Description
How to Grill Salmon (with skin + without skin) – a detailed, helpful step-by-step tutorial that shows you how to make grilled salmon perfectly every time!
Ingredients
- (4) 6-8oz salmon fillets (1 inch thick at it’s thickest point)
- kosher salt
- pepper
- olive or avocado oil
Instructions
Prep the Grill and the Salmon:
- Preheat grill to High Heat (450-500) degrees.
- Ensure your grates are cleaned and lightly greased with oil.
- While your grill is pre-heating, place salmon fillets on a tray.
- Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
- Using a basting brush, brush on oil so the meat is lightly covered (if the skin is on it doesn’t need to be oiled).
- Season with salt and pepper (approximately 1/4 teaspoon or so per fillet and a dusting of pepper).
Skin on:
- Place skin side down over direct heat and close the grill.
- Reduce temp to approximately 375 (by opening the grill to put the salmon on the temp will drop quite quickly so just remember to manually turn down the heat).
- Let cook for 3-4 minutes (keep cover on).
- Open grill and, using your metal spatula, try and carefully separate the skin from the flesh. The skin will most likely stick to the grates allowing you to get your spatula under the meat of the salmon. Then flip onto a different spot on the grill (still over direct heat) and close the grill. Sometimes, depending upon different variables, the meat will just refuse to separate. That’s okay. Don’t fight it too much and instead simply flip the salmon over and the skin can be removed after grilling.
- Let cook for 3-4 minutes longer or until it reaches an internal temp of 145 (using an internal meat thermometer) or until the meat at the thickest point turns opaque and flakes easily.
- Remove from grill and serving immediately.
Skin off:
- Place salmon fillets over direct heat and close the grill.
- Reduce temp to approximately 375 (by opening the grill to put the salmon on the temp will drop quite quickly so just remember to manually turn down the heat).
- Let cook for 3 minutes (keep cover on).
- Turn the salmon over, placing on a different spot on the grill while still over direct heat (placing it on a different spot will help prevent sticking).
- Let cook for 3-4 minutes longer or until it reaches an internal temp of 145 at it’s thickest point (using an internal meat thermometer) or until the meat at the thickest point turns opaque and flakes easily.
- Remove from grill and serve immediately.
Notes
- Clean + Greased Grates: make sure your grill is clean and the grates are greased/oiled. If your salmon sticks its most likely because your grates aren’t greased (or because you didn’t cook the salmon long enough before flipping).
- How Long to Cook: A general rule of thumb is to grill salmon at 375 degrees for approximately 3-4 minutes per half-inch, flipping halfway, OR until the internal temp (at thickest part) is 145 degrees. That being said, once you have done it numerous times you will also be able to eyeball when it looks done based off of how the meat looks and how flaky it is!
- Oil After Cooking: Sometimes I like to lightly brush the salmon with a little avocado oil AFTER I grill it.
- Digital Meat Thermometer: Here is the digital meat thermometer I use!