This easy grilled salmon recipe is ready in 15 minutes. Simply brush the fish with olive oil, sprinkle it with spices, and grill.
The skin is the best part, and I'll share a few tips to ensure it comes out nice and crispy.
Of all my salmon recipes, including salmon steak and blackened salmon, grilled salmon is one of my favorites.
When accompanied by an easy, make-ahead side dish such as broccoli salad, it's one of the easiest dinners I make for my family. Much like this grilled mahi mahi, it's ready in 15 minutes, and it's delicious!
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Ingredients
The ingredients list for making this recipe is delightfully short! The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Salmon fillets: I almost always opt for skin-on filets. The skin, fatty and crispy, is my favorite part.
- Olive oil: This is my favorite oil - it's delicious. If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, use avocado oil. Melted ghee is another tasty option.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Variations
- You can brush the fish with melted butter or ghee instead of olive oil.
- Try adding more spices. Tasty options I tried and liked include ½ teaspoon of onion powder, paprika, or cumin, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Sometimes, I slice a lemon, brush the slices with olive oil or butter, grill them alongside the fish, then serve them with the fish.
Grilled Salmon Instructions
Cooking salmon on the grill is fast and easy. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- You start by heating your grill on medium and greasing it. You can use an outdoor grill, an indoor grill (including a dual-contact grill like the one I use in the video below), or a grill pan. Grease the grill thoroughly to prevent the fish from sticking.
- Brush the salmon fillets with olive oil and sprinkle them with the seasonings. (Photos 1-2).
- Place the fillets on the hot grill, skin side down. Cover and grill until the outside of the fish is crispy and the inside is fully cooked. This should take about five minutes per side. If using a dual-contact grill, it should take a total of five minutes. (Photos 3-4).
Expert Tip
When using skin-on fillets (as you should!), nothing gets the skin crispier than grilling. And crispy salmon skin is lovely - as you probably know, many Japanese restaurants serve salmon skin sushi rolls, considered a delicacy.
In addition to making the skin crispy, grilling keeps the fish exceptionally juicy, as long as you don't overcook it.
Recipe FAQs
Five minutes per side over medium heat is perfect. To ensure the salmon is fully cooked, check with an instant-read thermometer. The FDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145° F.
I like to season it simply, with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Sage is also excellent with salmon but will char on the hot grill. So, in this particular recipe, I don't use it. But I use it when making pan-fried salmon.
Place the fillets on the grill skin side down and allow them to cook undisturbed for five minutes. Then flip them carefully and finish cooking the other side.
Fish skin tends to stick to cooking surfaces, so it's important to grease your grill thoroughly. If using a grill pan or a dual-contact grill, make sure they're nonstick - truly nonstick with no scratches - and oil them before using.
Serving Suggestions
Salmon is versatile. You can serve it with any side dish you like. I often serve it, as mentioned above, with broccoli salad.
I also like to serve it with grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled broccolini, or grilled okra, grilling both the main dish and the sides simultaneously.
It's also good with a side of microwave asparagus or with this cucumber tomato salad.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
You can freeze the leftovers wrapped in foil and sealed in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Instead of reheating and drying the leftovers, I sometimes flake them and use them as a salad topping. They're excellent as an added protein in this arugula salad and can be used instead of chicken in this Cobb salad.
More Salmon Recipes
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Recipe Card
Grilled Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- Avocado oil for the grill
- 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets 1-inch thick, skin-on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon of any other salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Heat a grill, a nonstick grill pan, or a nonstick dual-contact grill on medium. Grease it well.
- Brush each salmon fillet all over with olive oil and sprinkle it with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place the salmon fillets on the grill, skin side down. Cover (you can loosely cover with foil if you don’t have a lid) and grill until the outside is crispy and the inside is fully cooked, about 5 minutes per side.
- If using a dual-contact grill (like I do in the video below), grill 1-inch-thick fillets for a total of about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- To ensure the skin comes out crispy, place the fillets on the grill skin side down and allow them to cook, undisturbed, for five minutes. Then flip them carefully and finish cooking the other side.
- Fish skin tends to stick to cooking surfaces, so it's important to grease your grill well. If using a grill pan or a dual-contact grill, ensure they're truly nonstick with no scratches - and oil them before using.
- The FDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145° F.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can freeze the leftovers wrapped in foil and sealed in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Molly
I enjoyed this grilled salmon. Easy, minimal ingredients, and delicious, like all your recipes. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Molly!
Dan
Absolutely delicious recipe. I used melted ghee instead of olive oil and added a pinch of onion powder. This was so good!
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked it, Dan! I love using ghee. It's delicious.