Meat & Seafood · American

Grilled Salmon

Name: Grilled Salmon
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 12 oz salmon (two center-cut fillets, skin on, patted dry); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp butter (softened); 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 unit lemon (half juiced, half sliced thin); 1 tbsp dill (chopped); ¾ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper (cracked)

A variant of Baked Salmon — The same salmon, over fire instead of in the oven — hotter, faster, and skin-side discipline instead of a rack position.

8 ingredients · 25 minutes · 2 servings

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Ingredients

Servings:

12 oz	salmon (two center-cut fillets, skin on, patted dry)
1 tbsp	olive oil
1 tbsp	butter (softened)
1 clove	garlic (minced)
1 unit	lemon (half juiced, half sliced thin)
1 tbsp	dill (chopped)
¾ tsp	salt
¼ tsp	black pepper (cracked)
1 tsp	honeyoptional
1 tsp	mustard (dijon)optional
1 tbsp	capers (drained)optional
1 tbsp	parsley (chopped)optional
¼ tsp	paprika-smokedoptional

Method

season15 min
room temperature, uncovered
salmon + salt + pepper on all sides, then leave it on the counter on a rack — the salt draws surface moisture out, which then reabsorbs as brine, and a fillet that starts at 60°F rather than 38°F cooks evenly instead of overcooking its outer half while the center is still cold
prep10 min
grill at medium-high, grates cleaned and oiled
Heat the grill to medium-high and let the grates get properly hot before anything touches them — a cold grate is what fish sticks to. Scrub them clean, then oil them with a folded paper towel held in tongs.
mix2 min
butter + garlic + lemon juice + dill (+ honey + mustard if glazing) into a paste — raw garlic laid loose on the fish scorches at this heat, but suspended in butter it perfumes the fat instead of burning
grill8 min
skin-side down first, lid closed, do not move it
Lay the fillets skin-side down and close the lid. Leave them alone — the skin releases on its own when it has crisped, and pulling early is what tears it. Flip once for the last 2 minutes, and pull at 125°F at the thickest point for medium.
rest5 min
loosely tented, off heat
carryover carries it another 5–8°F to about 130°F, which is where salmon is set but still moist; resting also lets the juices that collected in the center redistribute rather than run out on the plate. Finish with parsley and capers