How to Grill Salmon

Grilled Sockeye Salmon filets plated over greens, summer succotash and cardamom aioli close up

5 from 3 votes

Elevate your grilling game with our simple and delectable guide for how to grill salmon. Follow our step-by-step guide for perfectly tender, juicy, and flavorful salmon every time.

Prep Time35

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 517kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Equipment

Fish spatula

Ingredients

For the Salmon:

1 whole salmon filet between 3 to 5 pounds, skin on, sliced into even portions
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp adobo honey spice blend
1 tbsp Girl Carnivore Over Easy Spice Blend
1 tsp salt

For the sweet teriyaki sauce:

½ cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp adobo honey spice blend

For the Succotash:

4 ears fresh corn charred evenly on all sides and corn removed from cob
1 zucchini chopped
¼ cup cherry tomatoes sliced
4 scallions minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice from one lime
1/8 cup Cotija crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

Turmeric aioli
Mixed greens
1 lime sliced thin
Handfull of Thai Basil

Instructions

Make the charred corn succotash:

In a large bowl, toss the grilled corn with the chopped zucchini, tomatoes, and scallions.
Add the olive oil, lime juice, cotija cheese and toss to combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Prep the grill:

Clean your grill grates. Prep your grill for around 375 degrees F, medium-high heat. If using charcoal, add maple or apple wood chunks to infuse a little smoke if desired.

Prep the salmon:

Liberally rub the salmon with the oil.
Sprinkle the flesh with the adobo honey, Over Easy blend, and salt.

Make the sweet teriyaki sace:

Whisk the teriyaki, soy sauce, brown sugar, and adobo honey spice blend in a small bowl together.
Remove 3 tbsp and reserve.

Grill the fish:

When the grill is ready, place the salmon, skin side down on the grill.
Brush the salmon with the teriyaki blend.
Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. It should look like the fish has started to cook through when you flip.
Brush the salmon again right before flipping. Use caution as too much liquid can cause flare ups.
When the salmon pulls back easily, flip and grill with the lid closed another 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the salmon at 140 degrees or when the fish flakes easily with a fork. Adjust timing depending on the thickness of your filets.
Remove the salmon from the heat.
Brush with reserved teriyaki blend and tent with foil to keep hot while plating.

Assemble & serve:

To plate, place a dollop of the turmeric aioli onto your serving dish.
Arrange a portion of mixed greens over the aioli.
Place a heaping spoonful of the charred corn succotash on top.
Nestle a salmon portion over it all and garnish with a fresh lime slice and minced basil.

Notes

If you don’t have adobo honey spice blend, use a 2 to 1 ratio of powdered adobo and brown sugar with a pinch of salt.

When slicing salmon into even portions, go by weight as the filet thins out towards the back. Making them the same width will result in some being very small. Even weight between portions is more ideal for cooking.

To slice the filet, a sharp clean boning knife will do the trick. Just be sure to apply pressure in a clean stroke to cut through the skin. Always cut away from your body.

A clean well-oiled grill grate helps prevents the fish from sticking.

A fish spatula is essential when working with fish. It is designed to accommodate the filets better and in thinner than traditional grilling spatulas helping to mitigate any unnecessary tearing.

Nutrition