Easy Grilled Salmon With Lemon

By
Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and author of four cookbooks. He has expertise in wild foods and has written over 1,000 recipes.
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Updated on 07/1/21
Simple grilled salmon recipe

The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
396 Calories
25g Fat
22g Carbs
27g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 396
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 338mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 111mg 556%
Calcium 67mg 5%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 758mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Like a steak, the ideal grilled salmon has a seared crust and a crispy skin and yet is still medium-rare inside.

This method works best with king salmon but you can safely use it with any kind of salmon: sockeye, silver, pink, even famed Atlantic salmon.

Serve your grilled salmon with a tangy sauce, such as chimichurri.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless salmon

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 lemon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for grilled salmon
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. Cut salmon into serving pieces.

    Cut salmon
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Salt the salmon lightly and set it out at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking.

    Salt salmon lightly
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Fire up the grill. Make sure the surface is clean. Get some vegetable oil ready to wipe on the grill later.

    Fire up grill
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  5. After 15 to 20 minutes of setting out, pat the salmon dry and then use a butter knife to scrape the skin side to get any moisture or scales off. This makes the skin side drier so it will not stick to the grill.

    Pat salmon dry
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  6. Coat the salmon with oil.

    Coat salmon in oil
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  7. When the fire is good and hot, wipe down the grate with a paper towel that has been dipped in the oil.

    Wipe down grill
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  8. Put the salmon on the grill skin-side up. It seems counterintuitive, but do it anyway because you want a good sear on the fish, and you cannot do this well if you start skin-side down; the fish will cook too much and will fall apart when you try to flip it. The uncooked skin helps hold things together.

    Put salmon on grill
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  9. Leave the salmon on the grill for a solid 4 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness. A thin sockeye fillet might need closer to 3 minutes on one side. You will know it is ready when you can slide a spatula underneath the salmon. It might stick in 1 or 2 spots, but it should be mostly crusted over.

    Leave salmon on grill
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  10. Gently flip the salmon onto the skin side and leave it again for at least 3 minutes, a bit longer if it is on the thick side. Exactly how long depends on thickness, but it'll never be less than 2 minutes on high heat. Watch the fish, and if the flakes begin to separate, you're done.

    Flip salmon
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  11. Take the salmon off the heat, sprinkle lemon juice on it, then let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

    Take salmon off
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  12. Serve with your favorite sauce. 

    Serve with favorite sauce
    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt