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Grilled Asian Salmon

Name: Grilled Asian Salmon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American, Asian-American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from half a lemon); 6 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 4 8-ounce salmon fillets

posted by Liz Berg on July 6, 2010 (updated 12/5/23)

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This Grilled Asian Salmon first made its debut in 2010, and it has evolved into my very favorite salmon marinade. With the grilling season in full swing, you’ll definitely want to add this to your menu.

With 5 simple ingredients, you may also decide this is the Best Salmon Marinade you’ve ever tried!

Why You Must Make

I’m not sure there’s much Asian about this recipe besides the soy sauce and garlic, but that’s what my recipe inspiration called it. I’ve tweaked it a bit since its debut, primarily by adding the juice of half a lemon to the marinade. I think that small alteration kicked this up more than a notch.
The marinade is made with common ingredients you may already have at home. You just need to pick up some fresh salmon.
I’ve grilled this on our Weber grill and our Big Green Egg as the smoke from the charcoal gives it another fabulous flavor dimension. But feel free to broil or use your gas grill if you prefer.
If you’re like us and love adding salmon to your dinner menu, it’s always nice to try a new recipe!

This recipe was shared in July of 2010, only months after starting my blog. I revealed how Bill will dust off the snow on the grill and fire it up in January as long as we’re not in the midst of a blizzard. He admitted that he and Nick once brought our Big Green Egg into the house when I was out of town. Apparently, the lid was frozen shut and they needed a burger fix. Sheesh.

Anyway, here is a snippet of this early post (those usually consisted of a LOT of bad photos and a sentence or two!): Each year for our neighborhood 4th of July gathering, we pull our grills into the pea gravel at the foot of our yard. We’ve grilled the typical brats and burgers; but this year, I had gorgeous wild salmon fillets. This super-easy marinade inspired by Ina Garten was incredible. There was not one morsel left of this grilled salmon for the retriever who is always delighted to hoover up any crumbs.

Tips for Grilling Salmon

Choose nice sturdy pieces of salmon from your fishmonger. I go with the center-cut fillets, but salmon steaks (what we used to get in the Pacific Northwest) are excellent, too.
8 ounces per person is a good portion. I often buy 6 ounces for the women and 8 ounces for the men.
Keep the skin on for better stability when grilling.
Set up the grill to have a hot side for searing and a more moderate side to finish cooking. Cook skin side down to keep the top of the salmon pieces from sticking to the grill.
Make sure the grates are clean, then lightly oil. Preheat the grill.
Sear first on the hot side, then move to the cooler side to finish cooking. Follow your specific recipe for cooking details (basting, etc).
120 degrees is medium-rare, my preference. Pull off a few degrees shy of your goal temperature, then cover with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows for some carryover cooking time which can actually overcook the salmon if you pull it off when it’s at your desired end temperature.

You might also enjoy this Cedar Plank Salmon, this Salmon Salade Nicoise, and my Seafood Category for more Easy Salmon Recipes! And if you love an Asian meal, check out how to Hibachi at Home!

Photos circa 2010

The Recipe: