Sweet and Smoky Grilled Salmon

by Jamie
A piece of grilled salmon
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 This Sweet and Smoky Grilled Salmon is one for the books. Nothing beats grilling with charcoal! This salmon marinade is sweet and spicy, offering the perfect flavors to match the smokiness from the grill. This marinade would work well with chicken or pork as well!

The Very Best Grilled Salmon

I love salmon. Grill it, smoke it, bake it, sauté it. There are countless ways to prepare this fish favorite, ranging from complex to wildly easy. This one falls right in the middle of the spectrum.
 
This recipe hails from my Dad, who is a fabulous cook, grill master, and baker. His recipes typically include “a little bit of this and a little bit of that”. Particularly when it comes to a recipe like this, he’s difficult to pin down when it comes to ingredient amounts. However, I was able to coax the recipe out of him recently (ahem, inserting myself into every step of his recipe, eyeballing or measuring every single item used). 
 
Read on to learn more about my Dad’s famous Smoky and Sweet Grilled Salmon.
A plate filled with grilled salmon and salad

Grilling With Dad

One thing I’m a firm believer in when it comes to salmon (or any self-respecting recipe) is that it always includes copious amounts of garlic. Much like all my favorite savory recipes.
 
The funny thing about this recipe, is that it’s not exactly a “recipe“. This one I attribute to my dad, who begrudgingly agreed to help me make one of his famous preparation techniques into an actual recipe. See, normally my father’s recipes go a little something like this:
 
  • A good amount of this
  • A smaller amount of that
  • A splash of A
  • A few dashes of B
  • Oh, and don’t forget the hot sauce!
He’s the kind of cook that doesn’t keep track of amounts, who learns by trial and error, and surely never writes down what he’s doing. Which truly, I can’t complain about. Because before I started his blog, that’s exactly how I also cooked. I guess he taught me well!
 
Luckily, during a weekend at the cabin, he agreed to finally “formally” create a recipe with me. Whenever we grill together, I always ask questions, inquiring about which secret ingredients he’s sneaking in, assuming I surely won’t already have them on hand. Every time though, I’m surprised by how simple the ingredients are that he uses. 
A filet of salmon on white paper with a brush and bowl of sauce

How To Make Smoky and Sweet Grilled Salmon

The trick is all in the amount of each ingredient that you use. While writing down exact amounts was somewhat painstaking, this recipe serves as a guide for you to tweak and adjust to your and your family’s liking. 

The ingredients include:

  1. Lemon
  2. Garlic
  3. Butter
  4. Soy
  5. Brown Sugar

The ingredients are combined over heat (or in the microwave for ease!) and brushed over the salmon while it’s on a charcoal grill.

Two filets of salmon on a charcoal grill being brushed with sauce

How To Grill Salmon

  1. First, get those coals moving. Using either a chimney starter or an electric starter, get the charcoal lit. Whatever you do, do not use lighter fluid!
  2. Once your coals are lit, bank them to one side of your grill. Replace the grill grates to get them nice and heated, and you’re ready to go.
  3. Top the coals with the wood chips (drain them first!), and let the smoky games begin…
  4. Cook salmon for about 20 minutes, checking as you go, until the fish juuuuust flakes.
  5. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: DO NOT OVERCOOK YOUR FISH PLEASE. It is done when it just starts to flake.
  6. Stand back, and admire your work (or wait for photo to be taken).

Not shown: happy hour cocktails and light nibbles (a requirement at the Plant Family Cabin, while the grill is fired up) and Merle Haggard blasting from the outdoor speakers.

Charcoal being banked on the side of a charcoal grill
A cup filled with wood chips being soaked in water

Fire Up The Grill!

Do yourself a favor: don’t limit your grilling to a certain time of year. Find new and inventive ways to use your grill all year long! You won’t regret it.

A piece of grilled salmon

Tried this recipe and loved it? Use the hashtag #sohappyyoulikedit and tag @sohappyyoulikedit on social media so I can see your creations!

Let’s be friends! Find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel!

A piece of grilled salmon
Print Recipe

Sweet and Smoky Grilled Salmon

This Sweet and Smoky Grilled Salmon is one for the books. Nothing beats grilling with charcoal! This salmon marinade is sweet and spicy, offering the perfect flavors to match the smokiness from the grill. This marinade would work well with chicken or pork as well!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lb wild caught salmon
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp garlic
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce or aminos
  • 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

  • Prepare your charcoal grill: light charcoal briquettes with a charcoal starter or charcoal chimney. At all costs - don't use lighter fluid! Charcoal will be ready when it starts to turn ashy gray. Bank prepared coals to one side of the grill to cook the salmon indirect.
  • Meanwhile, get your wood chips soaking. Use whatever flavor you like, though I prefer something lighter like Apple or Cherry wood when grilling salmon. Soak chips for at least 30 minutes.
  • Oil grill grates. Lightly salt and pepper the salmon filet. Add salmon to grill.
  • In a small dish (or coffee cup!) microwave butter, garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar.
  • Cook until fish is still tender, about 20 minutes. When fish is ready, brush on sauce. Salmon is ready when it lightly flakes.
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