d like, you can paint with the sauce from Teriyaki Salmon before grilling and again after.
Sauce Ideas for Grilled Salmon
This grilled salmon recipe tastes incredible on its own, no sauce required! But you can step it up with some of my favorite sauces for salmon:
- Creamy dill sauce: Go for tzatziki, dill sauce or lemon dill sauce (my personal favorites).
- Chimichurri: Try zingy Argentinian chimichurri sauce.
- Butter sauce: This lemon garlic butter sauce or garlic butter sauce are dreamy.
- Lemon pepper sauce: Try this zingy lemon pepper sauce.
- Mustard sauce: Try mustard sauce or honey mustard.
- Caper sauce: Make the caper butter from salmon with capers.
- Pesto: Make pesto salmon with basil pesto.
- Remoulade: Mix up classic remoulade sauce or a tartar sauce.
- Aioli: Go for garlic aioli or truffle aioli.
- Crema: Add zesty cilantro lime crema or avocado crema.
Sides to Make it a Meal
Enough about cooking it: let’s talk about eating! Try using the rest of the grill grates for some grilled veggies, or add a crisp summer salad. Here are some ideas of sides to serve with salmon:
- Grilled vegetables like grilled asparagus, grilled green beans, grilled broccoli, grilled zucchini or grilled onions
- Make potatoes like grilled potato wedges, baked potatoes on the grill, or grilled sweet potatoes.
- Corn in any form, from grilled corn to elote or grilled corn salad.
- Crisp summer salads like a strawberry salad, cucumber salad, French potato salad or orzo pasta salad.
Dietary Notes
This grilled salmon recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.
Storage and Leftovers
Grilled salmon keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat or in the oven at 275°F until just warmed through. I love repurposing leftovers, like flaking them over a grilled salad, in a salmon sandwich, or stirred into a salmon pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
For perfectly cooked salmon, aim for a medium-high heat grill, around 375°F to 450°F (190°C to 230°C). This ensures a nice sear on the outside while keeping the inside moist and flaky.
Grilling time depends on the thickness of your salmon fillets. Cook the salmon for 3 to 5 minutes skin side up until grill marks form and it releases from the grates, then 2 to 5 minutes skin side down, depending on the thickness.
The most reliable way to check for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the fish. It’s safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 125 to 130°F (54°C). The key is to cook until the salmon is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.
Marinating is not essential, but it can add extra flavor and moisture. Try our Salmon Marinade.
No, leaving the skin on makes the salmon easier to grill and adds extra flavor. It also keeps the salmon moist.
Make sure your grill grates are hot before placing the salmon. Avoid moving the salmon too early until it has a good sear and releases easily from the grates.
Overcooking is the most likely culprit. Salmon cooks quickly, so be mindful of the cooking time. Additionally, marinating can help keep the fish moist.
Yes, you can! Thaw frozen salmon completely in the refrigerator before grilling. Pat it dry thoroughly before placing it on the grill to avoid sticking. You may need to adjust the cooking time slightly for thicker frozen fillets. Typically we like the flavor of fresh salmon, but there are some high quality brands of frozen salmon.
The options are endless! We recommend our homemade Seafood Seasoning blend. Another idea is the lemon and dill (see this Lemon Salmon recipe). You can also get creative with fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro. Or add a sauce (see these top sauces for salmon).
Perfect Grilled Salmon
Pin RecipeHere’s how to make the absolute best grilled salmon! It’s perfectly tender and flavored with a magic seasoning blend that takes it to new heights. Or, try our Marinated Grilled Salmon with a quick marinade.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Seafood
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4 4-ounce salmon fillets, skin on (wild caught if possible)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons Seafood Seasoning*
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees).
- Brine the salmon (or go to Marinated Salmon to marinade): While the grill preheats, in a shallow dish mix together 4 cups room temperature water and 3 tablespoons kosher salt. Place the salmon in the water and wait for 15 minutes (this should be about the time it takes to preheat).
- Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub it generously with oil and sprinkle it with the kosher salt and the seafood seasoning (or simply salt and pepper).
- Grill the salmon skin side up for 3 to 5 minutes (where the flames aren’t directly touching the fish), until grill marks appear and it releases from the grates. Flip and cook another 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, until flaky and just pink at the thickest portion and the internal temperature is 125 to 130 degrees. (Salmon varies in thickness, so the cook time is different based on each piece of fish.) Allow to rest for a few minutes, then serve.
Notes
*We highly recommend making this homemade seafood seasoning! To make a quick version just for the salmon, mix 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon cumin.
**To marinade the salmon, mix up a simple marinade of soy sauce (or tamari), olive oil, rice vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and garlic and allow to stand for 30 minutes before grilling. Go to Grilling Marinated Salmon.
More Grilled Fish Recipes to Try
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