Grilled Salmon with BBQ Butter Recipe
15 min
30 min
2
Main Course
American
Taking a bite of this sweet and savory compound butter, melted over freshly seared salmon, is like that first whiff after opening a bag of your favorite BBQ potato chips, in the best possible way. Make a double batch of the butter and keep it in your fridge to melt over corn, steamed beans, or crispy potatoes (how meta is that??)
Ingredients
- 2 (5 to 7 ounce) salmon fillets, pin bones removed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed
- 2 ears of corn, husked
- Steamed green beans and BBQ potato chips for serving
Directions
Prep the grill and salmon
Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (about 425°F). Brush the grill grates clean, then brush with oil. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and let sit while the grill preheats.
Make the BBQ butter
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, sweet and smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Add the butter and stir to combine.
Grill the corn
Brush the corn lightly with oil and add it to the grill. Position the husks away from the flame to avoid burning. Grill, turning once or twice until very lightly charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Move the corn off to the side to make room for the salmon.
Add the salmon
Rub the salmon with oil and add it to the grill, skin-side up. Grill without moving for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Carefully flip the salmon and spread the grilled side with some of the BBQ butter. Continue grilling, brushing the salmon with more of the BBQ butter and turning both the salmon and corn once or twice more, until the salmon is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets and the corn is tender
Finish and serve
Divide the salmon and corn between 2 plates. Spoon a dollop of the remaining BBQ butter over the salmon, and corn, and serve potato chips and green beans alongside.
Pro tips
Wine Pairings
Smoky, crispy, and a little sweet and spicy, this salmon dish is equally delicious with pinot noir as it is sauvignon blanc or a crisp and refreshing IPA for beer drinkers.
Double Down
BBQ potato chips might sound like overkill, but are nevertheless delicious, salty, sweet, and savory and add a delightful crunch.
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
