Salmon is another superfood that we can all feel good about, but to get the health benefits you need to look for wild caught (not farmed) salmon at your grocery store. Wild caught salmon has a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, which has a myriad of health benefits including improving bone health, boosting brain function, and giving a boost in antioxidants. I think we could all use more of these benefits in our life, am I right?
I try to keep wild caught frozen salmon in my freezer as a back-up for quick week-night healthy dinners, as I can defrost the salmon filets during the day and it will be ready to go by dinner time. Of course, finding fresh Wild Caught Salmon is always my first choice.
The unsung hero of grilled salmon is cooking over Kingsford Charcoal. Why? The unmistakable flavor of Kingsford Charcoal adds so much depth of flavor to the salmon that they would feel naked without this powerful secret ingredient. Luckily, this added boost of flavor can easily be achieved by cooking these salmon filets over Kingsford charcoal!
Note, if you have a gas grill did you know you can still add smoke flavor to foods by creating a foil packet with a few Kingsford briquettes? Yep, it’s that easy! Create a foil tray with some aluminum foil and light the briquettes and let them burn while you grill the fish on your gas grill. Place them very close to the filets so you can get the smoke flavor in them. Voila! Kingsford Smoke Flavor on a Gas Grill!
I pair these salmon filets with a cherry glaze that is so good it can also be used on your other recipes such as pork chops or duck. Save this recipe for using this sauce elsewhere.
Kingsford Charcoal and My White Weber Kettle- the dynamic duo!
The sauce only requires four ingredients and adds a ton of flavor as well as a nice pop of color to your plate. Look for low sugar cherry preserves if you can find it. When serving the sauce, add additional sprigs of thyme for flavor as well as presentation when you go to plate the salmon.
And there you have it, Grilled Salmon that is perfect for date night at home or even a healthy weeknight meal.
One last thing- people often wonder what the correct internal temperature is to cook Salmon? Well- Any fish needs to get to 145 internal degrees. I recommend using an internal read thermometer like the Thermapen so there is no guesswork involved- it will tell you in 3 seconds!
The other question people often ask is “how long to cook salmon?” For a hot grill that is rolling about 350-400 degrees, salmon will not cook more than 15 minutes, 20 minutes max. Keep your Thermapen handy and pull your salmon off the grill as soon as you’ve hit that internal temp to ensure you don’t over cook it.
Don’t forget to save this recipe so you can make this sauce for other proteins like duck or pork- (and here is my Chinese 5 Spice Duck recipe) because it’s a winner!
Note: this recipe was developed in conjunction with my friends at Kingsford Charcoal. I only work with brands I recommend and endorse.
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Grilled Salmon with Cherry Thyme Glaze
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Everyone needs a good Grilled Salmon recipe in their repertoire and here you have it! Grilled Salmon with a cherry thyme glaze is an easy way to get your superfoods in a delicious way, with the added bonus of the cherry thyme glaze equally pairing well with duck and pork.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 4 wild caught salmon filets
- Dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cherry Thyme Glaze
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 (18 oz) jar cherry preserves
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 large bunch thyme
Instructions
Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the shallots until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add preserves and red wine and bring to a low boil to allow the sauce to reduce, let simmer for about 30 minutes until it has reduced in size by half. While making the sauce, start your grill.
Prepare your grill for direct heat, 350 degrees. Use a cast iron pan or griddle for the fish so it doesn’t stick to the grates. Butter the grill pan and add the filets. Cook until the internal temp has reached 145 internal degrees with an internal read thermometer- this should take no longer than 15 minutes minutes (20 minutes max), varying by the thickness of the salmon.
Generously spoon the cherry glaze over the salmon filets and garnish with additional thyme. Serve immediately.
Notes
this recipe was developed in partnership with Kingsford Charcoal, I only work with companies I recommend and endorse.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Grilled Salmon, Salmon Recipes
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American, Grilled Sea
Want to try some of my other salmon recipes? I got you covered!
