ICONIC SUMMER MEAL: COOKING SALMON STEAKS OVER THE FIRE. I'm not drooling, you're drooling!
Get your fire ready! Cooking Salmon Steaks on a cedar plank over an outdoor fire is one of the ultimate dishes that scream summer nights. The salmon turned out just like smoked salmon, but a whole lot juicier! It's one of those dishes you'll never forget and a must have end-of-summer feast in my coastal household.
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What are Salmon Steaks?
Salmon steaks are thick cross-sectional cuts of the salmon. They're known for their firm texture and versatility in cooking methods like grilling, baking, or pan-searing. They make a beautiful presentation with their skin-on and their u-shape.
They're typically available fresh or frozen but you might want to call and ask around who carries them around you since they can be hard to track down.
Every summer we get on a deep sea charter and get salmon, rockfish, and lingcod.
Not only are we working with extremely fresh salmon, but also fun choosing our own cuts. We went with steaks for one fish, and fillets with the other.
For fillet recipes, we love this easy teriyaki salmon, pesto crusted salmon, and of course, pasta with salmon depending on our mood, we go either creamy salmon pasta or fresh salmon pasta without cream.
While grilling the salmon steaks over the fire is a memorable feast, if you're not up for that kind of adventure, you can grill with wood chips using the same recipe if you'd like.
TO GRILL SALMON STEAKS YOU WILL NEED
- OPEN FIRE / FIREPIT / GRILL.
- GRILL GRID. We use a Weber grill grate similar to this one.
- SALMON STEAKS.
- EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL OR AVOCADO OIL.
- SPICES:
- Garlic powder or fresh garlic
- Onion powder
- Fresh squeezed lemon
- Red pepper flake. These are optional but I find it compliments the smokey flavor to add at least a little kick. I prefer cayenne for more heat, or Aleppo pepper for more depth in flavor.
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Optional topping of finely chopped parsley for color.
HOW TO COOK SALMON STEAKS
Step 1- Preparing salmon steaks
- To start preparing salmon steaks, grab a small bowl and mix the spices all together and set aside.
- Remove the steaks from their packaging and pat dry using a paper towel.
- Squeeze half of the lemon over the top then rub the olive oil on both sides.
- Sprinkle the spices evenly on both sides of the salmon steaks and pat them to work them into the flesh gently. Place them on a sheet pan in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Step 2- Prepare the fire
- Once you're ready to cook the fish, start the fire. Wait to cook them until you have a good burn going, use fire tongs to carefully place the logs flat in order to place the grill grates on top. We like to either make a square shape or put the logs in a line of some sort.
- You'll want the fire to be stable but not too hot to cook the salmon steaks. Similar to what you roast marshmallows with. Oil the grates if needed prior to placing them over the fire.
Step 3- Cooking salmon steaks
Once you're just about there, remove the salmon from the fridge and let come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes in order to cook evenly.
How long should I cook salmon steaks over the fire?
Place the salmon over the fire and cook evenly on each side, for about 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Cover the fish with a grill top. We used our charcoal grill lid.
Prior to removing from the fire you'll want to check that it's reached at least 145 degrees or it flakes easily. Once it reaches 145F remove immediately and place on a rack or plate up. Squeeze a little lemon and top with finely chopped parsley is optional. Enjoy warm.
EXPERT TIPS
- Choose the right cut. The thicker, the better is the easy answer. The steaks should be about 1.5" thick.
- Prep the grill grates! This might be obvious, but we all need a reminder from time to time, right? Especially when working with fish you want to make sure your grates are clean and oil before heating and cooking this juicy dish!
- Watch the time closely! Over cooking fish happens quickly. Stay close by and test the temperature or use the flake test to check for doneness at 8 minutes.
- Time will vary greatly when grilling! Steaks aren't always cut proportionately, and the fire won't be the same for everyone. I'll say do what you're comfortable with, but again, check the fish at the half way point to avoid overcooking.
SERVING TIPS
With a rustic dish like this, I prefer to have veggies on the side, and a simple carb.
If it's warm out, I tend to stay close to salads. Like a spinach strawberry salad, quinoa salad, fresh Lebanese tabouli salad, or this Mediterranean pickled beet salad.
My favorite drinks to pair alongside, a crisp white wine, a citrusy beer, or a fresh mixed drink, like a blueberry lemon drop or a mango margarita. Or, go for a healthy mocktail, it's an evening obsession of ours!
STORAGE TIPS
Store any extra grilled salmon (if you're lucky!) for the next day or two. We usually make more than we will eat that night and if I'm lucky and the boys don't eat double the amount, we have them the next day.
FAQ
Clean the grill grates well before heating, then oil the grates well to ensure nothing will stick. You can consider a grill basket or placing the fish on cedar planks which we love doing to keep the fish basting in it's juices. Which is what we all want!
A simple salt and pepper, lemon pepper, old bay, or the trader joe's salmon rub are all good alternatives for the spices I listed.
I asked myself the same thing until I had the patience to wait until the next day. Simple answer, no it's best to thaw salmon steaks completely before grilling in order for them to cook evenly. But I do love a quick healthy dish using frozen fish, like this air fryer frozen fish recipe!
Absolutely. Choose thick cuts, and avoid the tails as they tend to be thinner. With thicker cuts you can grill for longer period of time ensuring you trap in the smoke flavor! Adjust the timing by a minute or so depending on how thick your fillets are.
MORE SALMON RECIPES TO DROOL OVER
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Grilled Salmon Steaks
Equipment
- Grill grate
- Stainless steel flipping spatula
- Large tongs
Ingredients
- 4 salmon steaks
- 1 whole lemon ½ for marinade, ½ for finishing
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preparing The Salmon Steaks
- In a small bowl mix the spices and set aside.
- Remove the steaks from their packaging and pat dry using a paper towel.
- Squeeze half of the lemon over the top then rub the olive oil on both sides.
- Sprinkle the spices evenly on both sides of the salmon steaks and pat them to work them into the flesh gently. Place them on a sheet pan in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the Fire
- Once you're ready to cook them, start the open fire. Once you have a good burn going, use fire tongs to carefully place the logs flat in order to place the grill grates on top. We like to either make a square shape or put the logs in a line of some sort. You'll want the fire to be stable but not too hot for smoking. Similar to what you roast marshmallows with. Oil the grates if needed prior to placing them over the fire.
Cooking Salmon Steaks
- Once you're just about there, remove the salmon from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes so it cooks evenly.
- Place the salmon over the fire and cover with a grill top. We used our charcoal grill lid. Cook evenly on each side for about 4-6 minutes. Prior to removing it from the fire, you'll want to check that it's reached at least 145 degrees. Once it reaches 145F, remove it immediately and place it on a rack or plate. Squeeze a little lemon and top with finely chopped parsley; this is optional. Enjoy warm.
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