Chili-Lime Grilled Salmon

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 salmon fillets, SKIN ON (or 1 large fillet cut into 2-inch pieces)

  • neutral, high smoking point such as vegetable oil or grape seed oil for grilling

Marinade

  • ¼ cup lime juice

  • zest from one lime

  • 2 tablespoon honey

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 1/2 tsp EACH salt, ground cumin

  • 1 tsp EACH smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano

  • ½-1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cilantro Lime Butter

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 ½ tablespoons Reserved Marinade (in directions)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, packed

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

 
 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Remove 1 ½ tablespoons marinade and transfer it to a small, microwave safe bowl to use later in the Cilantro Lime Butter; set aside.

  2. Line the salmon fillets skin side down in a 9×13 baking dish, or a dish that fits them snuggly together. Pour the remaining marinade evenly over the top of the salmon. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Prep and refrigerate your salsa, if using, while the fish marinates.

  3. After 30 minutes, heat the grill with the lid closed to 450°F-500°F. Clean grill thoroughly with a grill brush. Once grill has reached temperature, generously grease the grill by holding tongs greased with vegetable oil or grape seed oil.

  4. Remove the salmon one by one from the marinade and drizzle and rub vegetable oil or grape seed oil over the skin. Place salmon skin side DOWN, flesh side up. Grill for 4-5 minutes, uncovered, without touching, until the salmon easily releases from the grill when you check a corner with a fish spatula.

  5. Using tongs and a fish spatula carefully turn the fish onto the other side, so that the flesh side is down, the skin side is up. Grill for another 2-3 minutes depending on thickness, until the fish reaches 125-130 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Remove the salmon from the grill and tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes before servings. Meanwhile make the Cilantro Lime Butter if using:

  6. Add butter to the reserved 1 ½ tablespoons marinade in the microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds then at 10 second intervals until melted. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Brush salmon with butter and serve extra on the side. Top fish with avocado corn salsa, corn salsa, mango salsa, or pineapple salsa and dig in!