Best Grilled Salmon Recipe and Marinade

This is the best grilled salmon recipe! The marinade makes the fish so flavorful and it’s ridiculously easy to make! It’s going to become your go-to salmon recipe!

I’m a creature of habit…I get stuck in ruts. Many people, after they find out about Rachel Cooks, have made comments about how well we must eat…gourmet food every night!

It’s not exactly the case. I have my go-to recipes and more often than not, I’m whipping up something we’ve had before and something that takes 30 minutes or less to make. Sure, I love to develop new recipes to share with you guys, but our life is just as busy as anyone else’s, so sometimes it’s just a matter of speed and making something everyone likes. Well, everyone except N because that kid still likes NOTHING.

We have salmon about every other week and my lemon salmon with dill recipe is my go-to. Ben loves it, I like it, it’s healthy and it’s so easy. We both LOVE the walnut crusted salmon and Parmesan and almond crusted salmon but since the kids are allergic to tree nuts, that’s obviously not a recipe that’s in regular rotation.

I’ve been wanting to try out a new salmon recipe on the grill, so when Traeger sent me one of their beautiful grills (which I instantly fell in love with…seriously…I think Ben is a little jealous), salmon had to happen.

I’m antsy and can’t wait until the end of the post to share the verdict…we love this salmon! We’re deeming it the best grilled salmon recipe – the marinade is irresistible, the salmon stays so moist (sorry for using that word, but it does!), and the Traeger grill gives it the most amazing flavor.

So you might be wondering what the heck a Traeger is and what is so special about it. Besides a dream come true, it’s also a wood pellet grill. I’m sure you’re familiar with grills that run on gas or charcoal. This one is powered by wood pellets.

What’s so great about that? F-L-A-V-O-R. Not only does the wood impart a mouthwatering smoked flavor, but it also gives you versatility. You can choose Apple wood (great for pork!), Hickory, Mesquite, Pecan, Cherry, Maple, or an all-purpose and less flavorful (but still wonderful!) wood like Alder – you can even bake in the grill using a wood like Alder. 

So far on my Traeger I’ve made ribs, pulled pork (twice!), this salmon (three times!), chicken using this honey mustard chicken marinade, and pizza. Honestly, you guys, Ben and I are both blown away by how good everything tastes on this grill. It’s an investment compared to your typical gas or charcoal grill, but after trying it, I’d totally spend the money on it myself.

Another great thing about a Traeger grill is that it has a thermostat so you don’t have to babysit it. The pork shoulder for the pulled pork needs to cook slowly for over 16 hours, so it’s great to know that it is being kept at the correct temperature while I sleep!

Now, I will say, you don’t need a Traeger grill to make this salmon recipe, but it will take the flavor to the next level.

Ingredients needed

This salmon marinade is a flavor powerhouse and you don’t have to let the salmon soak in it for very long at all! In fact, I usually just marinate it while I’m preheating my grill and that gives this salmon all the flavor it needs. Here’s what’s in the marinade!

• Soy Sauce (I like to use the reduced sodium variety)
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Ginger
• Garlic
• Dark Brown Sugar

This marinade is so flavorful and so simple to make. It’s the perfect sweet and savory combination and goes great with the grilled salmon.

My best tip for Grilling Salmon

Grilling salmon can be a little tricky. The flaky fish has the tendency to fall apart on the grill if you’re not careful.

My best tip is to start cooking it skin side up.

Sear for 3-4 minutes to get those beautiful grill marks on your fish before carefully flipping and cooking the remainder of the time skin side down. This allows you to have the amazing flavor the grill imparts without your fish falling through the grates. No one wins in that situation! Use this method and you’ll have 100% success with this best grilled salmon recipe.

An alternative method for grilling salmon is to wrap it in foil. I love garlicky grilled salmon which is wrapped securely in a foil packet. 

If you’re looking for more salmon recipes, this baked salmon is one of my absolute faves! Only 5 ingredients! We also love soy glazed salmon. And if you have an air fryer, be sure to try air fryer salmon. You won’t believe how great it turns out!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Best Grilled Salmon Recipe and Marinade

4.43 from 194 votes

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

6 servings

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This is the best grilled salmon recipe! The marinade makes the fish so flavorful and it's ridiculously easy to make! It's going to become your go-to salmon recipe!

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• ▢ 1- inch section of fresh ginger root, grated
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, grated
• ▢ 2 pounds salmon, cut into fillets

Instructions

• Mix together marinade ingredients in a baking dish: soy sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Add salmon fillets skin side up into the marinade and place in the fridge for 15-45 minutes.
• When ready to grill, start your Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until you see smoke appear (takes 3-5 minutes). Set the temperature to 350°F and preheat with the lid closed for 10-15 minutes.
• Remove salmon from marinade and place skin side up on grill. Cover (close the lid of the grill) and cook for 4 minutes. Flip carefully using a spatula. Cook for 20-25 minutes longer until fish is flaky. Serve immediately.

Notes

• You can halve this recipe to serve 2-3 people.
• If you don’t have a Traeger grill, this can be prepared on a gas or charcoal grill over medium heat (350°F) as directed in recipe.
• This salmon is great leftover – I love to flake the cold salmon on a leafy green salad.
• Nutrition information calculated for only half of the marinade since much of it is discarded.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 262kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 701mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

Disclosure: Traeger sent me a grill to try out but I was not monetarily compensated for developing this recipe or writing this post. All opinions are ALWAYS my own! 

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