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The Best Grilled Salmon

Grilled salmon with crispy skin and tender, flaky flesh using a quick garlic-dijon lemon marinade. Fire up medium-high heat, grill skin-side down without moving, then flip briefly for doneness.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
marinating 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 460
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon and marinade
  • 4 salmon fillets skin-on
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 fresh dill for serving
  • 1 lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Brush salmon fillets with the marinade, keeping the coating on the skin side, then let sit for 15 minutes to marinate.
Grill the salmon
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates well.
  2. Place salmon fillets on the grill skin-side down.
  3. Grill 6-8 minutes skin-side down without moving, until the skin is crisp and grill marks form.
  4. Carefully flip the salmon and grill 2-3 minutes until cooked to desired doneness.
Serve
  1. Serve grilled salmon with fresh dill and lemon wedges.

Notes

For the crispiest skin, start with a hot grill and resist flipping during the first 6-8 minutes. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently so the flesh stays tender. Freezing isn’t recommended because the texture can soften. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-salt Dijon and season with a lighter hand on salt.