You’ll never need another recipe for grilled salmon again! This one makes grilled zucchini and tomato salsa and grilled salmon that is both crispy and tender.
Maybe this isn’t the only grilled salmon recipe you’ll ever need, but it’s a great one to have on hand.
I really enjoy salmon in general and grilled salmon in particular, so I thought I would spend this whole post giving you tips on how to make the best grilled salmon.
Here is my go-to recipe that always works for me. I’ll also give you a lot of grilling tips and tricks, as well as ideas for how to make your grilled salmon taste better so it never turns into a snooze fest.
Having a good quality cut of meat or fish fillet is essential to winning at the BBQ thing.
Really, what you want to do is pick animal protein that tastes great on its own and doesn’t need much topping like salt and pepper.
Salmon is one of the most popular and delicious fish to grill during the summer months And when you have access to amazing wild Copper River salmon from Alaska, grilling this incredible salmon is easier than you may think With just a few simple tips and techniques, you’ll be a pro at grilling moist, flavorful copper river salmon fillets.
Why Choose Copper River Salmon
Copper River salmon is famous for its rich, omega-3 loaded fat content and bright orange-red flesh. These wild salmon make their journey from the cold waters of Alaska to the Copper River each May and June, swimming hundreds of miles upstream to spawn This journey builds up huge stores of beneficial fats and makes the salmon’s flesh gorgeously colored and richly flavored The high quality of Copper River salmon means it takes beautifully to grilling. The salmon’s ample fat keeps it from drying out over the hot grill while also lending it a wonderfully rich and mildly smoky flavor.
If you want to grill Copper River salmon, choose fillets that are at least 1 inch thick. Thinner fillets can dry out too quickly. When grilling, the skin should be left on so that the meat doesn’t stick. Choose fillets with firm flesh and visible fat marbling throughout. Bright salmon color is another sign of freshness and good quality.
Grilling Tips for Perfect Salmon
Follow these simple tips for grilling salmon like a pro:
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Heat the grill properly – Get the grill nice and hot before adding the salmon. Medium high heat, around 400-450°F, is ideal.
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The grates should be lightly brushed or sprayed with vegetable oil before the salmon fillets are put on them. This prevents sticking.
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Rub or marinate the salmon fillets. Brush them with olive oil and then sprinkle them with a dry rub you made yourself. Or marinate for added flavor.
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Don’t move the salmon – Resist the urge to move or flip the salmon too soon. Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes first.
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Cook skin-side down first – Place the salmon on the grill skin-side down. The skin protects the delicate flesh.
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Flip carefully – Use a thin spatula to gently flip the salmon after a few minutes.
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Cook to proper doneness – Salmon is best slightly rare in the center. Cook for 6-8 minutes total for 1-inch thick fillets.
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Rest before serving – Let the salmon rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute.
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Add flavorful toppings – Top grilled salmon with fresh herbs, salsa, or a drizzle of lemon juice.
Grill Prep – Seasonings and More
Proper seasoning and prep is key for maximizing the flavor of grilled salmon. Consider the following:
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Dry rub – A simple dry rub adds lots of flavor. Use spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and black pepper.
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Fresh herbs – Chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, dill, chives all add nice flavor. Pat them onto the oiled salmon before grilling.
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Citrus – Lemon, lime, or orange juice and zest complement salmon perfectly. Drizzle the juice over the fillets just before serving.
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Soy sauce – A quick marinade of soy sauce, oil, garlic, and ginger adds an Asian flair.
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Teriyaki – Salmon soaked briefly in a teriyaki marinade caramelizes beautifully on the grill.
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Flavor wood – Add a soaked wood plank, cherry wood chips, or fresh rosemary sprigs right on the hot coals for extra smoky aroma.
How to Grill Copper River Salmon Step-By-Step
Follow these simple steps for grilling salmon fillets to tender, flaky perfection:
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Heat your grill to medium high heat, around 400-450°F. Clean the grates and brush them with oil to prevent sticking.
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Pat the salmon fillets dry and brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle on your choice of seasoning – a simple salt and pepper or dry seasoning rub.
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Place the fillets skin-side down on the hot grill. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes undisturbed. Resist peeking or moving the salmon.
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Gently flip the salmon using a thin spatula. Be careful not to break the fillets when flipping.
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Cook the second side for 2-4 minutes longer, until the salmon is slightly translucent in the center. Check for doneness by separating the flakes with a fork.
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Transfer the grilled salmon to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to reabsorb for moist, tender salmon.
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Add any toppings and serve right away. Grilled salmon pairs beautifully with fresh salsa, greens, roasted veggies or rice. Enjoy your perfectly grilled Copper River salmon!
With these simple grilling methods, you’ll be serving up incredibly moist and flavorful wild salmon all summer long. The richness of Copper River salmon takes so well to the smoky flavors from the grill. In no time, you’ll impress everyone with your grilled salmon skills.
How to Choose a Good Salmon Fillet:
The grilling process begins not when you fire up the BBQ, but when you acquire your fish. Not all fillets are created equally! Here are some tips for choosing your next fillet for grilling:
- Choose a skin-on fillet. It’s messy to grill salmon without the skin because the meat sticks to the grill and falls through the cracks. You can grill seafood in a foil packet, but if you want that really great chicken that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, smoky BBQ flavor, you’ll need the skin.
- Quite a bit of the seafood you see in stores comes from farms or is brought in and sold. When I can, I choose fish that is sustainable, wild-caught, and from the United States (more on sourcing in a minute).
- Learn about the differences between the different kinds of salmon so you can plan for the right taste and texture. Like, both Sockeye and King salmon taste great, but Sockeye salmon is a lot leaner than King salmon. In addition, Coho salmon has delicate flavor yet firm texture. If I have the choice, I always pick the fattest salmon because it will make the moistest dish, but that’s just me.
- Pay attention to color and fat marbling. You want light pink fles that is uniform and free of spots or tares. You should also be able to see large streams of fat running through the fillet. Not only does the fat make the fish taste great, it also keeps it moist and tender.
- If you want to feed a lot of people a big, long salmon fillet, all you have to do is cut it in half (or quarters, or serving-size pieces) before grilling it. This makes it easier to flip the fish over on the grill.
I want to pay extra attention to where you get your salmon because it’s something I’m really interested in. For me, half the fun of cooking is knowing where my food comes from and being happy with the ingredients I choose. It makes me happy to know that I did my part to promote sustainability every time I buy local or domestic goods from a good source. Also, the freshest and tastiest food comes from fruits, vegetables, and animals that have been hand-reared and grown with care.
Copper River Salmon (an organization of fishermen in Cordova, Alaska that brings freshly-caught salmon from the Copper River and Prince William Sound to market) sent me a huge (3-pound) fillet of King Salmon – fresh off the boat! – last week.
You may have seen my instagram post of the gorgeous salmon fillet before it hit the grill. King Salmon is known for its super rich flavor, brilliant texture, and high oil content. It has the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids of all the wild salmon species.
Put simply, it melts in your mouth.
When it got here, I was so excited that I knew right away what I wanted to do with it: 1. ) Grill 2. ) With friends. And wine.
Sea salt and pepper are all that this fillet needs to taste great because the fish is already so fresh and buttery. I did add some spices to the fillet prior to grilling, but kept them pretty light.
They were long, so I cut them in half to make it easier to flip on the grill. The other half, I broiled in the oven, which also turned out magnificently.
Visit Copper River Salmon’s site and learn more about the organization and its commitment to sustainability. You can also find CRS near you by using their store locator.
You’ll be seeing more delicious salmon recipes in the future, courtesy of the folks at Copper River Salmon.
ALSO, stay tuned, because I’ll be visiting Cordova, Alaska in September to see the Coho salmon run!
And now on to…
For a dry rub, I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. Boom, that’s all.
Just lightly coat the flesh with olive oil and season it. Then you’re ready to grill! Feel free to use your favorite dried herbs and spices, or when the fish is done, drizzle it with lemon juice.
Store-bought seafood seasoning blends? Those totally work, too!
Salmon marinades? I rarely do them.
The reason I don’t marinate salmon is that I enjoy the spice rub process so much that I don’t even think to plan a marinating session.
Make The BEST Salmon Marinade or even my Best Steak Marinade if you want to try a marinade. It works well with salmon too. It has sea salt, fresh garlic and ginger, liquid aminos (or soy sauce), and pure maple syrup or honey.
How to Grill Salmon:
When I grill, I’m too lazy to use a wire brush to clean the grill before putting the food on it most of the time. I’d avoid taking that approach when you go to grill fish. Take a wire grill brush and get all the leftover food particles from your last grilling experience off.
- Brush or spray the grill with a lot of olive oil. Do this step BEFORE you heat the grill to keep it from starting a fire.
- Set your grill to a medium-high temperature (around 400 to 450 degrees F) and make sure it’s completely hot before you put the fillet on it.
- Put the fish on the grill with the skin side down and just above the flame. Don’t touch the fish during the 3 to 6 minutes of cooking with the lid down. Carefully flip the salmon over with a spatula and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until the fish is done the way you like it. That’s how long you need to cook a 1-inch salmon fillet until the inside is rare. For an 8- to 10-minute salmon fillet that is cooked all the way through, the thickness should be 1 inch. If the salmon is more than an inch thick, you’ll probably need to change the total grill time to 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t cook the fish on the inside unless it’s sushi-grade and safe to eat raw.
I love serving salmon with a fresh seasonal salsa/chutney. The summer is a great time for fruit salsas with mango, pineapple, and/or strawberries. I also like a simple avocado salad.
To make this recipe, I grilled a zucchini and a yellow squash and then chopped them up. I then put them in a salsa with garlic, jalapeño, fresh mint, and lime juice. This is just a fun way of taking the experience to the next level.
You can also make your own sauce, vinaigrette, or dressing and drizzle it over the grilled salmon. If you’d rather, you can leave it on the side for dipping.
It’s always great to serve salmon as a salad on top of greens with fresh fruit and vegetables. Steaming up some rice and roasting some vegetables is always a choice option, too.
Grilling Copper River Sockeye Salmon
FAQ
How long does salmon need to be on the grill?
Do you have to flip salmon on the grill?
Do you put salmon directly on grill or foil?
What temperature is Copper River salmon done?
How to cook Copper River salmon?
Once you’ve settled on how to season your Copper River salmon, it’s time to get cooking. If you simply want to cook your salmon on the stove top, pan frying is an easy method that anyone can master. It takes only a few minutes and very few ingredients. Just season your salmon, place it skin-side up in a pan of hot oil.
Does Copper River salmon sell King Salmon?
Copper River Salmon (an organization of fishermen in Cordova, Alaska that brings freshly-caught salmon from the Copper River and Prince William Sound to market) sent me a huge (3-pound) fillet of King Salmon – fresh off the boat! – last week. You may have seen my instagram post of the gorgeous salmon fillet before it hit the grill.
Is Copper River salmon good?
Copper River salmon — sourced from Cordova, Alaska — is known as some of the best salmon in the world, making it a top seafood pick for many home cooks. But if you’ve never cooked salmon, you might find yourself intimidated by what could seem like a complicated process. You might also be nervous that you will waste your Copper River salmon.
What goes well with Copper River salmon?
Combining sweetness with savory is a great way to go, especially on Copper River salmon that has a buttery texture due to its high Omega-3 content. We have a Honey Garlic salmon recipe that is easy for any home cook to master. No technical cooking skill required. The salty goodness of soy sauce, miso and capers works well with salmon, too.