This BEST Grilled Salmon recipe has a slightly sweet and smoky flavor and is grilled to perfection in just around 15 minutes! During cooking, the marinade creates a nice glaze and the salmon filets end up with a slightly crisp outside and light flakiness inside. This simple grilled salmon is not only delicious, but it is extremely easy to prepare.
The marinade is mixed up right in a ziplock bag and the fish is grilled in little aluminum boats placed right on top of the grill grates making clean up easy! My family agrees that this is the salmon recipe ever, and I think yours will, too!
The BEST Grilled Salmon
Grilling is practically a year-round thing at our house. Early Spring until late Fall, you’ll find John flipping burgers, chops, steaks—well, just about anything, really—at least two or three times a week. Lately, we’ve been adding this recipe for slightly sweet and smoky Best Grilled Salmon to our regular grilling rotation.
What’s surprising about that is that John believed that he didn’t like salmon until we tried this recipe! That’s a big win for me because I love salmon and now he’s the one who suggests we pick up salmon for the grill…happy wife, happy life!
We first made this recipe over two years ago (thanks to Honey Bear Lane for the original post!) and my family whole-heartedly agrees that this truly is the BEST salmon they’ve ever eaten.
That’s quite the compliment, especially coming from my hubby who thought that he didn’t like salmon. Who knew that after 30-plus years of marriage I could finally convince him to grill salmon? And guess what? He loves salmon now! In fact, it’s usually John who suggests grilling salmon for dinner—haha!
How to Grill Salmon
Start by combining the grilled salmon marinade ingredients in a single gallon-size zip lock bag (no need to dirty up a bowl), add the salmon, and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to penetrate the fish.
After soaking up all that flavorful marinade, the salmon fillets are grilled in little aluminum foil “boats”. I use heavy duty non-stick aluminum foil and just fold up the sides a couple of times to make a lip. Place the filets on the foil skin side down, then pour some of the marinade over the top. The best part is that after grilling, you just toss the foil!
The salmon is perfectly cooked after just 15-18 minutes on the grill with the lid down. Be careful that you avoid overcooking or the salmon will become too dry. The salmon should lift away from the skin easily with a flat spatula.
How do you know when the salmon is done?
Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part of the filet. The color should change from red to pink, but may still look a little translucent.
Which side of the salmon do you cook first?
Always start cooking with the skin side down (for any recipe) as the fish will be easier to flip. Otherwise, the fish may stick to the grill grates and flake away.
Can you eat the salmon skin?
Yes, you absolutely can eat the skin. With this recipe, however, I usually serve the salmon without the skin because it does not get crispy with this particular cooking method and I eating the skin if it has been pan-fried.
Should you wash salmon before cooking?
It’s always a good idea to rinse any meat under cool running water and dry with paper towels before cooking. Always remember to sanitize your sink and counter tops after this process, though, to avoid any splattered bacteria.
What goes with salmon?
I like to serve this healthy grilled salmon with a baked sweet potato and my 20-minute oven roasted Brussels sprouts. Other options include:
- Pasta or rice pilaf
- Steamed broccoli
- Roasted asparagus
To make this recipe you may need…
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More Grilling Recipes!
Cooking dinner on the grill gets everyone involved in preparing the meal at our house. We love being outdoors and grill as often as the weather cooperates — sometimes even three or four times a week.
Here are a few of our favorite grilling recipes:
- Easy Grilled Steak Fajitas for Two — A red curry paste marinade and fresh avocado crema make for tasty and easy grilled steak fajitas at home!
- Country-Style Ribs and Grilled Sweet Potatoes & Chow Chow — Tender, juicy country-style pork ribs are grilled up with sliced sweet potatoes and garnished with a slightly sweet chow chow mix of corn, onion, sweet bell peppers, and jalapeño.
- Mongolian Glazed Grilled Steak — This steak has a light, crispy coating and a tangy barbecue glaze. It’s so unexpected and so phenomenal!
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Salsa — Easy enough for weeknight grilling or fancy enough for your next Summer dinner party!
- Grilled Steak Salad with French Vinaigrette — A lite French Vinaigrette works perfectly with the tender grilled steak, juicy pears, and blue cheese on this entrée salad.
- Chili-Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin — Easy preparation and simple ingredients combine to create a flavorful meal of Chili-Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin with roasted sweet potato wedges.
BEST Grilled Salmon Recipe
I seriously can’t even count how many times we’ve used this recipe to grill salmon. The marinade is so flavorful, the salmon is tender and flaky, and clean up is a breeze.
This recipe is always a winner with our crowd and has become one of our go-to options because it is SO easy and SO tasty!
If you like this recipe, please do me a favor and give it a 5-star rating!
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Best Grilled Salmon
Perfectly grilled salmon with a slightly sweet and smoky flavor.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 Salmon filets
Instructions
- Place all marinade ingredients into a gallon size zip lock bag and seal. Squeeze gently to combine ingredients, then add salmon fillets. Seal and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours to allow flavors to penetrate the fish.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. For each salmon fillet, take a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold into a "dish" with sides. Place a salmon fillet into each dish skin side down. Add a little of the marinade on top and place the entire dish on the grill.
- Grill for 15-18 minutes with the lid closed. Flip the salmon onto the grill to sear the top, about 1-2 minutes. Carefully scrape off the skin (it should lift right off) and serve.
Notes
Original recipe by Honey Bear Lane
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 643 Total Fat: 42g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 31g Cholesterol: 143mg Sodium: 1549mg Carbohydrates: 13g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 11g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 52g
ABOUT SHEILA
Sheila Thigpen, author of The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook, is a recipe developer, food photographer, and food writer. She spent 20+ years as a business manager in the publishing industry before she retired in 2018 to focus on her passions — cooking, photography, and writing. A Southern girl living near the beautiful Smoky Mountains, Sheila and her husband have two adult daughters, are active in their church, love to travel, and are over-the-moon excited about becoming grandparents last year. Follow Sheila on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
Paula says
Can you grill salmon without the skin? Would you just shorten the cooking time?
Thanks!
sheilathigpen says
Hi, Paula. You can grill the salmon without the skin, but I think leaving it on helps to hold the fish together. Adjust cooking times, with or without the skin, depending on your preference for the fish temperature/doneness. I always test with a fork to make sure it flakes easily.
Donna L Gagin says
This marinade makes delicious grilled salmon. I grill the salmon pieces directly on the grill, skin side down for 18 minutes. Flip it. Pour marinade over it and grill it for 2 minutes more. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
katelijn says
delicious recipe!! We grilled the salmon on the BBQ. Thanks for sharing
sheilathigpen says
So glad you loved the salmon!
Terri Cramer says
Could you bake the salmon and turn on the broiler at the end to “sear” the top? If so, what temperature would you bake it and how long?
sheilathigpen says
Terri, I would try baking the salmon at 425 – 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes and very carefully turn on the broiler at the end of cooking, but personally I think grilling is best.
Kate says
Hi! My husband also loved this, thanks! I was hoping for it to turn out with more of a glaze on it… it was still great, but any advice to help achieve that? Thanks!
sheilathigpen says
Hi, Kate. Because of this cooking method, I think it would be difficult to get a really thick glaze going on. You could try preparing a little extra marinade to use as a basting sauce. Brush it on just before you flip the salmon during the last step when you sear the fish. Let me know if you try that – thanks!
Rose says
When placing the salmon into the foil “dish” what side goes down? Skin side or the fish side?
sheilathigpen says
Rose, it starts out with the skin side down. Enjoy!
Suzy says
Delicious! We loved the salmon tonight!
sheilathigpen says
Suzy, I am so glad you did!
Kimberly Wilson says
I just tried this recipe but instead I baked it for 13 mins and then grilled them on medium/high heat for 40-50 secs using a grill pan It was AWESOME!
sheilathigpen says
That’s a great indoor solution! Thanks for sharing.
David says
We just tried this recipe. We subbed coconut aminos in place of soy. It came out perfect. Best i have done so far. Thank you for posting your recipe.
Sabrina says
How does coconut aminos taste like? I’ve never heard of it but I’m trying to quit soy.
Leslie says
Best grilled salmon I’ve ever had! Family loved it!!
Val says
Oh my! So good! Made extra marinade reduced it, and served it on the side! Wow!
Brandi Highfill says
Could you leave the salmon to marinating all day while at work?
sheilathigpen says
Brandi, with fish it’s not necessary to marinate all day. If time after work is an issue, it would be ok to reduce the marinating to just 30 minutes instead.
Brandi Highfill says
Thank you! I am going to fix this tomorrow evening! We love salmon and are always wanting to try new recipes!
Deb says
This was really good! We make salmon often and I’ve used a soy-maple marinade in the past, but really liked this combination of soy-brown sugar-lemon. Will use again. We grilled this time but we bake often. I used a dark soy sauce and didn’t add salt.
Lynn says
This salmon recipe is by far the best I’ve had! 5 stars for sure!
Justin says
Me and my wife are in love with this salmon recipe. We can’t have it any other way now!
My daughter even loves it and she has never been that much of a salmon lover. Thanks for the recipe!
Debbie says
If using frozen salmon, can it “thaw out” in this marinade for the last couple of hours? Thanks so much!
sheilathigpen says
Hi Debbie. I haven’t tried thawing the salmon in the marinade before, so I can’t be positive on what results you will get. That being said, it makes sense to me that this would work.
Susan Dubose says
This is my FAVORITE marinade for salmon! I’d rather stay home and make this than pay for salmon at a restaurant with this recipe. Bookmarked!
De Gascogne says
Wow… I have bookmarked your page and will try it on the weekend.
Thank for sharing!
[email protected] says
Thanks for your recipe. I like salmon and love how it serves with sweet potato on your recipe., I’ll make this.
Carolyn says
We just started eating salmon because of this recipe. I make it once a week. We love it!!!
Sheila Thigpen says
That’s awesome to hear!! Glad you like this recipe as much as we do 🙂
Hobby Cook says
Our favorite salmon recipe by far. And fun to make.
[email protected] says
Great Grilled Salmon! The ingredients are simple and easy to process and taste great, which is my favorite thing in this recipe. Thanks for your recipe
Ivette says
Grilled salmon today for the first time using your recipe. My family loved it!! Thank you!
Anthony Allen says
This is a very easy delicious recipe. I made it for my in-laws and they couldn’t stop talking about it. Even my very fussy 2 year old loved it.
Devin Sanchez says
Very delicious and nutritious recipe. My parents enjoyed it.
Zachary says
Love this marinade…just one question. I see that is says to marinade 1-3 hours. I’m no expert chef by any means, but I had been told that marinating over 1 hour when using salt in any form starts to “cook” the fish. Is this true? I generally like to marinate my meats on the longer side, so I’d love to do the 3 hours, but not at risk of ruining the fish. Thanks!
Sheila Thigpen says
Zachary, I’ve used this particular marinade for that amount of time with good results. Truthfully, though, I think the salmon tastes just as good by marinating for only one hour.
Jessica Luther says
It took me 45 minutes to make this dish for the first time.
My daughter really liked it.
This dish is delicious and good for health.
thank you.