Salmon On Gas Grill Recipe

Important Points To Remember

Remember, preparing the best grilled salmon is easier said than done. Slight carelessness can result in a salmon that is undercooked and not as good as the dish can be. Before you go about cooking a salmon, keep a few essential tips in mind.

• Avoid overcooking the salmon
• Frequent turning will tear the flesh
• Dont forget to purchase salmon with its skin on

Considering the factors mentioned above will help you in ensuring that the salmon is well-cooked and ready for consumption.

Do You Have To Flip Salmon On The Grill

No, you dont have to flip the salmon if you are concerned about it sticking. Well seasoned grates cook fish really well without sticking, but if you have unseasoned grates or are concerned, simply cook the salmon skin side down without flipping. You wont get those beautiful grill marks, but the salmon will be able to cook through all the way with the lid of the grill closed.

If you like this recipe, check out these other great salmon recipes:

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a glazed grilled salmon recipe that would allow the glaze not only to form a glossy, deeply caramelized crust, but also to permeate the flesh, making the last bite of fish every bit as good as the first. Marinating the fish in soy… Read More

• 2 chocolate bar biscuit croissant topping
• 1 jelly cotton candy
• 2 caramels tart gummi bears
• 6 butterscotch caramel lollipops
• ¼ cup sugar

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Tips For The Best Grilled Salmon Recipe

• Keep a close eye on the salmon while it cooks, since the total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your fillet, as well as the temperature of your grill. You’ll know that the fish is done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork. You don’t want to overcook it or the salmon will become dry.
• While the FDA recommends cooking fish to 145°F, for a flakier, more moist and tender salmon filet, many chefs find that it’s best enjoyed when it’s cooked to medium 125°F. We don’t usually use a thermometer, but instead look to see that the texture of the fillet flakes easily with a fork and the inside changes from translucent to opaque .
• Grilling the salmon over medium heat gives it that delicious, charred exterior while keeping the inside moist and tender.
• Leave the skin on the salmon when grilling. This adds flavor and moisture, and helps hold the fillets together. It will peel off easily before serving.

What Is The Best Salmon For Grilling

• The best salmon for grilling are fillets with the skin on one side. The skin protects the fish while cooking and naturally releases fat onto the grate making the fish easier to flip.
• You can chose between wild-caught varieties, with a stronger salmony taste, and farmed, often labeled Atlantic salmon, which has the mildest taste. Both are healthy. Keep in mind, wild-caught is less fatty and tends to cook more quickly.

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What Temperature Is Grilled Salmon Done

How to tell when grilled salmon is done. Grilled fish is cooked when it is 145°F, but remember about carry-over cooking, where food will continue to cook once youve pulled it from the grill or oven. To ensure your fish isnt overcooked, transfer it from the grill when it is 125°-130°F, then let it rest for a few minutes before stripping away the skin and serving.

Our Fav Salmon Marinades & Seasonings

The key to flavorful grilled salmon is of course adding a delicious marinade or seasoning. Our fav and seasonings have three necessary components:

Ready to try one? Here are the best marinades for salmon:

• Honey Mustard

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How To Grill Perfect Salmon: Two Simple Methods

Method 1: directly on your grill

The traditional way to grill salmon is just like you would with any of your favorite proteins. Youll add the filets directly to your grill, cook them, then flip and cook them again:

Step 1: marinate your salmon. Pour or generously brush your favorite marinade over the salmon. You can also marinate it in the fridge in a bowl or shallow dish for a few hours before cooking.

Step 2: prep your grill. Preheat a gas grill over medium-high heat, around 375 to 400 degrees F. Use a grill brush to scrape off anything left over from previous cooking. Brush the grill with oil to prevent sticking.

Step 3: place your salmon. Youll start by grilling your salmon skin-side up for about 6-8 minutes. This helps to seal in all of the flavors and makes it easier to flip. No peeking under the lid while its cooking!

Step 4: flip & finish. Flip the salmon with a fish spatula and cook for another 6-8 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily. Feel free to brush with more of the marinade here, too. Its best to slightly undercook rather than overcook your salmon filets. Salmon is done typically when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Step 5: let it rest. Once youve removed your salmon from the grill be sure to let it rest for a couple of minutes to seal in the flavor and juices. The salmon will also cook more as you let it rest, so its okay if you removed it a little bit early.

Method 2: grill salmon in foil packs

Dont Move The Fish Around

Place the salmon on the grill and leave it one spot until you are ready to flip just once. Constantly moving the fish will prevent a good sear and grill marks, increases the risk of tearing, and will cause your fish to stick to the grill. It will also make it harder to cook the salmon evenly since the heat source is constantly changing.

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What To Serve With Grilled Salmon In Foil

• Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. Grilled mushrooms are a delicious, easy side dish that offers a meaty flavor. Try my Grilled Portobello Mushrooms recipe.
• Grilled Sweet Potato Fries. Serve your Grilled Salmon in Foil with these Grilled Sweet Potato Fries for a fun and easy summer dinner!
• Grilled Asparagus. Most often, we do Grilled Salmon in Foil with asparagus. You can cook it right alongside the salmon. See this Grilled Asparagus for a recipe.
• Broccoli. Grilled Broccoli and Roasted Broccoli are stellar ways to make it.
• Carbohydrates. Serve your Grilled Salmon in Foil on top of a bed of rice like Lemon Rice, alongside Healthy Potato Salad or Grilled Potatoes, or with Grilled Corn.
• Roasted Vegetables. Roast a hearty side dish of vegetables in the oven to serve with your Grilled Salmon in Foil. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Roasted Zucchini would all pair nicely. Or a a mix of Oven Roasted Vegetables.

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How To Grill Salmon Like A Pro

Now that youve selected the perfect cut of salmon and seasoned it, its time to heat up the grill! The best method to barbecue salmon can be broken down into a few simple steps:

Cooking Salmon On A Gas Grill

To grill a tasty salmon, you need to purchase firm, fresh fillets. In addition to being firm and crisp, ensure that the salmon is light pink in color and has smooth cuts to it.

Avoid buying fillets that have a fishy smell and steaks that indicate old cuts. To ensure that the fillets dont stick to the grill when barbecuing, dont forget to ask the fishmonger for skin-on fillets. Once you have made the purchase, sprinkle kosher salt on the salmon as an added protective layer doing this will ensure that the fillet does not stick or break apart while cooking.

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Moisture Is The Enemy

Cover the salmon in paper towels to help remove excess moisture from the surface. If its not dry enough when it hits the grill, it will take more time to evaporate the water instead of instantly charring, which is what you want. I find that chill in the refrigerator when wrapped in paper towels keeps the fish together when cooking with more success than if at room temperature.

How Do You Make Grilled Salmon

This recipe starts with a simple marinade that includes olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, herbs and spices. Whisk all the ingredients together, then add the salmon to the bowl. The salmon should marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. The salmon can then be removed from the marinade and placed on the grill. Grill your fish until its done, then serve with lemon wedges and enjoy.

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Which Type Of Salmon Is Best For Grilling

A typical serving of salmon is 6 to 8 ounces per person. Look for steaks or center-cut, skin-on fillets. Center-cut pieces are thicker and more uniform, so they cook evenly. The skin will hold the fish together and protect it from drying out or sticking to the grill. It’s easy to remove after grilling if you don’t want to eat it.

Tips For Grilling Salmon

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Or Try Marinated Salmon

Another option? Try ! This infuses big savory, moist flavor into the salmon fillets and is one of our favorite ways to make this recipe. Here are the pros and cons:

• The marinade adds complex, savory flavor to the fish fillets.
• It takes at least 30 minutes to marinade, but half of this is your preheat time. You can also marinate for up to 3 hours refrigerated .

Cooking The Salmon Perfectly

The best way to know when salmon is finished cooking is to use a thermometer . The USDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145° F. While that temperature results in a moist, flaky fish, we prefer our fish a little closer to medium125° F.

If you dont have a thermometer, you can still cook salmon perfectly. Pay attention to the color of the fish on the side of the fillet. Youre looking for that translucent pink to turn an opaque white as it creeps up towards the top of the fish. If you gently poke the fish with a fork, it should turn into flaky pieces.

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The Best Grill Temperature For Grilled Salmon

Grill the salmon on a 450°-500° F hot grill. The number one way to ensure success when grilling fish is a smoking hot grill. Cook for skin side down for about 6-8 minutes on hot grates to ensure the fish wont stick to the grates and will lift easily away once its done.

Oil the fish, not the grill. Contrary to popular belief, theres no need to oil the grill grates. Oiling the fish itself improves the chances of it releasing more easily from the grates to lookand tastebetter. Again, a neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point like grape seed oil is a good one to choose.

Tips For Grilled Salmon

• This marinade can be made up to 3 days before you plan to use it. Simply store the marinade in the fridge until youre ready to add your salmon.
• You can use the marinade to flavor small salmon fillets, or try marinating a larger side of salmon. If youre planning to cook a large piece of salmon, Id recommend cooking it in foil since it will be difficult to flip on the grill.
• I typically grill my salmon outdoors when the weather is nice, and indoors on a non stick grill pan on cold days. Either way will work just fine!

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Grilling Salmon On A Gas Grill

Cooking salmon on a gas grill is absolutely the best choice. We all like a nice smoky flavor to our meat, but lets face it: over charcoal or wood, the flavor of the salmon is going to get overwhelmed, unless you use a marinade so strong that youre likely not tasting the fish anyway . Heres a basic rundown of what to do to get the most out of grilled salmon-

First off, you want to be sure of your fish. If you didnt catch the salmon yourself, you want to look for firm filets with deep color. They should look a little wet, and the cut edges should be smooth. Pale or ragged looking salmon is old salmon- move on. If you buy packaged fish, there shouldnt be any liquid visible Also, keep in mind that this is a mild fish. It wont smell all that strong if its fresh. Whole salmon should have bright red gills, clear eyes, and glossy skin.

Salmon is a skin-on fish. You wont have any trouble removing the skin after grilling if you dont want to eat it. This is recommended even for those who prefer the foil-packet method to avoid clean-up. Cooked salmon flakes easily, and the skin will keep your fish from crumbling apart during handling.

To check if your salmon is done, take a knife and pierce the thickest part of the meat. If its opaque and flakes easily when you tug a little, then its good to go. Salmon will cook a little after you remove it from the grill, so be careful not to overdo it or youll be serving up crispy fish-flakes.

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Why Make Grilled Salmon

When it comes to picking a protein, we know you have choices. You can make grilled chicken, grilled steak, grilled pork, etc. But, grilled salmon trumps them all! Heres why:

Quick: this grilled salmon recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes.

Easy Prep: no fancy gadgets or ingredients are needed for this grilled salmon recipe.

Healthy: salmon is high protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids making it a healthy protein option.

Best Leftovers: leftover salmon is so delicious. Try our yummy salmon patties to mix things up on day 2.

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How Long To Grill Salmon

Salmon cooks quickly on the grill , so don’t walk away or get distracted. The salmon will be medium-rare when an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 120 degrees F. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving to allow for some carryover cooking.

And there you go! Perfect grilled salmon, every time.

More Ways To Cook Salmon

Yes, we adore baked or grilled salmon in foil, but there are also many other healthy salmon recipes that dont use foil.

• Lemon Pepper Salmon. You can also use this lemon pepper seasoning on the grill.
• Whole30 Salmon. A great way to make a salmon fillet.
• Soy Ginger Salmon. This glaze would also work nicely on grilled salmon.
• Salmon Patty Recipe. You can make these with leftover grilled salmon too.
• Salmon Burgers. If you make these on the grill, I suggest using a grill-proof skillet or grill pan. Flip halfway through.

Have you made a simple grilled salmon fillet before?

If you try this recipe or have other salmon grilling tips, Id love to hear from you in the comments.

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