Lemon Salmon

Grilled lemon salmon is quick and easy to prep and full of zippy, bright flavor from the buttery lemon juice, zest, and minced garlic marinade.

Why this recipe works

We can’t get enough of flakey, tender salmon. This classic lemon salmon recipe is first sprinkled with garlic salt and lemon pepper, then marinated in a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic.

Lemon is by far the most popular flavor to pair with salmon. It’s bold, fresh, and bright which compliments the fish’s natural flavor extremely well. If you’d like to go the extra ten yards, try our rich lemon cream sauce from our baked salmon recipe to top it all off.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

SALMON – We used two center cut filets, however, this will feed four people. To have nice individual filets, cut the raw salmon in half first so that you have 4 filets. Cutting already cooked salmon is possible but does not produce a clean line as the fish will be flaky.

MARINADE – The brown sugar will help tame the acidity in the lemon juice and zest. Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not the bottled variety.

How to Make Lemon Salmon

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Mix garlic salt and lemon pepper together and sprinkle on salmon filets.
2. Melt butter. Mix melted butter with brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic to make the marinade. Spoon over seasoned filets and allow to sit for a few minutes.
3. Place remaining marinade into a plastic zipper gallon bag or a glass baking dish.
4. Add salmon filets to bag or dish and turn to coat. Allow to marinate for 1 hour.
5. Preheat grill to 400 F.
6. Remove filets from marinade and set aside. Do not discard marinade.
7. Add marinade from the bag/dish to a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch to the marinade in the saucepan and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Just enough to warm it through.
8. Place filets on grill flesh side down, skin side up. Cook for 15 minutes then turn over, skin side down and brush with remaining marinade. Cook another 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Garlic lemon salmon can be served with a side of rice, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus, roasted carrots, or a dinner salad.

More Salmon Recipes

• Salmon Tacos
• Grilled Salmon
• Maple Soy Salmon
• Cedar Plank Salmon
• Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner
• Dijon Lemon Caper Salmon
• Instant Pot Salmon

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Lemon Salmon

Our classic lemon salmon recipe is first sprinkled with garlic salt and lemon pepper, then marinated in a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic.

5 from 5 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

40 minutes mins

Calories: 301

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ pounds center cut salmon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons lemon pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cornstarch

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Chef’s knife
• ▢
  Cutting board
• ▢
  Pastry brush

Before You Begin

• Start salmon flesh side down first. If you start with the skin side down, the fish will begin to cook and become flaky. Therefore when you flip it, the flesh will already be partially cooked and will fall apart on the grill grates.
• We used two center cut filets, however, this will feed four people. To have nice individual filets, cut the raw salmon in half first so that you have 4 filets. Cutting already cooked salmon is possible but does not produce a clean line as the fish will be flaky.

Instructions

• Mix garlic salt and lemon pepper together and sprinkle on salmon filets.
• Melt butter. Mix melted butter with brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic to make the marinade. Spoon over seasoned filets and allow to sit for a few minutes.
• Place remaining marinade into a plastic zipper gallon bag or a glass baking dish.
• Add salmon filets to bag or dish and turn to coat. Allow to marinate for 1 hour.
• Preheat grill to 400 F.
• Remove filets from marinade and set aside. Do not discard marinade.
• Add marinade from the bag/dish to a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch to the marinade in the saucepan and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Just enough to warm it through.
• Place filets on grill flesh side down, skin side up. Cook for 15 minutes then turn over, skin side down and brush with remaining marinade. Cook another 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1filet | Calories: 301cal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 858mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

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