Grilled Salmon

Learn the best way to grill salmon, with butter, garlic, and simple seasonings. This is a delicious and easy recipe to make on your grill, and perfect for sharing with your friends at your next bbq.

Grilling salmon gives it a subtle smoky flavor that is so delicious! Grab a cold drink and head outside to make dinner on the grill. It only takes a few minutes to grill Salmon, so you’ll have more time to enjoy the nice weather!

You should also try making my Cedar Plank Salmon. Grilling fish on a cedar wood plank is a classic preparation that is extra flavorful.

Pick up the cedar plank next shopping trip! Today we’ll make grilled salmon fillets the easy way, no special equipment needed. Next week, try grilled lamb chops or grilled shrimp tacos.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Easy Grilled Fish – Salmon is actually one of the easiest fish to grill since it’s less fragile than others. It holds together well and isn’t overpowered by the smoky grill flavor.
2. Simple, Savory Flavors – No sweet BBQ sauce is needed to make salmon on the grill! We’re adding traditional garlic, lemon, and butter to make this the easiest and best bbq salmon recipe you’ve ever had.
3. Tips and Tricks – If you’ve ever tried to make grilled fish and had trouble, I’m here to tell you to try again! I’ll share my best tips so that you can make the perfect grilled salmon.

Ingredients For Making Grilled Salmon Fillets

Here’s what you need to make this bbq salmon recipe!

• Salmon Fillets: You can see that I got my salmon fillets frozen. I find that this is the most cost-effective way to buy salmon! Be sure to thaw them before grilling. You can certainly use fresh salmon fillets too. Either way, you want to use salmon fillets that still have the skin attached.
• Butter: Use melted unsalted butter to make a buttery sauce for grilled salmon. We will season it ourselves.
• Garlic: Garlic tastes amazing with salmon! Mince two cloves to add to the fish fillets.
• Lemon: Lemon juice is mixed with garlic and butter to make the most scrumptious grilled salmon. Use juice that is freshly squeezed from an actual lemon, not the bottled stuff.
• You will also need: Salt, pepper, oil for preparing the grill grates, and some fresh parsley for garnish.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Grilled Salmon

1. Prep the Grill: Preheat the grill to get it to a temperature between 400 – 450°F (about 200-230°C). Clean the grill grates, then grease them with oil so that the fish won’t stick.

1. Season the Salmon: In a small bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the butter mixture over the salmon fillets and brush to cover the fish.
2. Grill: Place the salmon fillets on the grill, skin side down over direct high heat. Cover the grill, and cook for 6-7 minutes. The color of the salmon will become light as it cooks, and the salmon should be easy to flip without sticking. If it sticks, let it cook a bit longer until it doesn’t stick any more!
3. Flip: Carefully flip the salmon fillets over and cook for 2-4 more minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish is 130°F/54°C. If needed, grill the sides of the fillets for 1-2 minutes as well.
4. Rest: Transfer the salmon to a plate and allow it to rest for 2-5 minutes before serving, garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

Recipe Tips

• Add herbs or other seasonings. This recipe is fairly simple, without a whole lot of spice. You can try adding your favorite salmon seasonings to give grilled salmon a new twist. My Salmon Seasoning recipe is definitely worth a try!
• Try a sauce. After grilling, top your salmon with this creamy salmon sauce!
• Don’t overcook. Keep an eye on your grilled salmon so that it doesn’t overcook and get dried out. Use an instant-read thermometer. The salmon is done when the internal temperature reaches 125-135°F (52-57°C).
• Use a fish spatula. When handling delicate fish filets, a fish spatula will be your best tool! It allows you to get all the under the fillet so that it won’t break apart when you move it.
• Check for pin bones. Even very well butchered fish fillets will have a bone or two in them sometimes. Feel for sharp bones with your hands, and use a pair of tweezers to easily pull them out before you start cooking.

Storing Tips

Cooked salmon will stay fresh in the fridge if stored in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.

Feel free to serve leftover grilled salmon cold, on a yogurt flatbreads as wraps, or on top of a cobb salad the next day!

To reheat grilled salmon, warm it up slowly at a low temperature. In the oven or on the grill, heat at 275°F/135°C oven for about 15 minutes.

What To Serve With Grilled Salmon

Grilled Salmon is ready to eat with any of your favorite side dishes. Since it’s likely that you’ll be grilling fish in the warmer months, try some of my favorite summer side dishes:

Vegetables – Three Bean Salad, Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Potatoes – Baked Potatoes on the Grill, Red Potato Salad, Vegetable Potato Bake with summer tomatoes and zucchini.

Summer Salads – Creamy Cucumber Salad, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, Greek Salad.

No Bake Desserts – Million Dollar Pie, Pineapple Dream Dessert, No Bake Cheesecake, No Bake Strawberry Pie, No Bake Oreo Pie

Recipe FAQs

Grilled Salmon is delicious! Save this recipe by pinning it so you’ll have it the next time you feel like making dinner on the grill, and quickly.