Lemon Garlic Herb Grilled Salmon

Published June 11, 2018. Updated April 17, 2020

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Grilled Lemon Garlic Salmon has such a bright, fresh flavor and its absolutely perfect for summer! Because hello grilling season. It’s easy to make, and only requires a brief marinating and quick grill time. With flavor like this it will likely become a go-to grilled salmon recipe!

grilled lemon garlic salmon fillets on white platter

Grilled Salmon Fillet

I grill a LOT of food in the summer. Most commonly it’s chicken and salmon so I’m always trying new ways to prep it with different flavors.

The lemon salmon combo is one of my favorites and of course I love the addition of garlic and herbs so here we are with this blend in oh so tasty recipe!

Cooking salmon on the grill takes less than 10 minutes, making it one of the easiest weeknight dinners to make during the warmer months.

ingredients for grilled salmon lemons mustard olive oil honey salt pepper fresh herbs garlic salmon

Lemon Garlic Salmon Ingredients

This lemon herb salmon recipe is super simple to make and requires a handful of ingredients.

  • Salmon fillets
  • Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and parsley)
  • Garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Lemons
  • Dijon mustard
  • Honey
  • Salt and pepper

marinade for lemon garlic herb grilled salmon

How to Grill Lemon Garlic Salmon

First, you’ll whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the salmon fillets in a shallow dish just large enough to fit the salmon then pour marinade over.

Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes carefully turning once halfway through.

Preheat a grill during the last 5 – 10 minutes of salmon marinating. Clean grates and brush with oil then place salmon on grill and cook to your liking. A little bit of the pink in the center is fine if, that’s how you prefer it cooked.

Serve warm garnished with parsley and decorate with mini lemon slices if you’re into that kind of thing.

Are you hungry now?? I know I am and now I need to add them to the menu again next week!

salmon marinating before grilling

How Long to Marinate Salmon

Don’t marinate this lemon garlic salmon longer than 30 minutes since it contains acidic ingredients (i.e. lemon juice and mustard). After that, it will start to alter the texture of the salmon.

How Long to Grill Salmon

This lemon garlic salmon needs to be grilled for about 3 – 5 minutes per side. Note that the salmon grill time will vary based on thickness of fillets and how you like them cooked, a bit of darker pink in the center is fine.

cooking salmon on the grill

Should I Use Skin-On or Skinless Salmon Fillets?

You can grill skin-on or skinless salmon but when I’m marinating I like to skin them so the flavor will soak into both sides. If you grill skin-on, it will actually peel away easily after being cooked so keep that in mind for a different recipe.

If you don’t know how to skin a salmon fillet you can ask your butcher and often they’ll do it for you, if not there are plenty of Youtube videos that show how.

What to Serve with Grilled Salmon

This grilled lemon garlic salmon pairs well with a number of summer side dishes. A few of our favorite salmon side dishes include:

three lemon garlic salmon fillets on white plate

Tips for the Best Grilled Salmon

  • Pick the right salmon. The thinner fillets won’t work well for grilling. Look for a side of salmon or fillets that are at least 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick.
  • Always preheat the grill, don’t start out with a cold grill. I like to use a medium-high heat. Preheating usually takes about 5 – 10 minutes, or more on cold days.
  • Clean grates with a grill cleaning brush, then brush grates lightly with oil (vegetable oil or olive oil) so salmon doesn’t stick.

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Grilled Lemon Garlic Herb Salmon
5 from 3 votes

Lemon Garlic Herb Grilled Salmon

This salmon is marinated in a bright, fresh lemon garlic herb marinade then grilled to perfection. It's such a delicious and refreshing salmon recipe and it's perfect for summer!
Servings: 4
Prep10 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Marinating30 minutes
Ready in: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place salmon in an 11 by 7-inch dish.
  • In a small mixing bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, dijon mustard, honey, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper until well combined.
  • Pour mixture over salmon (lift fillets to help marinade run under) then cover and let marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat during last 10 minutes of salmon marinating.
  • Brush grill grates with oil, spoon some of the herbs onto salmon (or just use your hands to spread them over), remove salmon from marinade and place on grill.
  • Grill about 3 - 5 minutes per side to cook through.
  • Serve warm garnished with more parsley if desired.

Notes

  • *Thinner fillets won't work well for grilling. Look for a side of salmon or fillets that are at least 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick.
  • Always preheat the grill. I like to use a medium-high heat. Preheating usually takes about 5 - 10 minutes, or more on cold days.
  • Recipe source: Cooking Classy
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Garlic Herb Grilled Salmon
Amount Per Serving
Calories 418 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 109mg36%
Sodium 103mg4%
Potassium 1010mg29%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 39g78%
Vitamin A 295IU6%
Vitamin C 11.6mg14%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.