After working as a fishing guide in Alaska, I've eaten my fair share of salmon. This grilled salmon recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare anadromous fish.
It doesn't take long to prepare, and the flavor is just perfect. Pair it up with a tasty salad, and you have a delicious healthy date night dinner that doesn't take long to make.

For this grilled salmon recipe I'm using a few wild sockeye salmon fillets. The flesh of these fillets has great color and is firm to the touch.
Preparing Grilled Salmon
There are just three of us to feed in our family. For this recipe, I'm using four 6 ounce sockeye salmon fillets with the skin still intact. The skin helps act as a heat shield while you're cooking the salmon, allowing the flesh of the fish to cook, and also holding it intact.
There are a few additional ingredients you'll need for this grilled salmon recipe (full details in the recipe card below):
- Salt and Pepper
- Maple Syrup
- Butter
- Dijon
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Worcestershire
In my temperature-controlled smoker, I'm grilling this salmon at 400 degrees. Be sure to clean and then oil your grill grates prior to cooking to keep the salmon from sticking. Place a large cast-iron skillet in the grill while it's heating up.
Season each of the fillets with salt and pepper. Then combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl to make the glaze. Brush each of the salmon fillets with the glaze, and then place directly on the grate of your grill or smoker.
After 10 minutes pour the remainder of your glaze in the now hot cast iron skillet, and carefully place each of the fillets in the skillet flesh side down.
Let them cook an additional 10 minutes. The internal temp of the grilled salmon fillets should be 145 degrees prior to serving.
Date Night Done Right
I served this grilled salmon alongside a tasty cucumber salad, and both of my girls loved everything about this simple date night dinner.
I hope you make this simple grilled salmon recipe for your next date night! You can thank me later.
Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 4-6 ounce salmon fillets
- Salt and Pepper
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 4 Tbsp Butter melted
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- 1. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper on each salmon fillet.
- 2. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and brush the fillets with the glaze.
- 3. Set up your grill or smoker to cook at 400 degrees. Place a cast-iron skillet in the grill while it is heating up.
- 3. Grill the fillets at 400 degrees skin side down directly on the grill grates for 10 minutes.
- 4. Pour the remainder of the glaze in your cast iron skillet, and then carefully place each of the salmon fillets flesh side down in the skillet. Cook for an additional ten minutes.
- 5. The salmon is done when the internal temp of the thickest part of the fillet reaches 145 degrees.
Not much smoking done at 400°!!