Best Grilled Salmon (Sweet and Smoky Marinade)
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This Grilled Salmon recipe uses a simple brown sugar and soy sauce marinade to deliver a slightly sweet, savory, and smoky flavor — all in just 15 minutes on the grill. The salmon fillets cook in aluminum foil boats right on the grill grates, so there’s no sticking, no mess, and cleanup is as easy as tossing the foil. Let me show you why this has been our family’s go-to grilled salmon for years.
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot
Grilling is practically a year-round activity at our house. From early spring through late fall, you’ll find John at the grill at least two or three times a week — burgers, chops, steaks, you name it.
Lately, this salmon recipe has earned a regular spot in our rotation, which is saying something. For the longest time, John was convinced he didn’t even like salmon — until we tried this recipe. Now he’s the one who suggests we pick up salmon on the way home. That’s a win.
We’ve made this more times than I can count, and it never disappoints. The marinade is simple, the results are consistently delicious, and the whole family agrees — this is our go-to grilled salmon recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Brown sugar | Adds a touch of sweetness that balances the tangy and savory elements while helping to create a caramelized finish on the grill.
- Lemon juice | Brightens the marinade with a burst of citrus, enhancing the flavor of the salmon, even making it taste less “fishy”.
- Salt and black pepper | Simple overall flavor enhancers — you won’t need much salt because soy sauce is already salty.
- Soy sauce | Brings a savory, umami punch, adding depth to the marinade.
- Olive oil | Keeps the salmon moist and helps the marinade cling to the filets.
- Garlic | This bold aromatic complements the sweet and savory notes in the marinade.
- Salmon filets | Rich, flaky fish that pairs perfectly with the sweet, tangy, and savory marinade.
Variations and Substitutions
- No grill? Bake in foil at 425°F for 12–13 minutes, then carefully broil for 1–2 minutes to sear the top. You may also want to try my Honey Soy Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.
- Skinless fillets: Spray the aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray before placing the salmon to prevent sticking.
- Reduce the sweetness: Cut the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons for a less caramelized, more savory result.
- Add a glaze: Prepare a small extra batch of marinade and brush it on just before the final sear for a thicker, lacquered finish.
- Swap the sweetener: Honey or maple syrup work in place of brown sugar — several readers have tried both with great results.
- Add fresh ginger: One reader’s variation adds equal parts fresh grated ginger to the garlic — a great flavor addition worth trying.
How to Make Grilled Salmon
STEP 1 | Marinate the salmon
Combine 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.
STEP 2 | Make aluminum foil boats
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.
STEP 3 | Grill the fish
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!
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The salmon is perfectly cooked after just 15-18 minutes on the grill with the lid down. Avoid overcooking or the salmon will become too dry. The fish should lift away from the skin easily with a flat spatula.
Recipe Success Tips
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Refrigerate leftover salmon in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently in a 275°F oven for 10–15 minutes — microwaving tends to dry out the fish and intensify the smell.
- Leftover salmon is excellent flaked over a salad or stirred into pasta the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Absolutely — this recipe works beautifully in the oven. Place the foil-wrapped salmon on a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 12–13 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets. For a slightly caramelized finish on top, carefully open the foil and broil for 1–2 minutes at the end. Keep a close eye on it — the brown sugar in the marinade can go from golden to burned quickly under the broiler.
One hour is the sweet spot for this marinade — long enough for the brown sugar and soy sauce to penetrate the fish without breaking down the texture. If you’re short on time, 30 minutes will still give you great flavor. I’d avoid marinating much longer than 3 hours, though — the salt in the soy sauce can start to cure the salmon and change the texture in a way you don’t want.
Yes — just spray the aluminum foil generously with nonstick cooking spray before placing the salmon. Without the skin acting as a natural barrier, skinless fillets can stick to the foil, especially as the marinade caramelizes. A good coating of nonstick spray solves that completely.
Make a small extra batch of the marinade before you add the salmon to it — never reuse marinade that has been in contact with raw fish. In the last minute or two of grilling, brush the reserved marinade directly onto the salmon. Close the lid and let it finish cooking. The brown sugar will caramelize quickly over the heat and give you a beautifully lacquered, glossy finish.
Looking for More Delicious Grilling Recipes?
Some of my favorite grilling recipes are Grilled Sirloin Steak with a crispy coating and tangy barbecue glaze, this lighter Grilled Steak Salad with French Vinaigrette, juicy pears, and blue cheese, and my Chili-Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin with roasted sweet potato wedges.
Don’t forget to check out my complete collection of Fish and Seafood recipes as well.
What to Serve with Grilled 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
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Best Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup lite soy sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 6-oz. 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
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes — one hour is ideal for the best flavor penetration.
- Fold the foil edges up to create a firm lip — this keeps the marinade pooled around the salmon as it cooks.
- Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and registers 145°F in the thickest part.
- If searing for grill marks, oil the grates first to prevent sticking.
- To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Warm in a 275°F oven for 10–15 minutes. Avoid the microwave — it dries out the fish and intensifies the smell.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Love it easy to make. I don’t grill for anywhere near that amount of time as I don’t want to over cook it. Even when I just grill without marinade I grill for just 2/3 minutes per side. This recipe is amazing though just don’t overcook it.
This was very good! I used it for a large, thin filet and should have shortened the cooking time, but it was delicious. It’s a keeper 🙂
Best salmon recipe!
Has anyone tried air frying? wonder how it would turn out.
Always grill,but trying in the oven tonight.
delicious
Thank you for this recipe. It is my go to for grilled salmon. I did a few changes, however. I omit the water as I see no point in watering down the amazing flavors. I also omit the salt and use regular soy sauce instead of low sodium. Lastly, I add fresh ginger, grated. Equal parts of ginger and garlic. I marinate for 4 hrs or longer. The salmon comes out amazing and is a family favorite!
It really is the best and so easy. I make this a lot! I hate cooking so love how simple this is. I have tried many salmon recipes and always come back to this one.
Best ever!!! Thank you!
One of our favorites! Has anyone cooked this on a pellet grill? Temp?
Love how it comes out on the grill
No grill here, live in a condo. Can it be baked in foil? Temp and length of time? Spouse would be happy to have new salmon recipe.
Try baking the salmon at 425 degrees for 12-13 minutes and very carefully turn on the broiler at the end of cooking to sear the top.
Can this marinade be for chicken thighs too? It was soooooo delicious !
I haven’t tried the marinade on chicken thighs, but I agree that sounds delicious!
Amazing platter. Just passed the recipe to my friend whose family loves salmon.
Looks delicious! I make salmon all the time–why don’t I ever grill it!
I have never eaten salmon before, but this makes me want to. it looks so delicious!
Question…..im preparing to make the Salmon today. When you flip the salmon, are you flipping it out of the “dish” and onto the grill grates or does it stay in the “dish” after you flip it?
Thanks…
Hi, Tracy. If you do flip for the grill marks, place the salmon directly on an oiled fish rack on the grill. Recently, we’ve skipped this step and the salmon is still great! Enjoy!
I’ve used this recipe several times and it’s absolutely delicious and favorite. We grill it and never fails!
Thanks for sharing.
Oh.my.goodness…I too am a salmon hater. My husband loves it and was stuck with only getting to have it when we ate out. I loved this recipe and him even more so. Thank you so much for sharing.
Salmon is just fabulous. Recipe easy to follow. Thanks. Made lots of times.
We loved this!! I added a little honey. My company said it was the best they had ever had!
Can you cook this in a skillet on the stove?
Pam, I wouldn’t recommend cooking this in a skillet on the stove. Instead, you may enjoy this salmon recipe for Honey Soy Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner that can be prepared indoors.
I cooked this a few days ago and loved it. I took it out of the aluminum foil about 2 minutes before it was done and turned it upside down above the flames to sear it. The salmon was so tender it basically melted in my mouth. I will cook this again.
The best grilled salmon! I actually put/poured more marinade over the fish! My husband loved it and so did my almost 5 year old.
Thank you!
I made this salmon today for a birthday dinner. It was absolutely delicious and very easy. Everyone loved it. The marinade was not overpowering or too sweet. Thanks for the recipe. *****
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.
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!
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.
Very delicious and nutritious recipe. My parents enjoyed it.
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.
Grilled salmon today for the first time using your recipe. My family loved it!! Thank you!
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
Our favorite salmon recipe by far. And fun to make.
We just started eating salmon because of this recipe. I make it once a week. We love it!!!
That’s awesome to hear!! Glad you like this recipe as much as we do 🙂
Thanks for your recipe. I like salmon and love how it serves with sweet potato on your recipe., I’ll make this.
Can you make this with Salmon that does not have the skin?
Monica, I haven’t tried it this way, but if you do use skinless salmon I would spray the aluminum foil with nonstick spray first.
Wow… I have bookmarked your page and will try it on the weekend.
Thank for sharing!
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!
If using frozen salmon, can it “thaw out” in this marinade for the last couple of hours? Thanks so much!
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.
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!
This salmon recipe is by far the best I’ve had! 5 stars for sure!
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.
Could you leave the salmon to marinating all day while at work?
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.
Thank you! I am going to fix this tomorrow evening! We love salmon and are always wanting to try new recipes!
Oh my! So good! Made extra marinade reduced it, and served it on the side! Wow!
Best grilled salmon I’ve ever had! Family loved it!!
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.
How does coconut aminos taste like? I’ve never heard of it but I’m trying to quit soy.
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!
That’s a great indoor solution! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! We loved the salmon tonight!
Suzy, I am so glad you did!
When placing the salmon into the foil “dish” what side goes down? Skin side or the fish side?
Rose, it starts out with the skin side down. Enjoy!
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!
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!
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?
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.
This is a restaurant quality dish and my fiancé loved it. I should have oiled the grill before flipping the fish onto it because the fish stuck a little to the grill. The flavors were perfect and I have tried many salmon marinades. Will be my “go to” recipe for grilled salmon.
delicious recipe!! We grilled the salmon on the BBQ. Thanks for sharing
So glad you loved the salmon!
Can you grill salmon without the skin? Would you just shorten the cooking time?
Thanks!
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.
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.