Easy Grilled Salmon

Ingredients for grilled salmon

Let’s break down the ingredients for grilled salmon, shall we? 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 & salt: You’ll just need a bit for rubbing and sprinkling.
• Seafood seasoning: Here’s where the magic comes in

Ingredients

• 4 4-ounce salmon fillets, skin on (wild caught if possible)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon himalyan salt or kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Seafood Seasoning*

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees).
2. Brine the salmon: 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).
3. Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub it generously with oil and sprinkle it with the kosher salt and seasoning blend (or simply salt and pepper).
4. Grill the salmon over indirect heat skin side down for 5 minutes, until it releases from the grates. Flip and cook another 2 minutes, until the internal temperature is 125 to 130 degrees. Allow to rest for a few minutes, then serve.

The best seasoning for salmon…period.

Salmon is beautiful with just salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. But want to take it over the top? (We know you do.) The very best way to season grilled salmon is our homemade Seafood Seasoning! It brings unreal savory flavor to this fish. There’s a little smoky, savory, and salty, with a hint of celery seed and allspice for some intrigue. It’s so good that we can’t help but use it on all our grilled vegetables, too. Here’s what’s in this magic seasoning blend:

• Smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Thyme
• Celery seed
• Cumin
• Allspice
• Salt

Tips for how to grill salmon: the easy way!

• Some people swear by cooking grilled salmon in foil. But we think the very best way is right on the grill grates. This way, you get all that smoky flavor and a crispy exterior. Here are our tips for how to grill salmon:
• Brine the salmon first! Brining is simply placing 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.
• The temperature for grilled salmon? Medium high heat, or 375 to 450 degrees. Medium high heat makes for a perfectly cooked piece of salmon. While you can cook at high heat and then finish at lower heat, we like the ease of grilling at one temperature.
• How long to cook grilled salmon? 5 minutes skin side down, then 2 minutes skin side up! The best way to measure whether it’s done is using an internal thermometer. Stick it in the thickest part of the fish and it should read 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ways to prevent sticking to the grill!

Some people complain about salmon sticking to the grill. The biggest contributor to that problem? Don’t try to turn it too soon! When the salmon is cooked just enough, it releases from the grill grates, making it easy to flip. But if you touch it before that time, it can stick and break apart. You don’t need to oil the grill grates. Just lightly oil the fish, and when cooking wait until the salmon is easy to release (about 5 minutes). Then it’s easy to flip!

Another tip: Make sure to cook with skin on salmon. This helps it to stay together on the grill. Salmon with the skin off easily sticks to the grill. We don’t recommend using it here

What to serve with grilled salmon

Enough about cooking it: let’s talk about eating! What to serve with grilled salmon? Try using the rest of the grill grates for some grilled veggies, or pair with a summer salad. Here are some recs to build out your meal:

• Green veggies: Try Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Green Beans, or Grilled Broccoli
• Potatoes: Opt for Grilled Potato Wedges or Grilled Sweet Potatoes
• Other veggies: Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Onions, Grilled Eggplant or Grilled Peppers
• Salads: Go for Cucumber Salad, Creamy Potato Salad or Greek Orzo Salad
• Desserts: End the meal with Grilled Apples a La Mode or Grilled Pineapple