I get it. Grilling fish can be intimidating. But this will be the summer you leave all your grill fears behind and learn how to grill salmon the easy way.
In my initial grilling forays, I burned my fair share of veggies. I watched all of my tender, flavorful fish fall between the grill grates when I awkwardly attempted a flip. But this simple method for grilling fish avoids those mishaps. And there’s more good news: It’s a weeknight-friendly salmon recipe that comes together in 30-ish minutes.
Skin for the win
The first step to making great grilled salmon is to make sure you purchase a salmon fillet with the skin on one side. There is a slim layer of fat between the meat and skin that crisps up nicely on the grill. It also acts as a handy binder, keeping the meat intact and making the fish easier to work with. If eating the skin isn’t your thing, it’s easy to peel off and discard once the salmon is cooked.
If you don’t feel like salmon or you can’t find any that looks good, you can also make a fish swap. Any meaty, slightly fatty fish (think arctic char, mackerel, bluefish, yellowtail, or trout) works here.
Start by placing the salmon skin side down on a large piece of foil. You need enough foil to fold the sides over to make a packet that keeps all the cooking juices inside. Whip some softened butter together with fresh dill, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Slather the fish in this flavorful mix, covering the entire top of the fillet.
Packet it
Next, fold the foil into a packet around the fillet, leaving a little opening at the top for steam to escape. This helps the liquid reduce a little, giving you a slightly sticky brown sauce once it’s cooked. The skin will be slightly charred, which adds a wonderful smoky flavor to the fish. Sure, you could cook this recipe in an oven, but as summer nears do you really want anything to do with a hot oven?
This grilled-salmon-in-foil method is dependable and stress-free because there’s no flipping required, and the foil keeps the fish skin from sticking to your grill grates and causing a mess that can also result in the loss of your precious protein. The salmon cooks in about 20 minutes—you do really want to pull it from the fire then because the foil packet holds heat that continues to cook the fish a bit as it sits. The final dish is everything you dream of in a fish dinner: flaky, soft, flavorful salmon coated in a buttery lemon-garlic-dill sauce.
Gaining confidence in your grilling skills is kind of a big dill.
Add fresh and easy extras
The butter that forms the basis of the simple sauce in this salmon recipe is customizable—you should feel empowered to substitute herbs like parsley, chives, cilantro, rosemary, or oregano, or alter the type of citrus if you want to change up the flavors (or use up whatever you have on hand). Add maple syrup instead of honey for rich caramel notes or a little apple cider vinegar for a piquant punch.
