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Close up of the grill marks on a grilled salmon fillet.

The Easiest Spicy Lime Grilled Salmon

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Seafood
  • Cuisine: American

Description

An easy weeknight salmon recipe with just a few ingredients!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lime
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5 lbs. Wild Alaskan Salmon (I used sockeye salmon!)
  • (optional) extra lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Use a microplane to zest the lime and toss the zest into a small mixing bowl.
  2. Juice the lime, adding the lime juice to the lime zest.
  3. Add olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to lime juice and whisk to combine.
  4. Lay salmon in a small baking dish (I like to use a glass container with an airtight lid) and pour the marinade over the fish. Turn the salmon to coat and make sure it's covered in marinade. If you have skin on the salmon, place the filet skin side up so that the marinade can soak in.
  5. Cover salmon with the airtight lid and store in the fridge for thirty minutes to an hour or until you're ready to eat.
  6. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat until it's piping hot (you could also use your outdoor grill). Use a heat-resistant pastry brush to brush olive oil over the grill grates to prevent the fish from sticking.
  7. Remove fish from marinade and place it on the hot grill pan. Let it cook - without touching it! - for 5-7 minutes (see recipe notes) until salmon has lightened in color. Use a thin spatula to pick up the fish and flip it over on the grill. (If you've oiled your grill, the salmon shouldn't stick too much once those nice grill marks have developed). Cook for another 5-7 minutes until fish is cooked to your desired level of doneness.
  8. Remove salmon from the grill and serve immediately with extra lime wedges (optional). You could also add an extra sprinkle of flaky salt or red pepper flakes to the fish if you like.

Notes

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your fillet - look for a piece of salmon that's uniform in thickness to help it cook evenly, and don't be afraid to cut into the fillet to take a peek at the fish! If you are cooking your salmon in small portions as opposed to one large fillet, you may want to decrease the cooking time.

This marinade is also great on shrimp and chicken!

Taste the marinade before you add too much salt here - soy sauce and salmon are naturally a bit salty, so taste and add seasoning as necessary!

Don't be alarmed if your salmon lightens in color a bit after you've let it soak in the marinade - that's just the acidity of the marinade at work!

You could also marinate the salmon in a large ziploc bag if you like, or use plastic wrap to cover the baking dish if you don't have a lid.

No grill? Roast the salmon in a 400 degree F oven for 12-15 minutes or until it's cooked to your desired level of doneness.

I choose Wild Alaskan Salmon because it supports family fishermen and comes from a sustainably-managed fishery.

For a spicier salmon, add more red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to your marinade (I like Sriracha). For a milder flavor, use fewer red pepper flakes.

Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to your marinade for a hint of sweetness if you like.

I don't like to marinate my salmon much longer than an hour, because I like to let the natural flavor of the fish shine through. If you'd like to make a component of this dish ahead of time, you can mix the marinade and store it in the fridge on its own until you're almost ready to cook the salmon.