Description
This Marinated Grilled Salmon recipe features tender salmon fillets infused with a flavorful soy, honey, and garlic marinade, perfectly grilled to medium rare or medium doneness. The marinade doubles as a glaze and sauce, creating a deliciously sticky and caramelized finish, making it an elegant yet simple main course ideal for a quick weeknight dinner or weekend BBQ.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon
- 4 salmon fillets, skin on (150-180g/5-6oz each)
- Olive oil, for cooking
Marinade (Sauce)
- 1/3 cup (85 ml) soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Serving (Optional)
- Parsley, chives, or green onion, finely chopped
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Prepare Marinade: In a ziplock bag, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and minced garlic. Mix well to blend all ingredients thoroughly.
- Marinate Salmon: Add salmon fillets to the marinade bag, pressing gently to coat each fillet evenly. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 3 hours up to 24 hours, with a minimum of 1 hour for best flavor penetration. Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking to come to room temperature.
- Drain and Prepare Sauce: Remove salmon from marinade and allow excess marinade to drain off. Pour remaining marinade into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes thick and syrupy. Transfer half to a bowl for basting and serving.
- Preheat BBQ Grill: Brush BBQ grills with olive oil and preheat to medium heat. For stronger BBQs, consider medium-low heat to prevent burning.
- Grill Salmon: Drizzle salmon fillets with olive oil and place them on the grill flesh side down (skin side up). Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden on the flesh side.
- Flip and Baste: Carefully turn salmon with tongs, brush the flesh side with the reserved sauce, then close the BBQ lid. Continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes, basting halfway through. Cook until internal temperature reaches 50°C (120°F) for medium rare or 55°C (130°F) for medium.
- Serve: Transfer salmon to a serving plate and drizzle with remaining sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley, chives, or green onions and lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Use skin-on salmon fillets for easier handling and to help the fish hold together while grilling. Make sure the skin is descaled and bones removed by your fishmonger.
- Substitute soy sauce with light or all-purpose soy sauce, preferably low sodium. Avoid dark or sweet soy sauce to maintain balance.
- For lemon juice, alternatives include cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or 1.5 tbsp any plain vinegar like balsamic or red wine vinegar.
- Honey can be replaced with maple syrup, other sweet liquids, or 2.5 tbsp brown sugar.
- Fresh garlic is best, but 2 tsp minced garlic from a jar can be used as a substitute.
- Customize the marinade with chili flakes, hot sauce, ginger, five spice, or sweet chili sauce for extra flavor.
- Cook salmon fillets about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick for approximately 6 minutes total for optimal medium doneness after resting 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Nutrition calculations assume all marinade is consumed, but some will be lost during cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet (approx. 180g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
