Salmon, Meet Grill

Updated May 09, 2008

Credit: James Carrier

With its rich texture and flavor, salmon is a natural choice for summer cookouts and weeknight meals. Toss salmon filets onto the grill for a tasty and nutrient packed cookout favorite. Full of healthy fats and omega-3's, salmon is not only a tasty choice to bring to the cookout, but a smart one as well.

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Grilled Salmon with White Bean and Arugula Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey Styling: Claire Spollen

Grilled Salmon with White Bean and Arugula Salad Recipe

Ask for salmon fillets from the head end of the fish--the tail end is much thinner.

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Smoked Salmon, Barbecue University-Style

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Smoked Salmon, Barbecue University-Style Recipe

This whisky-scented smoked salmon combines the virtues of hot smoking and cedar planking. The dry brine in a sugar-salt mixture seasons the fish wonderfully. Cedar planks are available at grill stores and cookware shops. For gas grilling, place drained, soaked wood chips in a disposable aluminum pan directly on the burner of your grill.

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Salmon with Walnut-Avocado Guacamole

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Salmon with Walnut-Avocado Guacamole Recipe

Put this power-packed plate into the weeknight rotation. It's ready in less than 20 minutes.

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Sesame Cabbage Salad with Grilled Salmon

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Sesame Cabbage Salad with Grilled Salmon Recipe

There are lots of sustainable salmon options available now, from wild Alaskan to farmed U.S. species. Keep this easy recipe in mind for times when you have leftover cabbage in the fridge.

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Pink Salmon with Smoky Herb Rub

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen

Pink Salmon with Smoky Herb Rub Recipe

Sustainable Choice.

Grilling the salmon with the skin on keeps it moist and ensures it stays in one piece as it cooks.

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Grilled Salmon with Caramelized Lemons

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Grilled Salmon with Caramelized Lemons Recipe

A side of salmon, hot off the grill and laid on fig leaves from a backyard tree if you have one, makes a spectacular main course.

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Grilled Salmon with Sumac Oil and Green Onion Yogurt

Credit: Thomas J. Story

Grilled Salmon with Sumac Oil and Green Onion Yogurt Recipe

Wild king salmon requires the right mix of exuberance and restraint. Chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton of Ox restaurant in Portland hit the sweet spot, brightening its richness with tart sumac and a luscious yogurt sauce, and crisping the skin to create cracklings.

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Maple Grilled Salmon

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr

Maple Grilled Salmon Recipe

The sweet-sour marinade is cooked down to a syrupy glaze that's brushed on the salmon as it cooks. The citrus and maple flavors would also be tasty with pork. Garnish fillets with orange slices, if desired.

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Grilled King Salmon with Asparagus, Morels, and Leeks

Credit: Peden & Munk; Styling: Amy Wilson

Grilled King Salmon with Asparagus, Morels, and Leeks Recipe

One taste of the vegetable cream sauce atop this grilled salmon will convince you that this recipe is definitely a keeper!

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Brown Sugar-Grilled Salmon with Zucchini and Fennel "Noodles"

Credit: Erin Kunkel Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Brown Sugar-Grilled Salmon with Zucchini and Fennel "Noodles" Recipe

Sweet-and-tart brown sugar glaze gives fresh catch salmon fillets a tender crunch exterior and loads of rich flavor. Serve over a bed of zucchini and fennel ribbons, if desired.

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Firecracker Grilled Salmon

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Stylist: Buffy Hargett

Firecracker Grilled Salmon Recipe

A marinade of soy sauce, balsamic, ginger, and red pepper give this salmon dish its namesake pop.

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Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Mango Kiwi Salsa

Credit: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Mango Kiwi Salsa Recipe

The smoky Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon stands up nicely to the spicy sweetness of the tropical Mango Kiwi Salsa.

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Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous

Credit: Mary Britton Senseney/Wonderful Machine and Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous Recipe

Fire up the grill for dinner tonight. Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous offers the perfect pairing for a hassle-free, great-tasting weeknight meal.

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Grilled Salmon Kabobs

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Grilled Salmon Kabobs Recipe

Spice-crusted salmon teams up with the smoky crunch of grilled cucumbers. (If you think cukes are best saved for gazpacho and tea sandwiches, you're in for a delicious surprise.)

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Grilled Salmon Club

Credit: Yaso + Junko

Grilled Salmon Club Recipe

A grilled salmon sandwich? You heard it right! Discover a delicious new way to eat your favorite grilled fish.

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Taku Lodge Basted Grilled Salmon

Credit: James Carrier

Taku Lodge Basted Grilled Salmon Recipe

Most grilled fish recipes call for placing salmon skin side down. But here, placing the fillet skinned side down results in dramatic grill lines and a delicious char. Be sure the grill is well cleaned and well oiled before placing the salmon on top to prevent the fillets from sticking as you flip.

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Grilled King Salmon with Tomato-Peach Salsa

Credit: John Autry; Food Styling: Charlotte Autry; Prop Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Grilled King Salmon with Tomato-Peach Salsa Recipe

King (also called chinook) salmon is the best quality and works well in this dish, though sockeye works.

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Grilled Salmon with Yogurt-Mint Sauce

Grilled Salmon with Yogurt-Mint Sauce Recipe

Discover a delicious new way to eat grilled salmon with this easy dill sauce.

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Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce Recipe

This five-star recipe credits its standings to an enticingly rich sauce featuring sprigs of fresh dill and crisp cucumber. The sauce's flavor pairs well with heart-healthy salmon.

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Grilled Salmon with Charmoula

Credit: Lisa Romerein

Grilled Salmon with Charmoula Recipe

Charmoula is a Moroccan seasoning blend featuring warm spices like cumin and paprika teamed up with the bright, tangy flavors of cilantro and lemon. It complements the richness of salmon very well and smells wonderful while grilling.

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Smoked Salmon

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro

Smoked Salmon Recipe

If you've never attempted home-smoked salmon before, you're in for a treat. Hot-smoked in just 25 minutes, this is not the lox-style smoked salmon that you put on a bagel, but rather a succulent piece of fish infused with the scent of hickory. It also gets an extra boost from soaking in a brine of salt, sugar, dill, and soy sauce, which moistens and flavors the fish from the inside out.

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Grilled Salmon Avocado Pitas

Credit: Greg DuPree

Grilled Salmon Avocado Pitas Recipe

Avocado adds a rich flavor while wasabi mayonnaise kicks up the heat in this easy-to-prepare dish. Pile on pieces of grilled salmon and stuff into a pita pocket for a quick meal that is sure to be a family favorite.

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Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon

Credit: Howard L. Puckett; Melanie J. Clarke

Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon Recipe

Beef pastrami's assertive spices, such as coriander, allspice, and cracked black peppercorns, work surprisingly well with buttery, full-flavored salmon. For a memorable dinner, serve it with classic pastrami accompaniments, like a moist rye bread and cabbage salad or sauerkraut.

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Yankee Creek Ranch Salmon

Yankee Creek Ranch Salmon Recipe

This recipe proves that rules are meant to be broken. Although the rule of thumb is to pair fish with white wine, robust salmon pairs beautifully with a red wine-butter sauce. And while chopped beet may seem like an unusual ingredient, it gives the sauce an earthy sweetness and enhances the wine's brilliant red color.

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Grilled Salmon with Charred Tomato Salsa

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro

Grilled Salmon with Charred Tomato Salsa Recipe

Roasting poblanos and jalapeño peppers under the broiler gives this tomato salsa a wonderfully smoky kick. The salsa is a delicious, summery accompaniment to salmon, but you may want to make extra–it's equally tasty as a dip for chips or as an ingredient in a cheesy quesadilla.

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Gingery Salmon with Peaches

Credit: Anna Williams; Styling: Anna Last

Gingery Salmon with Peaches Recipe

Simple grilled salmon gets a flavor lift from sweet, juicy peaches, aromatic red onions, and hot ginger. Prepare the light vinaigrette while the fish is on the grill to have the whole meal on the table in less than 15 minutes.

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Fresh Salmon Burgers

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Fonda Shaia

Fresh Salmon Burgers Recipe

Take a break from your traditional beef burgers with this healthy option. This flaky salmon patty placed between slices of warm, crusty Lemon-scented Challah Buns is perfection on a plate.

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Salmon Skewers with Lemon-Parsley Pesto

Credit: Douglas Merriam

Salmon Skewers with Lemon-Parsley Pesto Recipe

When threaded onto skewers, salmon suddenly morphs from a dependable dinner solution into a snazzy main dish that cooks in minutes. With a parsley-caper pesto for dipping, these savory morsels won't last long once guests arrive.

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Salmon with Nectarine Salsa

Salmon with Nectarine Salsa Recipe

This sweet and tangy nectarine salsa is the perfect complement to the quick-grilled salmon. This simple dish is chock-full of nutrient-rich superfoods like salmon, bell pepper, nectarines, olive oil, and fresh herbs.

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Grilled Salmon with Blackberry-Cabernet Coulis

Credit: James Carrier

Grilled Salmon with Blackberry-Cabernet Coulis Recipe

When summer bounty is at its peak, combine fresh blackberries and salmon for a dish that is the perfect balance of savory and sweet.

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Salmon, Meet Grill

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Grilled Salmon with White Bean and Arugula Salad

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Smoked Salmon, Barbecue University-Style

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Salmon with Walnut-Avocado Guacamole

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Sesame Cabbage Salad with Grilled Salmon

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Pink Salmon with Smoky Herb Rub

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Grilled Salmon with Caramelized Lemons

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Grilled Salmon with Sumac Oil and Green Onion Yogurt

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Maple Grilled Salmon

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Grilled King Salmon with Asparagus, Morels, and Leeks

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Brown Sugar-Grilled Salmon with Zucchini and Fennel "Noodles"

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Firecracker Grilled Salmon

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Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon with Mango Kiwi Salsa

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Grilled Salmon and Brown Butter Couscous

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Grilled Salmon Kabobs

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Grilled Salmon Club

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Taku Lodge Basted Grilled Salmon

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Grilled King Salmon with Tomato-Peach Salsa

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Grilled Salmon with Yogurt-Mint Sauce

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Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

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Grilled Salmon with Charmoula

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Smoked Salmon

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Grilled Salmon Avocado Pitas

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Grilled Pastrami-Style Salmon

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Yankee Creek Ranch Salmon

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Grilled Salmon with Charred Tomato Salsa

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Gingery Salmon with Peaches

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