Easy Grilled Salmon with Basic Marinade
This easy grilled salmon recipe is perfect for a quick, flavorful meal. With a choice of basic or teriyaki-style marinades. Great for weeknights or summer cookouts!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 to 3 pounds salmon fillets, skin-on (figure 1/3 to 1/2 pound per person)
- Canola, olive, or grapeseed oil
- Marinade Recipes
- Basic marinade:
- 3/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten
- free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Basic teriyaki marinade:
- 1 cup soy sauce(use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)
- 1-inch nob of fresh ginger root, grated
- 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 to 4 Tbsp brown sugar
Teriyaki marinade with mirin:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce(use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) or seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup minced green onions
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- Pinch chili pepper flakes
Yakitori marinade with sake:
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1/2 cup soy sauce(use gluten-free soy sauce if cooking gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 2 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- A dash of red chili pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup white sugar
Method
- Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. If sugar is an ingredient in the marinade you are using, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Cut filles 1 1/2 to 2-inches wide. Place marinade ingredients in a large casserole dish (or a plate with sides so the marinade doesn’t run). Coat the salmon fillets in the marinade and then place them skinless-side down in the marinade. Marinate for 20 minutes for a quick marinade (can do this at room temperature while you are preparing the grill) or if you have more time from 1-2 hours chilled in the refrigerator. Before grilling, remove fillets from marinade and discard marinade.
- Prepare grill for high direct heat (if you are using a charcoal grill, prepare one side of the grill for high direct heat and the other side with fewer coals for indirect heating). When the grill is hot (you should be able to hold your hand one inch above the grill grates for only 1 second), spray or brush oil generously on both sides of fish fillets. Place fillets on grill, skinless side down first, so that they can get nice grill marks on the hot grill while the fish is still firm. Close the grill lid. Cook 1-3 minutes on the first side, depending on how thick the fillets are. Once the fish fillets have been placed on the grill, do not move them until you are going to flip them over, otherwise they may fall apart.
- Look for grill marks on the fish and a small layer of opaque (cooked) fish where the fish is closes to the grill. Using tongs, and a metal spatula to help if necessary, carefully turn the fish onto the other side, so that the skin side is now on the grill grates. If you are using a charcoal grill, the fillets should be placed on the side of the grill furthest from the coals. If you are using a gas grill, just reduce the flame to medium. Close the grill lid.
Cook for another 2-5 minutes, again depending on the thickness of the fillets. Salmon should be just barely opaque throughout when done. Better to err on the side of undercooking the salmon, rather than overcooking. You can always put the fish back on the grill, but once a good fillet is overcooked, there’s nothing you can do.
Remove from grill and serve immediately.
Learn how to properly prepare a fish for cooking with this step-by-step video. From removing the head to trimming the fillet and cutting it into perfect portions — this tutorial shows it all using the Gunter Wilhelm 10″ Carving Knife for precise and effortless cuts. Watch now to master the basics of fish preparation!
