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This Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon recipe uses our homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning for a bright and elegant flavor. Grill it hot and fast for an incredible weeknight grilled salmon recipe ready in less than 30 minutes. We also love this seasoning on our Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings.
Salmon is on weekly rotation at my. house. The flavor is rich, and there are many ways to elevate it. Whether it’s a Blackened Salmon recipe, or using our Homemade Salmon Seasoning. But Lemon Pepper Salmon is one of our favorites because of how bright and light the flavor is.
Table of Contents
Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon Ingredients + Substitutions
The full portions are in the recipe card.
- Salmon – You can use any salmon you like, we prefer King Salmon (Chinook) for the best results. For grilled salmon, we prefer larger cuts or fattier salmon. If you use a leaner variety of salmon, like this smoked Sockeye Salmon recipe, they tend to grill much faster due to their thinner size.
- Binder – We use olive oil to help the seasoning stick to the salmon and to make sure the salmon does not stick to your grill grates while it’s grilling.
- Seasoning – You can purchase a lemon pepper seasoning or make your own. Ours uses an oven to dry lemon peel for a savory and flavorful lemon pepper seasoning.
Preparation
Be sure to remove any pin bones from the salmon using good tweezers or a pin bone tool. Thin tweezers won’t grip enough, so be sure to have thick tweezers.
How to Make Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon
Recommended Tool: Fish Spatula – The thinner fish spatula makes flipping salmon on a grill or in a pan easier and prevents it from breaking.
- Prepare your grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees Fahrenheit in the grill chamber. Place your seasoned salmon over direct heat flesh side down first.
- Grill the salmon over direct heat for 6 minutes or until you see grill marks form. Gently flip the salmon using a fish spatula and continue to grill skin side down for an additional 10 – 11 minutes until the internal temperature of your salmon is 135 degrees Fahrenheit (for medium rare) using a good instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the salmon from the grill, squeeze lemon juice over the salmon, and allow to rest for 10 minutes and then serve with your favorite sides.
As a way to add flavor, we juice Grilled Lemon over the top of the lemon pepper salmon after it’s off the grill. You can use regular lemon too.
Pitmaster Tip
Be sure your grill grates are clean before grilling the salmon. A dirty grill grate will cause the salmon to stick and fall apart when you grill it. After lighting your grill and cleaning it, add another coat of oil using a paper towel. Then add your salmon.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Add any freshly squeezed lemon juice after you have cooked the salmon.
We prefer not to use foil when grilling salmon so we get more natural grill marks and flavor from the Maillard reaction. The foil also tends to stick or cause fish to stick to it. You are better off making sure grill grates are clean and well-oiled versus using foil.
Grill your lemon pepper salmon to the proper internal temperature. We prefer medium rare, which is typically ready after 15 minutes on the grill after flipping it once.
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What To Make With This Dish
Potatoes: For an easy side dish recipe, make our Crispy Roasted Potatoes which are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Or try our Duck Fat Potatoes.
Risotto: For something more elevated consider our Prosecco Risotto or Wild Mushroom Risotto.
Wine Pairing
Anytime we make salmon the number one wine we recommend is a Pinot Noir. The earthy flavor is a perfect balance for the rich flavors of salmon. With Lemon Pepper Salmon, the citrus notes from the lemon pair well with an unoaked Chardonnay.
More seafood recipes
Seafood Recipes
Grilled Halibut with White Wine, Butter, and Caper Sauce
Seafood Recipes
BBQ Oysters with Melted Seasoned Butter
Rubs and Seasoning Recipes
Ultimate Salmon Seasoning
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Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon
Equipment
- 1 Pin bone tweezers
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds salmon steaks
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat Grill: Prepare your grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees Fahrenheit in the grill chamber.
- Season Salmon: Coat each salmon steak with olive oil, then season the salmon on all sides with the lemon pepper seasoning.
- Grill Direct: Place the salmon steaks over direct heat, flesh side down, first. Grill over direct heat for 6 minutes or until you see grill marks form. Gently flip the salmon using a fish spatula and continue to grill, skin side down, for an additional 10 – 11 minutes until the internal temperature of your salmon is 135 degrees Fahrenheit (for medium rare) using a good instant-read thermometer.
- Serve: Remove the salmon from the grill, squeeze lemon juice over the top, and allow to rest for 10 minutes and then serve with your favorite sides.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Such a great weekday salmon recipe. Another great topping idea is fresh dill or tarragon. Just chop fresh herbs up and sprinkle over the salmon after it’s done.