Grilled Salmon Recipes - Cooking Light

Photo: Mary Britton Senseney/Wonderful Machine and Randy Mayor

Nice and Crisp

Packed with flavor and heart-healthy fats, salmon can handle the grill, whereas flaky fish like cod, sole, and tilapia tend to fall to pieces. So delight friends and family with one of our delicious and healthy grilled salmon recipes at your next gathering, or whip up a favorite to incorporate more fish into your weeknight dinner menu.

First up is our Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous. Fire up the grill for dinner tonight. This grilled salmon recipe offers the perfect pairing for a hassle-free, great-tasting weeknight meal.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous

Photo: John Autry

Grilled King Salmon with Tomato-Peach Salsa

Use a peach that's just ripe so it's juicy but still holds its shape. King (also called chinook) salmon is the best quality and works well in this dish, though sockeye works.

View Recipe: Grilled King Salmon with Tomato-Peach Salsa

Photo: John Autry

Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Mango Kiwi Salsa

The smoky grilled salmon stands up nicely to the spicy sweetness of the tropical salsa. Prepare the mango salsa before the salmon so the flavors have time to meld.

View Recipe: Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Mango Kiwi Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor

Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

This recipe showcases the classic combination of salmon, cucumber, and horseradish. Use two spatulas to make handling the salmon easier. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

Photo: Randy Mayor

Bourbon-Glazed Salmon

This recipe receives rave reviews, even from picky eaters who don't normally try salmon.

View Recipe: Bourbon-Glazed Salmon

Photo: John Autry

Pan-Grilled Salmon with Red Pepper Salsa

This grilled salmon recipe pairs rich fish with bright flavors. While the fish cooks, prepare the easy red pepper and tomato salsa.

View Recipe: Pan-Grilled Salmon with Red Pepper Salsa

Photo: Howard L. Puckett

Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon

The classic seasonings associated with beef pastrami taste fantastic on this grilled salmon. Allspice is a fairly strong spice, so if you're sensitive to its "burn," use the lesser amount. Purchase a whole center-cut salmon fillet so that it will cook more evenly than a cut that contains the thinner tail end.

View Recipe: Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Salmon with Chorizo and Fingerlings

Spanish chorizo is typically cured and has a smokier flavor profile than raw Mexican chorizo. If Spanish chorizo is unavailable, you can substitute Portuguese linguiça. Smoked paprika emphasizes the grilled flavor of the fish.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Chorizo and Fingerlings

Photo: John Autry

Plank-Grilled Salmon with Grape Relish

Serve this dish with pinot noir. Briny olives, sweet grapes, and rich salmon match well with the wine's balance of earthiness and acidity. Substitute picholine or other green olives, if necessary.

View Recipe: Plank-Grilled Salmon with Grape Relish

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Maple Grilled Salmon

The sweet-sour marinade is cooked down to a syrupy glaze that's brushed on the salmon as it cooks. The citrus and maple flavors would also be tasty with pork. Garnish fillets with orange slices, if desired.

View Recipe: Maple Grilled Salmon

Photo: Randy Mayor

Grilled Salmon with Smoky Tomato Salsa

If you prefer a milder relish, remove seeds from the jalapeño before grilling.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Smoky Tomato Salsa

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Salmon and Spinach Salad

The citrus vinaigrette blends well with the smoky salmon, sweet orange slices, and crisp spinach in this superfast, super healthy recipe.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon and Spinach Salad

Photo: Randy Mayor

Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Avocado-Orange Salsa

Serve this smoky, flavorful salmon with Roasted Asparagus with Dijon-Lemon Sauce to round out the meal.

View Recipe: Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Avocado-Orange Salsa

Photo: Randy Mayor

Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze

Friends and family will beg for the recipe when you serve this sophisticated take on salmon. Brush the fruit reduction on the fish at the last minute to prevent sugars from burning on the grill.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Corn Relish

Grilled chiles and corn give the relish a wonderfully smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with grilled salmon seasoned with just salt, pepper, and cumin. Serve with a mixed green salad to round out the meal.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Roasted Corn Relish

Ponzu Grilled Salmon with Golden Beet Couscous

Israeli couscous, highlighted with sweet golden beets, is the perfect companion to the sweet-tart Ponzu sauce that coats the salmon. Try for wild Alaskan salmon; its rich, red color makes this dish gorgeous.

View Recipe: Ponzu Grilled Salmon with Golden Beet Couscous

Photo: Oxmoor House

Grilled Salmon with East-West Spice Rub and Orange-Soy Glaze

Don't remove the skin from the salmon until after you've taken it off the grill. The skin protects the flesh from the intense heat, allowing it to cook on just one side. This eliminates having to flip the fillets, which often fragments the fish.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon with East-West Spice Rub and Orange-Soy Glaze

Photo: Howard L. Puckett

Grilled Wild Salmon and Vegetables

You often can find different varieties of locally-grown onions at farmers' markets and occasionally at supermarkets. Use a grill basket to cook the fish and vegetables.

View Recipe: Grilled Wild Salmon and Vegetables

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Alder-Planked Salmon in an Asian-Style Marinade

If you can get your hands on a filleted side of salmon, this is the recipe to choose. After a quick dip in a soy marinade rounded out with honey, ginger, and lemon, the salmon is grilled over indirect heat. Keeping it on a plank is one way to ensure that this large cut of fish stays extra-moist.

View Recipe: Alder-Planked Salmon in an Asian-Style Marinade

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad

Prepare the dressing up to a day ahead. Coho salmon is especially good in this salad.

View Recipe: Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad