Ginger, fish sauce, and honey combine to create a delicious basting sauce in this easy grilled salmon recipe. If you don’t have Thai red chiles, use a green or red jalapeño instead. Not only is this salmon dish delicious, but it also takes just 25 minutes to prepare, making it the ideal centerpiece for a healthy weeknight dinner.
Grilled Salmon With Cilantro-Ginger Sauce
Active Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 25 minutesServes 1
For the Cilantro-Ginger Sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced seeded Thai red chile (about 1 large) or jalapeño pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 medium clove garlic, mashed into paste
For the Salmon
- 1 pound skin-on salmon fillet (about 2-inches thick), cut into 4 portions
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
To prepare sauce: Whisk oil, lime juice, cilantro, fish sauce, chile (or jalapeño), ginger, honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the sauce in a separate small bowl to use for basting.
To prepare salmon: Preheat grill to medium-high. Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Rub oil all over the salmon. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and salt. Place the salmon on the grill, skin-side up. Grill until the salmon lifts from the grates without sticking, about 6 minutes. Carefully flip the salmon and brush with the reserved 1 tablespoon sauce. Cook until the salmon lifts from the grates without sticking and flakes with a fork, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve with the remaining sauce.
Recipe Tip
Clean the grill rack well before grilling to prevent fish fillets from sticking. To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
Recipe nutrition per serving: 204 Calories, Total Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 53 mg, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Fiber: 0 g, Total Sugars: 2 g, Added Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 23 g, Sodium: 320 mg, Potassium: 437 mg, Iron: 1 mg, Folate: 14 mcg, Calcium: 48 mg, Vitamin A: 192 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD
