Go Back

The Best Grilled Salmon

Grilled salmon with a quick marinade delivers crispy skin and tender, flaky flesh with simple seasonings. You’ll get clear grill marks by cooking skin-side down without moving, then finishing with a short flip for doneness.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
marinating 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon marinade
  • 4 salmon fillets Skin-on, 6 oz each
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic Minced
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper To taste
Serve
  • 0.25 cup fresh dill For serving
  • 1 lemon wedges For serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. In a bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
  2. Stir until the mixture looks smooth and glossy, then set it aside so it’s ready to coat the salmon.
Marinate and prep the grill
  1. Brush the marinade over the salmon fillets, ensuring the skin surface is well coated.
  2. Let the salmon sit for 15 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the grill.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates well right before cooking.
Grill the salmon
  1. Place the salmon skin-side down on the grill.
  2. Grill for 6-8 minutes skin-side down without moving, until the skin is crisp and the edges look set.
  3. Carefully flip the fillets and grill for 2-3 minutes, until cooked to your desired doneness and flakes easily.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with fresh dill and lemon wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the salmon skin-side down and don’t move it during the first 6–8 minutes—this helps the skin crisp and prevents sticking. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid drying out. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a dairy-free option, this recipe already fits; for a lower-sodium swap, reduce added salt and rely on lemon for brightness.