Grilled Salmon with the BEST Salmon Seasoning (2024)

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The Best Salmon for Grilled Salmon

When choosing fresh salmon to cook at home, follow these guidelines:

• Salmon should smell fresh and not too fishy. The skin should look shiny and the flesh should look moist and vibrantly colored.
• When possible, choose wild caught salmon.
• Buy salmon with the skin on for grilling.
• You can ask the seafood counter to cut the salmon into individual fillets if it is a larger piece of fish.

Besides the salmon, the only other ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are olive oil and the salmon seasoning. The seasoning is a mixture of brown sugar, smoked paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder and salt. You’ll love the combination of sweet, smoky and savory flavors!

How to Keep Salmon from Sticking to the Grill

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to flip a piece of salmon on the grill and having it stick or fall apart on you. Here are some tips to keep your salmon from sticking to the grill.

• Cut the salmon into individual pieces before grilling to make it easier to flip. Use a sharp knife to cut the salmon and then kitchen scissors if needed to finish cutting through skin. (Or, ask them to cut it for you when you buy fish at the seafood counter.)
• Always grill salmon on clean grill grates. If there are bits of food stuck to the grill grates from a prior grilling session, they can cause the salmon to stick.
• Oil both the fish and the grill. Rubbing the fish fillets with olive oil both helps the seasoning to stick to the fish, and keeps the salmon from sticking to the grill. Be sure to oil the grill grates, too.
• Preheat the grill before putting the salmon on. Adding the salmon to a hot grill will help to sear the fish and prevent sticking.
• Grill salmon with the skin on, and cook skin side down first. Cook the fish most of way through with the skin side down. Then flip it over to get grill marks on other side, and cook for only a few minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.

How to Grill Salmon

Start by combining the seasonings in a small bowl.

Then drizzle the fish with olive oil and rub the oil over the salmon flesh. Sprinkle on the seasonings and gently rub them over the salmon.

Let the seasoned salmon fillets rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, oil a clean grill pan, gas grill or charcoal grill and preheat to medium heat.

How Long to Grill Salmon

When the grill is hot, put the salmon on the grill or grill pan, skin side down. Cook the salmon with the skin side down for about 6 to 10 minutes, or until it’s almost cooked through. Then flip the salmon and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until cooked through.

How to Tell when Salmon is Done

The best way to tell if salmon is done is to use an instant read thermometer to measure the salmon temperature. According to the USDA, salmon is done when the internal temperature at the thickest part is 145° F. However, some prefer to take it off the grill when it reaches 130-135° F for a moister, less firm piece of salmon.

If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, you can tell that your salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Press a fork into the lines that run across the salmon. If the fish separates easily along the lines, it is cooked.

What to Serve with Grilled Salmon

These easy side dishes pair well with salmon.

• Grilled Vegetables, Grilled Zucchini or Grilled Asparagus
• Instant Pot Rice or stove top White Rice
• Mashed Potatoes or Roasted Red Potatoes
• Cucumber Tomato Salad or Orzo Salad

More Easy Salmon Recipes

Love salmon? Try one of these favorite salmon recipes next.

• Baked Salmon
• Lemon Garlic Baked Salmon
• Air Fryer Salmon
• Baked Salmon in Foil
• Teriyaki Salmon
• Honey Garlic Salmon
• Salmon Salad