Grilling salmon on the barbecue can seem intimidating but with a few simple tips and tricks you can make restaurant-quality salmon at home. As barbecue enthusiasts, we’ve experimented with all kinds of methods and recipes over the years to nail down the perfect way to bbq salmon so it turns out moist, flaky and full of flavor every single time.
In this guide, we’ll share everything we’ve learned about how to bbq salmon the right way from choosing the best salmon cuts to prevent sticking to infusing flavor with rubs, marinades and glazes We’ll also cover cooking methods, doneness temperatures and common mistakes to avoid. By the end, you’ll be a salmon grilling pro!
Picking the Right Salmon Cuts
Picking the right cut of salmon is the first thing you need to do to make it taste great on the grill. Here are the best salmon options for the barbecue
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Salmon Fillets: Skin-on fillets are ideal for grilling salmon. The skin prevents sticking and protects the delicate flesh. Aim for 4-6 oz portions.
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Salmon steaks are made by cutting the fillet across the grain and leaving the skin and inside fat on. They hold up well on the grill.
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Whole Salmon – A whole side of salmon works beautifully for grilling or smoking. Remove pin bones first.
For best results, always choose fresh wild-caught salmon rather than farmed. The flesh has better flavor and texture.
Preventing Sticking
To prevent your beautifully barbecued salmon from fusing to the grill grates, there are a few simple tricks:
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Use Skin-On Fillets: The skin naturally prevents sticking. Oil the skin before grilling.
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Grill on a Plank: Set fillets on a soaked cedar plank to keep it off direct heat.
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Use Foil or Grill Mats: Make a foil pouch or set fish on a grill mat for easy flipping.
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Brush Grates: Oil grates thoroughly before adding fish. I like using an oil mister.
With these techniques, the salmon should release cleanly when ready to flip and remove.
Seasoning Salmon for the Grill
One of the keys to incredible grilled salmon is packing in flavor. A dry rub, marinade or glaze can take your salmon to the next level.
Dry Rubs
A salt and spice rub is quick and easy. Blend and rub onto fillets at least 30 minutes before grilling. Try:
- Brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Lemon pepper
- Dill
- Cajun seasoning
Wet Marinades
For more tender salmon, marinate 1-2 hours. Some tasty combos:
- Soy sauce, lime, honey, garlic
- Olive oil, dijon, lemon, herbs
- Teriyaki, sesame oil, garlic
Glazes and Sauces
Brush on sweet and savory glazes during the last 5-10 minutes of grilling. Delicious options:
- Honey garlic
- Pineapple salsa
- BBQ sauce
- Hoisin
- Balsamic reduction
Don’t be afraid to get creative with rubs, marinades and glazes to put your signature spin on grilled salmon!
Mastering the Perfect Grilled Salmon Technique
Now that you’ve got beautifully seasoned salmon ready for the grill, it’s time for the fun part – firing up the barbecue! Follow these simple steps for salmon grilling success:
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Prepare Your Grill
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For gas grills, preheat to medium heat (350°F to 400°F).
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For charcoal, prepare a two-zone fire with high heat on one side and low heat on the other.
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Oil grates well to prevent sticking.
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Grill The Salmon
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Place salmon skin-side down first if using skin-on fillets.
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Grill over direct high heat for 2-3 minutes to sear.
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Flip and move salmon to low heat zone.
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Continue grilling until salmon flakes and is opaque in center.
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Check for Doneness
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Salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F to 140°F on a meat thermometer.
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The flesh should flake easily with a fork but still be moist in the center.
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Rest and Serve
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Let salmon rest 3-5 minutes before serving.
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Garnish with extra glaze or herbs. Fresh lemon wedges complete the flavor.
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And that’s all there is to it! Follow this simple salmon grilling method and you’ll have tender, flaky salmon with gorgeous grill marks and lots of flavor.
Common Grilled Salmon Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced grillers can occasionally mess up salmon. Watch out for these common pitfalls:
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Cooking Over Direct High Heat – This dries out the delicate salmon. Use a two-zone fire and move to indirect heat to finish.
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Under or Overcooking – Use a thermometer and don’t walk away. Salmon overcooks quickly.
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Turning Too Often – Resist flipping frequently. Let it cook undisturbed to get grill marks.
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Forgetting Skin and Bones – Check for pinbones. Leave skin on while grilling to prevent sticking.
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Grilling Frozen Salmon – Always thaw salmon first for safety and better texture.
See? With a few insider tips, you can dodge the pitfalls and grill salmon flawlessly every summer.
Grilling Salmon Recipes
Ready to get grilling? Here are some of my favorite foolproof recipes for delicious barbecued salmon:
Molasses Glazed Grilled Salmon
This recipe combines sweet and savory flavors to create incredible grill-kissed salmon. Brush on molasses glaze during the last 10 minutes of grilling. The pastrami seasoning blend also adds great flavor.
Glaze Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 cup molasses
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp white wine
- Red pepper flakes
Rub Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 cup black pepper
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Cedar Plank Salmon with Honey Balsamic Glaze
This recipe uses a soaked cedar plank to add subtle smoky flavor. Baste salmon with sweet and tangy honey balsamic glaze just before removing from the grill.
Glaze Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
- 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Lemon Herb Grilled Salmon
Zesty lemon and fresh herbs make a simple and delicious marinade for salmon fillets. Let marinate 30 minutes before hitting the hot grill.
Marinade Ingredients:
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)
- Salt and pepper
With these foolproof salmon recipes, you’ll have everything you need to master grilling incredible salmon all summer long. The flavors are sensational, and preparing salmon on the barbecue is much easier than you think.
Next time you fire up the grill, give salmon a try using the tips and techniques we covered. Let us know how your grilled salmon creations turn out! We’d love to see your beautiful plates of barbecue salmon.
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Many cooks throw steaks on a hot grill or over a hot fire, and once it reaches the right temperature in the middle, its done.
What if I told you there was a better way, and one that some steakhouses even employ to produce a perfect edge-to-edge pink medium-rare with an elegant sear on the outside?
This recipe will show you how to dry brine, smoke cook, rest, and then reverse sear a smoked ribeye steak that is better than anything you can get at any restaurant.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Dry Brining Time: 2-4 hours
- Cook Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Smoker Temp: 225°F (107°C)
- Meat Finish Temp: 130°F (54°C)
- Recommended Wood: Cherry
- Ribeye steaks (1 per person), ¾ inch or thicker is best (other steak cuts will also work ok)
- Kosher salt (Morton)
- Jeffs Texas style rub
- Large cast iron skillet or a screaming hot fire
- Vegetable oil
Lay the steaks on a plate or open container and sprinkle kosher salt on them. Be generous but dont go overboard. Typically ½ teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat is what the experts recommend. Heres a picture to give you an idea of how much I use:
For ¾ inch steaks like these, I just coat one side.
For thicker steaks, I recommend brining both sides– one side at a time for 2 to 4 hours each side.
You then place them in the fridge uncovered.
The salt immediately begins to pull the juices to the surface where it mixes with the salt and becomes a slurry. Over the course of time, the salty meat juices are drawn back into the steak and if you wait long enough it will absorb deep into the meat.
Heres the same 2 steaks after about 45 minutes:
The thicker the steak, the longer they need to sit in the fridge. I left these ¾ inch steaks for about 2 hours and they were perfect.
No need to rinse the steaks when they are finished.
Some folks might just add a little pepper at this point since they salt is already seasoning the inside, but I highly recommend my Texas style rub on these. Its pretty low in salt and has some other things like cayenne and garlic to really ramp up the flavor. The Texas style rub makes beef really, really happy!
Both sides should be seasoned with the rub.
Leave the steaks sitting on the cabinet for a few minutes while you go get the smoker set up. They need to warm up a little bit anyway after being in the fridge for several hours.
Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225°F (107°C).
Use indirect heat and if your smoker uses a water pan, fill it up.
The smoke can be any good smoking wood but I recommend cherry if you have it. Other great woods for these are pecan and oak.
Once the smoker is ready, place the steaks on the smoker grate. You can also use any pan with a rack or a Weber grill pan to make it easy to transport the ribeyes to and from the smoker.
For electric, gas and charcoal smokers, keep a light wood smoke going for at least an hour but more is ok as long as you have plenty of airflow into and out of your smoker. Wood smokers will continue smoking the entire time by default.
Be sure to use a digital probe meat thermometer such as a Thermapen or the “Smoke” by ThermoWorks so youll know the very second when the steak gets done so you can remove it from the heat.
Another great instant-read tool is the ThermoPop digital pocket thermometers. One of my favorite toys.. er, tools;-)
I recommend letting it go to about 120°F (49°C) since we are going to sear them later and the carryover heat plus the searing should bring it on up to a perfect medium rare or 130°F (54°C).
Once the ribeyes reach the set temperature (usually about an hour), move it from the heat immediately.
Let the steak rest away from the heat, tented with foil for about 10 minutes to allow the juices to return to center.
Place a cast iron skillet over a high heat burner. Use a little vegetable oil in the center of the pan and get it super hot.
Once the pan is ready, place the steak in the pan and rotate the steak with your tongs to spread the oil around a little.
About a minute each side should do it but keep a close eye on it.
I did some tong magic and seared the sides as well but thats not required
Youll see lots of smoke and this is how it should be. If you have a side burner on the grill, that is a better choice than using a burner in the house.
If you must use the burner in the kitchen oven, just make sure to turn the exhaust hood fan on and perhaps open a couple of windows during this process.
You can also use a screaming hot fire to do this but its a little less predictable and requires more finesse to get the job done right.. your choice.
Once again, let the steaks rest (no foil tented over them this time) for about 5 minutes and then serve them to your guests with ample sides.
Molasses Glazed Salmon Recipe | Salmon Filets Grilled on Traeger Grill
FAQ
FAQ
Do you have to flip salmon on the BBQ?
No. You do not have to flip salmon when grilling. If you prefer grill marks on both sides of your fish, place salmon on oiled, heated grill.
How long should I cook salmon on the grill?
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve and enjoy!
Is it better to grill salmon in foil or not?
Using foil to make a packet around the salmon keeps the salmon moist when grilling. It ensures the salmon turns out perfectly tender and flaky, not dry. With the foil method, you also don’t need to worry about the salmon falling apart or sticking to the grill grates.Sep 1, 2024
How long does it take to cook salmon on a BBQ?
A salmon fillet cooked directly on the metal BBQ grill will require about 3 mins cooking time on each side, so 6 mins in total.An 850g side of salmon will require cooking for about 20 mins. The BBQ must reach the desired temperature before putting the fish onto the grill. If the temperature continues to climb the fish is likely to stick.
How do you cook salmon on a grill?
The best method to barbecue salmon can be broken down into a few simple steps: Preheat your grill to medium to high temperature around 400 ℉ /205 ℃. Season the salmon thoroughly and oil the cooking grids. Be sure to fully preheat the grill to prevent sticking. Put the skinless side of your salmon fillet first to get beautiful grill marks.
Can you cook salmon on a barbecue?
The mellow to rich taste of salmon and the chunky flakes of the meat lend this excellent fish to the BBQ smoker process well. If you don’t have a barbecue smoker, a barbecue grill with a lid is the next best thing. It can also be grilled, broiled, poached and cooked in various other ways if you are inclined to try them.
How do you prevent salmon from fusing to grill grates?
To prevent your beautifully barbecued salmon from fusing to the grill grates, there are a few simple tricks: Use Skin-On Fillets: The skin naturally prevents sticking. Oil the skin before grilling. Grill on a Plank: Set fillets on a soaked cedar plank to keep it off direct heat.
How do I choose the best BBQ salmon?
Choose cuts of salmon that are glossy and firm to the touch. Do not accept salmon with brown spots or holes. Despite being fishy, there should also be no sour or foul odor from your meat. The great thing about BBQ salmon is that it’s going to taste amazing even with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper.
What is the best salmon for grilling?
Here are the best salmon options for the barbecue: Salmon Fillets: Skin-on fillets are ideal for grilling salmon. The skin prevents sticking and protects the delicate flesh. Aim for 4-6 oz portions. Salmon steaks are made by cutting the fillet across the grain and leaving the skin and inside fat on. They hold up well on the grill.