Grilled Salmon Recipe: Tips for Grilling Salmon at Home

Salmon, along with other hearty, fatty fish like halibut, is one of the few kinds of seafood that can handle the high heat of grilling. By separating the grill into two zones—one for searing and crisping, the other for low-and-slow gentle cooking—rich, velvety salmon reveals the best of itself.

There are a few distinctions between wild-caught and farm-raised salmon. Farmed fish are commercially-raised fish. They may live in enclosures within oceans, lakes, or rivers, or in tanks. About half of the fish worldwide comes from farms. Fishers catch wild fish in their natural environments, and their diets may be higher-quality and more diverse than farmed fish. When sourced responsibly, wild-caught fish, harvested in less polluted waters, may be more optimal than farmed fish.

Farm-raised fish can yield excellent quality when farmed correctly and responsibly, resulting in product consistency, size, and flavor. Additionally, wild seafood tends to be more expensive than farmed, but it comes with its own set of environmental issues, such as overfishing and bycatch.

Grilled fish lends itself to many different flavor combinations and preparations. Whether you choose to season simply with salt and pepper or spend a few hours marinating beforehand, feel free to experiment. (If they’re available at your local fish counter, buy a few salmon collars—the rich, tender meat among the collarbones is ideal for grilling.) Here are a few flavor combinations to try:

1. 1. Brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and hot mustard: Slather salmon fillets with a sweet and spicy salmon marinade—build your own, or use a bit of your favorite BBQ sauce—for up to two hours before grilling. Allow any excess marinade to drip off before placing the salmon on the well-oiled grates of a grill.
2. 2. Garlic butter and herbs: Combine freshly grated garlic or a teaspoon of garlic powder with melted butter and one tablespoon chopped parsley. Season the garlic butter with salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika. Baste the salmon with garlic butter while it cooks for a deep, garlicky flavor and vibrant color, and drizzle any remaining butter over the finished fillet before serving.
3. 3. Herbs and lemon: Fresh herbs and lemon are perhaps the most popular pairing for grilled salmon. You can highlight these flavors by combining them into a brightly acidic and fragrant mixture, a bit like a salad, arranged over the top of the finished fish. Garnish the dish with flaky sea salt and sesame seeds, and serve. If you like, place a few lemon halves directly on the grill, and cook until charred and soft. Serve alongside the salmon for extra drizzling.

Making the best grilled salmon requires a little more attention than a steak, but it’s still an approachable dish with stunning and delicious results. Here are a few simple grilling tips:

1. 1. Choose a fatty piece of salmon. Salmon’s high-fat content helps prevent it from drying out or overcooking. Center-cut fillets can have twice as much fat as a fillet from the tail, and farmed salmon tends to have more omega-3 fatty acids than wild and more saturated fat and sodium. Wild Chinook has almost twice as much saturated fat as farmed Coho salmon, already one of the most popular grilling varieties.
2. 2. Lightly oil the grill grate and the salmon. Salmon’s delicate flesh tends to stick to pans and cutting boards. To get crispy skin, start skin-side down and then flip the salmon when it becomes more opaque and releases easily from the grill.
3. 3. Use a grill-friendly wooden plank for extra flavor. For a subtle, smoky fragrance, place salmon on a cedar plank. The plank allows the fish to cook gently via indirect heat, infuses it with a woodsy aroma, and prevents sticking—though you will miss out on crispy salmon skin.