Grilled Salmon
Apr 21, 2021, Updated May 22, 2024
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Rubbed with delicious spices and grilled to flavorful perfection, this Grilled Salmon recipe is a fresh dinner for the whole family. The best part of all, it is served with Avocado Salsa and everything comes together in less than 30 minutes!
For more amazing salmon recipes, try my pesto salmon for a burst of fresh, herby flavor, or make this crab stuffed salmon for an indulgent twist that’s beyond delish!
Easy Grilled Salmon Recipe
As the days start to warm up, my thoughts go straight to grilling favorites like marinated London broil, salmon, and grilled swordfish. Sure, it snowed yesterday here in Indiana, but that just makes me even more ready for BBQ season. Until then, we’re still making cozy dinners like chicken piccata and Mediterranean baked feta pasta.
But once grilling season hits, grilled salmon is always at the top of my list. Between the California burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and churrasco steak, there’s just something unbeatable about a fresh salmon fillet hot off the grill.
This quick and easy grilled salmon recipe is seasoned with a flavorful rub and topped with a fresh avocado salsa. And if grilling weather hasn’t quite arrived yet, you can easily make it in a cast iron grill pan or skillet instead.
What You’ll Need
Get ready and fire up the grill to make this grilled salmon with avocado salsa. Perfect for a quick dinner or a weekend BBQ, this dish requires no salmon marinade and a handful of basic ingredients, making it super simple to prepare.
For the Salmon
- Salmon Fillets: I prefer wild-caught salmon for its rich flavor, but if you enjoy a milder taste, high-quality farm-raised salmon is a good option. Opt for king, coho, or sockeye salmon, and make sure it has the skin on for the best results.
- Olive Oil: I recommend using classic olive oil because it takes the heat better than extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt & Black Pepper: One teaspoon, or to taste. Kosher salt is great, and I like using freshly ground pepper.
- Spices: Half a teaspoon each of paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander makes a savory spice rub for the fillets. I use sweet paprika rather than smoked for this recipe, and sometimes I mix in a teaspoon of brown sugar.
For the Avocado Salsa
- Avocado: Peel and finely dice a small avocado.
- Jalapeño: Using gloves, seed and finely dice one small jalapeno pepper. You can use less jalapeno or omit it entirely if preferred.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Finely dice half a cup of cherry tomatoes, or your preferred tomatoes.
- Cilantro: I use ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro; omit if you do not care for cilantro. You can also replace it with parsley.
- Onion: Finely dice 3 tablespoons of red onion.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
- Olive Oil: Splash about half a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil into the salsa.
- Lime Juice: You’ll need 1 large lime, juiced, to finish the salsa.
How to Grill Salmon
Cooking salmon on the grill is fast and easy! With a blend of spices that bring out the best flavors in the salmon, paired with a zesty avocado salsa, this recipe is going to become a favorite in your household.
- Prep the grill. Preheat a charcoal grill to 450˚F or a gas grill to 425˚F and brush the grill grates with olive oil.
- Prep the salmon. Drizzle the salmon fillets with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sweet paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander. Rub the spice mixture all over the fillets.
- Grill the salmon. Place the salmon on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked halfway up. Flip the fillets and continue to cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until cooked through. The total cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets. Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness; salmon is cooked through when the fish flakes easily and when its internal temperature registers between 140 and 145 degrees F at the thickest part.
- Make the avocado salsa. Meanwhile, combine the diced avocado, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Recipe Tips
- Grill Temperature. For perfectly grilled salmon, preheat your grill to a sizzling 425˚F-450°F. The key to success when grilling fish is to use a hot grill. Place the salmon skin-side down on the grates and cook for 6-8 minutes. This ensures the fish won’t stick and will easily lift away once it’s done.
- Use wild-caught salmon. While farmed salmon will definitely work, wild-caught salmon is environmentally friendly, and it’s also tastier.
- Cover. Keep the lid on while grilling to maintain a consistent cooking temperature.
- Flip once. Flip the salmon just once during grilling to prevent the fish from falling apart or sticking to the grates.
- Don’t overcook the fish. Salmon is easy to overcook, so be careful! You want to cook it just until it’s opaque and then immediately remove it from the heat, so it doesn’t dry out.
- Pat dry the fillets. Don’t forget to pat your salmon dry with a paper towel before adding the oil and seasonings.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend this tasty brown rice pilaf or a side of my fresh Mediterranean rice to serve with grilled salmon. Also, these delicious Sweet Potato Wedges taste great with everything! My easy garlic broccolini, dressed with lemon and butter, is fantastic when paired with seafood.
If you’d prefer to serve the salmon without the avocado salsa, try drizzling it with hollandaise sauce, spinach pesto, or even store-bought pico de gallo. Lastly, round out the meal with my air fryer corn on the cob – it’s incredible!
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Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 6 salmon fillets, about 2 pounds, total, skin-on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
For the Salsa
- 1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely diced
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed, and finely diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, finely diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large lime, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat a gas grill to 425˚F. Brush clean the grill grates with olive oil.
- Drizzle olive oil over the salmon fillets and season them with salt and pepper.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sweet paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and coriander; mix until thoroughly combined. Rub the spice mixture all over the fillets.
- Place the salmon on the hot grill, skin-side down. Close the lid and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cooked halfway up the fillet.
- Using a fish spatula, flip over the fillets and continue to cook for 4 more minutes or until cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness; salmon is cooked through when the internal temperature registers at 145˚F.
- In the meantime, combine the diced avocado, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Spoon the salsa over the cooked salmon and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To store leftovers, let the salmon cool completely. Then, place the fillets in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 to 3 months. Do not freeze the avocado salsa.
- To reheat, place the salmon in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until just heated through.
Can you just bake the salmon in the oven?
Absolutely! Preheat your oven to 400หF, lightly grease a sheet pan with cooking spray, and bake the salmon for 15 to 20 minutes. The exact cooking time will vary based on the size of the fillets. To ensure perfectly cooked salmon, use an instant-read thermometer and remove it from the oven once the internal temperature reaches 145หF.
Should not flip salmon nor any other fish when grilling. Cook on skin side down, and in foil if no skin, cover down. Spice the top uncooked side. Who wants a hard crusted piece of salmon. Your spice choice is great. Your only recipe I have not taken a fancy too. Cheers.
That avocado salsa is the best thing ever! I think it would be great on so many things! It goes so well with the salmon!
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! ๐
I find it a challenge to get salmon just right but this one turned out perfect! Thanks for the detailed instructions. The avocado salsa is a great topping.
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
The avocado salsa works so well with this salmon! One of our new favorites.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it! ๐