How to Grill Salmon

There are many ways to grill salmon. The most effective method depends on factors such as individual taste, time of year and available marinade ingredients. This article gives you general guidelines when preparing to grill salmon.

Preparation time (Traditional grill): 15 minutes
Baking time: 40-60
Total processing time: 55-75 minutes

Table of Contents

Ingredient

Whole salmon fillet

Traditional grill

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Buy whole salmon fillets when you plan to make grilled salmon. Salmon flesh ranges in color from light pink to deep red, depending on the type of fish. Salmon fillets are pieces of fish that are cut in half vertically down the middle of the fish, with the pink flesh on one side and the skin on the other (usually with scales on).

Depending on where you live and the time of year, you might find Atlantic, Coho, Chinook, Sockeye, King, wild, farmed, fresh or frozen salmon. Each variety has its own distinct flavor, texture, and appearance.

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Leave the skin intact and place the leather side down. Leave the fish skin on and place the skin side down to retain moisture during grilling. This is especially important when grilling salmon as it often dries out easily.

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Adjust the oven temperature between 175ºC and 190ºC. The appropriate temperature will depend on the recipe and the size of the fillet. Use low heat for small pieces and high heat for large pieces. Temperatures that are too high or too low will cause the grilled fish to dry out.

Grill salmon in a covered baking tray. Remember to cover the fish during grilling to retain moisture in the fish and shorten the cooking time.

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Check the fish often as the cooking time will vary, largely depending on the oven and the size of the pieces. Small pieces of fillet may only need 25-30 minutes to cook, but large pieces of fish may need to bake for 40-60 minutes.

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Use a food thermometer if available. A food thermometer is available at most grocery stores and kitchenware stores, and it will help when you’re grilling salmon. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the fish fillet and remove from the oven when the temperature reaches 60ºC.

Baked en Papillote (wrapped in paper)

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Preheat oven to 177°C. Although you will wrap the fish in parchment paper, the oven doesn’t need to be on high heat. Grilling salmon or any other fish in parchment paper is a very effective method. Cleaning up after grilling the fish is pretty easy – just throw the piece of paper away and you’re done.

Prepare salmon. When grilling fish en papillote, it’s best to:

Leave the skin intact and place the leather side down.
Rinse fish fillets with cold water, pat dry with paper towels or drain.
Season fish with salt and pepper.

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Fold the stencils in half lengthwise. Spread parchment paper on a baking tray. Place the fish in the center of one side of the parchment paper.

Add herbs, spices or vegetables to the parchment paper along with the salmon. Grilling en papillote is your chance to add grilled vegetables and seasonings to the fish. Here are a few great salmon combinations that you might consider:

Lemon, capers and rosemary . Lemon and salmon is a classic combination as well as the salty taste and aroma of capers. Add a little rosemary to the mix for a burst of flavor.
Asparagus, lemon and onion . Cut some asparagus into the salmon, add a little lemon and red onion to complete the flavor of the dish. The onions will taste sweet and the lemon will keep them moist and give the fish a mild flavor.
Dill and lemon . Because of its very mild flavor almost like anise, dried dill is the perfect seasoning for salmon if you don’t want the fishy flavor to overpower. Don’t forget to add some lemon juice!
Tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms . For a richer dish, try adding these summer vegetables to fish (no need to cook first). A little lime juice or a slice of lemon is always a great spice for this combination.

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Add olive oil and/or white wine. Once you’ve decided on your seasonings and grilled vegetables, drizzle some olive oil over the fish. A tablespoon of white wine will help retain moisture and flavor the salmon and vegetables.

You can use butter instead of olive oil. For a more intense flavor, add a tablespoon of butter to the parchment paper instead of the olive oil.

Fold the parchment paper to cover the salmon and vegetables. Fold the parchment paper over the salmon into a triangle. Starting from the bottom, you’ll fold the edges of the paper up, creating overlapping layers of paper. This way the salmon and vegetables are covered and will cook in its water.

Do not glue the edges of the paper together. Although you need to wrap the fish tightly, you shouldn’t trap all the air inside the stencils. A little bit of air in is also good.
Do not fold the stencils too tightly. Leave space in the stencils for the salmon and vegetables to have plenty of room. You should fold the stencil so that it fits snugly without being too tight.

Bake fish at 180ºC for 20 -25 minutes. When the salmon fillet is ripe, it must be opaque and airy. The flesh of the fish is still clear and red, which means the fish is not fully cooked.

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Take the fish out of the oven and serve it up. Transfer the dish to a plate or simply cut the parchment paper open and serve.

Grilled fish with orange juice

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Set oven to 175ºC.

Place salmon on a plate. Pour the orange juice into a plate to just cover the salmon.

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Cover the plate with foil.

Bake the fish until cooked. Baking time takes about 20-30 minutes.

Serve fish up to enjoy. This dish is very delicious with white rice.

Advice

When choosing salmon at the supermarket or fish market, make sure the fish is handled properly. When you press your fingertips into the fish, you should feel the flesh of the fish with firmness. Fish scales should not come off easily, and the fish should have a fresh, clean, not fishy smell.
Use fresh salmon for a better taste. If you can’t buy fresh salmon, you can buy frozen salmon fillets and defrost it slowly overnight in the refrigerator.

Warning

Don’t confuse salmon steak with salmon fillet. A salmon steak is a thick salmon slice of a fish fillet and will cook much faster than a whole fillet. Salmon steaks are usually skin and bone removed and should be cooked at a lower temperature.