Easy Grilled Salmon with BBQ Sauce

This easy grilled salmon with bbq sauce recipe is a snap to fix and is really delicious.  It's a little different twist on how to prepare salmon. Most people don't think of trying barbeque sauce with their salmon, but I think you are going to really like it!

Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity!  Grilled salmon filets are probably my second favorite way to eat fish (first being fried catfish).  Salmon has a very tender texture with a deliciously rich, buttery flavor (see this guide for more information about fish flavors and textures) and is full of health benefits.

Additionally, salmon cooks up faster than other meats (steak or burgers).  Which is great if you are short on time.  So if quick and delicious appeal to you, then you are going to love this easy bbq grilled salmon!

Why We Love This Recipe

This super easy recipe uses store-bought barbeque sauce.  We add our own additional seasonings to boost the flavor.  The bbq sauce I use for this recipe is Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce with Brown Sugar.  I love the flavor Sweet Baby Ray’s gives the salmon.

Ingredients

please scroll down to the printable recipe card for the detailed ingredient list

wild-caught salmon filets (leave the skin on)

Special Sauce:

your favorite BBQ Sauce

lemon juice

lime juice

garlic powder

onion powder

Worcestershire Sauce

Easy Directions

Mix all the ingredients for the special bbq sauce in a medium-sized bowl. 

Preheat your grill to medium heat.  

Use a brush to apply a thick coating of the bbq sauce to each salmon filet.  Note:  Be sure to check your salmon if you use a brush with bristles.  Sometimes the bristles come out and you end up with bristles in your meal.  I hate it when I find bristles in my food!  Use a silicone basting brush as opposed to one with bristles to avoid this problem.  

Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the grill grate then add the filets to the grill.  Close the grill cover.

Cook salmon on your grill at medium heat for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.  For food safety purposes, make sure you grill the salmon to an internal temperature of 145 F.

Remove the filets when they flake easily with a fork.

View my Google Web Story on preparing Easy BBQ Salmon.

Alternative Cooking Method

In case it's cold and rainy outside or you just don't have a grill, here is a grilling alternative. 

• Turn your oven broiler on high heat with the rack in the center.  Place your salmon on a greased baking dish and broil for 4 to 5 minutes.  The method works really well and you may find that you prefer broiling to grilling.  

Frequently Asked Questions and Tips

Low Carb / Keto Version

Simply substitute the Sweet Baby Ray's for any sugar-free bbq sauce.

No Lemon version

So many salmon and other fish recipes call for lemon flavoring.  That's fine unless you're not into lemon flavor or just want to try something different.  For this recipe, you could simply leave out the lemon juice.

Are there any good salmon recipes without lemon?  Well, there are a bunch (including our Grilled Salmon with BBQ Sauce) that are great recipes, but Honey Salmon in Foil is one that is superb.

Side Dishes

You know it really depends on what you are in the mood to eat.  I really like grilled squash and zucchini with grilled salmon, but some mashed potatoes go great, too.

Delish.com put together a list of 30+ side dishes that taste amazing with salmon.  If you are struggling with what to cook with your salmon, check out their post and get some great ideas.

Leaving the Skin Off or On

According to FoodNetwork.com, grilling salmon with the skin on helps hold the salmon together and prevents the salmon from sticking to the grill.  The skin also helps keep the salmon moist during the grilling process.

The salmon skin has some real health benefits including high concentrations of omega 3-fatty acids.  Besides, crispy salmon skin is pretty tasty and has a texture similar to bacon.

Keep in mind that the skin will add a few more calories to your meal.  If you are counting calories (approximately 100 calories), considering passing on eating the skin.  

Salmon Doneness

Cooking salmon (either on the grill or in a pan) can be a little tricky.  It cooks quickly and can easily be overcooked.

However, don’t let that intimidate you.  If you pay attention to what you are doing and keep an eye on your salmon, it’s going to come out great.

The Wild Salmon Company has a great post on how to know when salmon is done.  I learned some really great tips reading their post.    

Marinating Salmon Tip

If you can spare some time, let the raw salmon marinate in the BBQ sauce mixture (covered in the refrigerator) for 30 minutes. This isn’t a must, but more like a little extra flavor booster.

According to mamalovesfood.com, you should marinate for no longer than 30 minutes if your marinade is acid-based.  

For me personally, I tend to stick with marinating for no longer than 30 minutes.  Much longer than that and you run the risk of the salmon becoming mushy.   

Common Mistakes When Cooking Salmon

Grilled salmon is easy, delicious, and healthy; but you do need to be careful to avoid these common mistakes.

• Overcooking
• Undercooking - make sure your salmon has an internal temperature of 145 F.  
• Not removing any pin bones
• Over marinading - marinading for longer than an hour can cause your salmon to be soggy
• Removing the skin - as mentioned above, it is a best practice to leaving the skin on when grilling your salmon.

Reheating Salmon

Like most fish species, salmon doesn't reheat very well.  If you have leftover salmon, my suggestion is to refrigerate it and later add it to a salad.  A great leftover salmon salad recipe can be found on The Healthy Foodie.

Other fish and seafood recipes you may want to check out:

Red Snapper with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup

Easy Cod with Herb Butter

Easy Miso Ginger Salmon

Shrimp and Rice Casserole

If you tried this recipe, leave me a comment and let me know how it turned out!

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Recipe

 

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Thanks for reading!