Grilling Salmon - How to Grill Salmon?

One of the most popular and easiest methods of preparing salmon is by grilling. Achieving a perfectly grilled salmon is possible with just a few attempts and only a few minutes of actual grilling time is needed. Salmon can be prepared in advance by using a marinade to enhance the flavor or just brushing some olive oil before placing the salmon on the grill.

The grilling process only requires a few steps. It always starts with preheating the grill and as you wait you can prepare the salmon. And when the grill is ready, you can cook the fish over the fire. The entire grilling process only takes a few minutes but the salmon will still continue cooking after being removed from the heat. General advice can be found on How to Grill. In our special case, it is a must to allow the salmon to sit for a couple of minutes before serving.

Grilling a perfect salmon can be done using a gas grill or charcoal. Whatever you use, it would still bring the same outcome. When buying the fish, keep the skin intact because it can help prevent the flesh from falling apart on the grill. The secret of a perfectly grilled salmon is to avoid overcooking so as to avoid spoiling a good salmon. Fish cooks quickly on the grill so pay extra attention to the fish before you tend to something else. It would help to have a reliable timer handy so you will know when the fish needs to be removed from the heat of the grill.

Another important tip in grilling salmon is not to let the fish sit in a marinade for an excess of 15 minutes. The acidic ingredients of marinades may result to a mushy fish because the flesh may start to break down. Plain seasonings like dill, pepper, salt or Old Bay can also be used. Also, you can choose from countless seasoning options sold in supermarkets specifically made for fish recipes. Generally, salmon is quite meaty to fall through the rack on the grill. But if you want extra protection, you can use heavy-duty aluminum to wrap the rack. Just make sure to grease the foil with oil before placing the fish on top. For this kind of grilling, you can also use a two-sided grilling basket especially designed for this purpose. Again, this grilling basket requires oil for greasing before it can be used.

While grilling, the fish should be flipped once in order to cook both sides. Cook the fish until it turns opaque and see to it that no flame touches the salmon directly. If the salmon is still squishy when pressed gently, the fish is not yet done. Let it stay on the grill for another minute or two until it is firm when touched gently with the back of a fork. The recommended doneness for salmon is medium rare because the residual heat will still continue cooking for a few minutes more.

For fitting side dishes you might have a look at these recipe ideas.

Yet, we have collected more detailed Salmon grilling recipes for you, just browse them here:

Salmon Grilling Recipes