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This quick and easy grilled salmon marinade is a flavorful and healthy way to enjoy a seafood dinner — with just 5 minutes of prep! The simple, classic combination of lemon, garlic, herbs and olive oil makes this the best salmon marinade for grilling. Pair the fish with a crusty baguette and a Caesar salad for a delicious meal that suits your busy schedule!
Table of Contents
Salmon Marinade Recipe Video
Grilled Salmon Marinade
This easy salmon marinade for grilling is a great way to add tons of flavor to your fish! You’ll love the fresh Mediterranean-inspired combination of lemon, garlic, and herbs. Best of all, it takes about 5 minutes to shake the ingredients together in a jar, then your job is practically done. Let the salmon soak in the marinade, then cook it on the grill for a total of about 8-10 minutes. It’s simple, healthy, and totally satisfying!
While other salmon marinade recipes include heavy ingredients like a lot of sugar and soy sauce, this light, fresh option is brightened up with fresh herbs and fresh lemon juice, and sweetened with just a touch of honey to help with caramelization.
Marinade Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a delicious grilled salmon marinade. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: the base of the marinade.
- Lemon juice and red wine vinegar: the acidic components that tenderize the fish and add a bright, tangy taste.
- Honey: you can substitute with brown sugar if you prefer. This touch of sweetness balances the lemon juice and also helps with the caramelization so that you get a great char on the grill.
- Garlic, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper: all of these ingredients add delicious flavor to the marinade!
How to Make Salmon Marinade
This is about as easy as it gets! I love using a mason jar because it has measurement lines on the side of the jar, so I can avoid washing extra measuring cups.
- Place all of the marinade ingredients in a jar with a lid.
- Give it a good shake until everything is completely combined. Set aside ¼ cup of the marinade to use for basting later.
- Place the salmon in a resealable plastic bag or in a glass dish.
- Pour the remaining marinade over the fish, seal or cover tightly, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the salmon from the large Ziploc bag and discard the marinade.
How Long to Marinate Salmon
Since salmon is naturally very tender, you don’t need to leave the fish in the marinade for very long. I recommend about 30 minutes, and not more than 1 hour. Thanks to the lemon juice and red wine vinegar, this marinade is quite acidic. If left in the marinade for too long, the acid in a marinade can start to “cook” the fish (like ceviche) and may result in a mushy piece of grilled salmon.
Can I reuse marinade that salmon was in?
You’ll want to set aside about ¼ cup of the marinade to use for brushing the fish as it cooks, and then discard the rest of the marinade that the salmon was soaking in. This avoids the risk of consuming any potentially harmful bacteria from the raw fish.
How to Cook Marinated Salmon
Use this salmon marinade for fish on the grill, under the broiler, or baked in the oven! I’ve included detailed directions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- For the Grill: Grill for 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat directly on the grill grates. Brush the salmon with the reserved ¼ cup of marinade a couple of times as the fish cooks.
- For the Broiler: Broil for 5 minutes, flip, and broil for 4-6 more minutes.
- For the Oven: Bake the marinated salmon filets in a 400°F oven for 8-11 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
The lemon, garlic, and herb-infused marinated salmon is delicious with a variety of different sides. Here are a few ideas that pair nicely with the fish:
- Mashed Potatoes, Baked Potatoes or Grilled Potatoes
- Rice Salad with Corn, Bacon and Pimentos or Rice Pilaf
- Garlic Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Southern Succotash or Fried Corn
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Southern Style Green Beans or Green Beans with Brown Butter
- Couscous Salad
- Sauteed Spinach or Sauteed Zucchini
- Roasted Broccoli or Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Sauteed Asparagus or Roasted Asparagus
- Creamed Peas
- 3-Ingredient Roasted Yellow Squash
- Dutch Oven Bread, French Baguette, Garlic Bread, Breadsticks, or Soft Dinner Rolls
- Southern Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, Blueberry Corn Muffins, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Honey Cornbread or Bakery-Style Corn Muffins
- Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon, Drop Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Sour Cream Muffins, or Cheese Biscuits
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Wedge Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, a simple Green Salad, or Caesar Salad
- Beer Bread or Cheddar Chive Beer Bread
Storage
Leftover salmon will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Cooked salmon can also be frozen for four to six months, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Thaw cooked salmon in the refrigerator or immersed in cold water. Use cooked, thawed salmon in salads or as a substitution for canned salmon in casseroles, pasta dishes, sandwiches or wraps.
Recipe Variations
- Use brown sugar instead of honey. If you like a sweet marinade, increase the amount of sweetener to at least 2 tablespoons.
- Try other fresh herbs. Anything goes, so pick your favorites or use what’s available. Swap out the rosemary for thyme, or add chives instead of basil. Dill is also a great companion for salmon.
- Use freshly-squeezed lime juice or orange juice instead of the lemon.
- Add lemon zest for an even stronger lemon flavor.
- Make it spicy with some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- In a pinch, you can substitute dried herbs for the fresh herbs. You’ll need to use less of the dried herbs, so cut it back to about 2 teaspoons of dried basil and 1 teaspoon each of the dried parsley and dried rosemary.
- Scale the recipe to suit the size of your family. If you’re just cooking for two, cut all of the ingredients in half and marinate just 2 pieces of fish. For a large family, double the ingredients and marinate the salmon in two separate bags.
Tips for the Best Salmon Marinade Recipe
- A Ziploc bag is a great way to marinate fish because it doesn’t leak and it keeps the marinade close to the fish on all sides so that the salmon can soak up as much flavor as possible.
- Marinate the salmon for at least 30 minutes so that is has time to soak up all of the delicious flavor, but not more than 1 hour. Marinating for too long can result in a mushy piece of fish.
- Always marinate salmon in the refrigerator so that it stays fresh.
- Use fresh herbs and freshly-squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Keep a close eye on the salmon while it cooks. You’ll know that the fish is done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork. You don’t want to overcook it or the salmon will become dry.
More Salmon Recipes to Try
Orange Salmon {in Less than 20 Minutes!}
17 minutes mins
The Perfect 15-Minute Grilled Salmon
15 minutes mins
4-Ingredient Maple Honey Baked Salmon
33 minutes mins
For even more delicious ideas, check out this convenient collection of 20 of the Best Salmon Recipes!
Salmon Marinade with Lemon, Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 ½ lbs. salmon, cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients (except for the salmon) in a large jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until completely combined (or whisk ingredients together in a small bowl).
- Set aside about ¼ cup of marinade for later.
- Place salmon and remaining marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag or in a glass container. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for about 30 minutes (and not longer than 1 hour).
- Heat the coals or a gas grill to medium heat. Place the marinated salmon on the grill. Cover and grill for 4-5 minutes per side. Brush the salmon with the reserved ¼ cup of marinade a couple of times as the fish cooks. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Video
Notes
- A Ziploc bag is a great way to marinate fish because it doesn’t leak and it keeps the marinade close to the fish on all sides so that the salmon can soak up as much flavor as possible.
- Marinate the salmon for at least 30 minutes so that is has time to soak up all of the delicious flavor, but not more than 1 hour. Marinating for too long can result in a mushy piece of fish.
- Always marinate salmon in the refrigerator so that it stays fresh.
- Use fresh herbs and freshly-squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Keep a close eye on the salmon while it cooks. You’ll know that the fish is done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork. You don’t want to overcook it or the salmon will become dry.
- For the Broiler: Place the marinated salmon on a broiler pan. Put the fish directly under the broiler for 5 minutes. Flip it over and continue to broil for about 4-6 more minutes, or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
- For the Oven: To bake the marinated salmon, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the fish on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. You can put the salmon under the broiler for the final few minutes if you’d like to get the top a bit crispier!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in May, 2017. The photos were updated in April, 2021.
Isn’t this weather the best? I’m loving the spring and summer weather we’ve had lately too! This marinade looks perfect, Blair! I make salmon almost once a week, as my husband and I love it, so I will have to try this. Sounds SO good and so easy to make!
Love this time of year!! And any excuse to grill some salmon is welcome. 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it, Gayle!
I don’t have any problems marinating salmon overnight. But I don’t have anything acidic in my marinade such as lemon or wine.
Totally delish!! I could eat this salmon every day of the week. I live alone so I thought that would be two meals for me. So good I kept on eating, but had to stop before it was all gone. My tummy couldn’t hold any more. Still have yummy bit to mix with eggs in the morning. Haven’t made a marinade in awhile and this was an excellent 1st choice.
I’m so glad to know that you’ve found a keeper, Sue! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
Dinner tomorrow night! It is time to start grilling even with unseasonable cool and wet weather.
That’s wonderful, Linda! Enjoy!
Warm weather makes me soooooo happy! And I’ve been grilling up a storm this spring, but have yet to put salmon on the grill. This marinade sounds like the perfect reason to! 🙂
Best marinade for salmon!!!! Delicious. Would also be goid as a dressing! Thanks.
Awesome! I agree, Nayda! I’ve definitely used it as a salad dressing, too! 🙂
This salmon marinade is so simple and delicious, definitely need to try it on chicken too!
Why not marinade longer than an hour? Is it a health thing or just too lemony if longer??
Hey, Kelsie! The acid in the marinade starts to “cook” the fish if it marinates for too long. The end result would be ceviche! 🙂
Hi, Savannah! Sure! You can marinate the salmon in the same way, and then bake it in the oven at 450 degrees F for 10-12 minutes (or until it flakes easily with a fork). On the stovetop, you can sear the marinated salmon in a skillet. To do so, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place salmon, flesh-side down, in the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and then flip salmon with a spatula. Cook for about 5-6 more minutes, or until skin becomes crispy and fish flakes easily with a fork. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Once you’ve marinated salmon for 30 minutes, do you think you could freeze the fillets for later use?
Hi, Jean! Yes — I think that would probably work well!
My nephews love eating fish so I just made the marinade and will bake the fish once my nephews come back from school. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
That’s wonderful! I hope that the boys enjoy the salmon! 🙂
It turned out great. Thanks.
Wonderful! Thanks, Arum!
I’m wondering , can I substitute lime juice for lemon juice?
Hi Vivienne,
Yes! That’s not a problem at all.
I saw ur recipe and I made it and salmon is at this minute marinadeing now. It sounds soooo goos
Hope you enjoyed it, Mary!
Great marinade, will try on chicken as suggested and maybe on a pork chop as well.
Only issue I have is the 5 minute prep time. I don’t have a sous chef to wash and chop all the ingredients.
Totally happy with the end result!!
Thank you, Michael! 🙂
Hi, I don’t have red wine vinegar. Could you recommend a substitution? Or would it be OK without it?
Hi, Sarah! You could use white vinegar, cider vinegar, champagne vinegar, or even some extra lemon juice. 🙂
loved the zesty salmon!
Thanks, Caroline!
Could you make this and serve it cold?
Hi, Gayle! Yes, if you enjoy chilled salmon, there’s no reason that you couldn’t eat this salmon that way, too. It would be good on top of salad greens, in a wrap, or used in a mayonnaise-based salmon salad (similar to tuna salad).
This salmon dish was so flavorful!! It was a huge hit at my house!!!
Thank you, Tamii! We’re so happy to hear it.
Absolutely Incredible!!
Thank you so much, Leslie!
Perfect mild marinade for a fresh and wild sockeye salmon. It doesn’t overpower the taste of the fresh wild salmon. I always marinate my salmon for only 30 minutes before grilling.
Thank you, Kathy!