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The Best Grilled Salmon

Grilled salmon with crispy skin and tender, flaky flesh using a quick lemon-garlic Dijon marinade. Medium-high heat and an undisturbed first grilling phase deliver strong grill marks and easy doneness control.
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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: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon fillets
  • 4 fillet salmon fillets (6 oz each), skin-on skin-on for crispy skin
Marinade
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste season at the end of mixing
Serving
  • 1 fresh dill and lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until evenly combined and glossy.
Marinate the salmon
  1. Brush the salmon with the marinade, coating the flesh side while keeping the skin ready for crisping.
  2. Let the salmon sit for 15 minutes so the flavors soak in and the surface looks lightly coated.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates well until they look slick.
  2. Place the salmon skin-side down on the grill with grill marks starting to form at the edges.
  3. Grill for 6-8 minutes skin-side down without moving, until the skin is crisp and the flesh looks mostly opaque around the sides.
  4. Carefully flip the salmon and grill for 2-3 minutes until cooked to desired doneness, with the center still tender and flaky.
Serve
  1. Serve the grilled salmon immediately with fresh dill and lemon wedges for bright finishing flavor.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the salmon skin-side down and don’t move it during the 6–8 minute phase—this is what sets the crispy skin and prevents sticking. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently so the flesh stays flaky. Freezing is not ideal for texture. For a dairy-free option, the recipe is already dairy-free; use freshly ground black pepper and add extra lemon if you want a more acid-forward profile.