grilled whole salmon

Cooking a whole salmon is the most affordable way to get salmon on the table and it is a lot easier than it looks. The overnight brine is optional but will give you a little extra insurance to achieve a moist, tender fish.  It also seasons the fish thoroughly and prevents that white albumin that seeps out of the fish as it cooks.

How to Grill a Whole Salmon

water (see notes)

Kosher salt

brown sugar

salmon (3 to 5 pounds)

olive oil

salt and pepper

red onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

lemons, thinly sliced

lime, thinly sliced

several sprigs of fresh parsley, tarragon, and thyme

butter, softened

garlic cloves,

tarragon (see notes)

lemon

lemon juice

Combine the sugar, salt, and 3 cups of...

Combine the sugar, salt, and 3 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until the salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add a few cups of ice to cool the solution down. Transfer to a container large enough to hold the salmon and pour in the rest of the water. 

Place the salmon in the brine, cover it...

Place the salmon in the brine, cover it and place it in the fridge overnight. (Make sure the brine covers the salmon. If it doesn’t, make some additional brine solution).

Preheat the grill to 400°F.

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Coat...

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Coat the cavity and outside the salmon with olive oil, then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper (make sure you also get inside the cavity). Coating the outside of the salmon will help prevent it from sticking to the grill.

Stuff the cavity with slices of onion, garlic,...

Stuff the cavity with slices of onion, garlic, lemon, lime, and sprigs of the herbs. 

Transfer the salmon directly to the hot grill...

Transfer the salmon directly to the hot grill grates and close the lid. 

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until...

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 130°F (or 122°F for rare salmon, see notes). 

Make the lemon butter while the salmon cooks. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium...

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

Place the salmon on a wide platter or...

Place the salmon on a wide platter or cutting board. Pull back the skin on top of the fish. Once you get it started, it will peel right off. 

Starting at the head end, lift on the...

Starting at the head end, lift on the spine and use a wide spatula to support the flesh on either side of the top fillet as you lift it. The top fillet and the spine will peel right off of the lower fillet. (See the photos above for reference). Next, flip the top fillet over so the spine is on top.

Pull the spine up and away from the...

Pull the spine up and away from the top fillet. Use the spatula to hold the flesh down under the spine. 

Season the salmon with salt and pepper and...

Season the salmon with salt and pepper and serve with the lemon herb butter. 

This beautiful whole salmon is simply stuffed with shallots, fresh lemons, and dill then drizzled with a little butter, salt and pepper before being grilled to perfection.

Grilled Whole Salmon with Lemon and Shallots

salmon

shallots

lemons (divided use)

dill fronds

Tablespoons butter

kosher salt

black pepper

Preheat.

Preheat. Begin by preparing your grill. Set the temperature to about 400-425 degrees over indirect heat and allow your grill to preheat while you prepare the salmon.

Prep the salmon.

Prep the salmon. Wipe the entire exterior and interior cavity of your salmon with paper towels. Season the interior with half of the salt and pepper. Layer in the sliced shallots, 2 of the sliced lemons, and dill fronds.

Season.

Season. Using a sharp knife, cut 3-4 diagonal slices into the top of the salmon. Drizzle the top of the fish with the melted butter and season with the rest of the salt and pepper.

Grill the whole salmon.

Grill the whole salmon. Transfer your fish directly to the grill grates, close the lid and roast for 30 minutes. Cut the last lemon in half and squeeze half of it over the top of the salmon. The time can vary 15 minutes or so in either direction depending on how thick your fish is.

Finish grilling.

Finish grilling. Close the lid and roast for another 15 minutes then squeeze the other half of the lemon over the top. At this point, use an internal thermometer to check the temperature of your salmon. The time to finish the salmon can vary 15 minutes or so in either direction depending on how thick your fish is. From this point on, keep a close eye on the temperature. Salmon is cooked through at 140 degrees F.

Serve immediately.

Serve immediately. When your salmon has hit the proper internal temperature, carefully transfer the fish to your serving platter or cutting board and serve with extra lemon wedges. Peel back the skin along the diagonal slits and allow your guests to serve themselves.

Whole salmon was on sale this week so a quick google lead me to this recipe.  Wow this is super tasty and easy, we will be making it again.  My daughter said it was the best salmon she’s ever had.We served it with spinach cooked with the remaining shallots and with wild rice.  Yum.

Purchased a 4.3 pound Copper River Sockeye and used this recipe to prepare it on a Traeger. Salmon turned out wonderful with great flavor. Only thing I might change next time is to cook to 135 degrees versus the 140 in the recipe. We tend to prefer our salmon a little more medium rare. Just to be clear though, the salmon is not over cooked at 140, it was very good.

Hey this recipe actually works! I caught a 3kg salmon in Australia high country, followed this recipe and cooked on a PK (portable kitchen(R) BBQ) I would have to honestly say that this fish was the best I have ever tasted. And yes I have tasted some damn good fish in my life. 5 stars on your recipe and thanks a ton ????
I used mangrove charcoal and cooked indirectly. 
Used olive oil instead of butter
Also put some parsley in the mix.

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