Note: this post is sponsored by the good folks at Omaha Steaks.
Living in a household of non-seafood folks, we have grown to appreciate salmon. It is less “fishy” tasting and lends itself to other flavors pretty well. This garlic lemon lime cedar planked salmon recipe is one that even my super-picky children are fans of. They eat it as well as they eat my beef tri-tip (or “steak” as my little ones call it)!
CHOOSING THE SALMON
According to the USGS, there are eight different types of salmon: seven fall under Pacific salmon (such as sockeye, chinook/king, and pink) while there is only one Atlantic. You’ll most likely find Atlantic salmon in your local grocery store because it is usually farmed and easier to get. With that said, I got wild Alaskan sockeye salmon from Omaha Steaks and had them shipped directly to my doorstep!
There’s also a debate over wild caught and farmed fish and which one taste better, is better for you, how it is raised, etc. Just know that wild caught is usually leaner and has less saturated fat due to its ability to swim more freely as compared to some farmed salmon that is over fished and over crowded in their fish farms. With all of this said, it is preferable to get Pacific salmon (but I personally don’t mind Atlantic, either).
One way to tell if the fish is fresh is to poke the fillet with your finger while it is in it’s packaging (it may be tough to do behind the glass at the meat counter). If it springs back, then it’s most likely fresh. If leaves a deep imprint, it’s probably been out of water for a little while. Choose wisely.
PREPPING THE SALMON
you unwrap the salmon from it’s packaging, make sure to rub your fingers along the length of the fish, more toward the center. If you feel little bumps in the flesh, it is pin bones. These can be left in there even if the salmon is filleted, so it is important to check. You obviously don’t want to eat these, so it is best to remove them with a pair of needle nose pliers.
With your salmon filets ready to prep, place them on a cedar plank. Next, apply a thin amount of olive oil to the salmon. With that done, now apply minced garlic. After that, use favorite your seasoning/rub on there. I like to use a Asian fusion rub with . Finally, take a lemon and a lime and slice them thinly width wise, putting at least one thin slice of each on a fillet.
Your salmon may be a whole filet or already cut into smaller segments. The prep of the fish will work the same way.
USING A CEDAR PLANK
Presoak the cedar plank in water for at least 30 minutes. Doing this will keep the wooden plank from drying out and catching on fire during the cook. At most, the board will smoke a little, but this is what we want to help infuse smoke flavor into the garlic lemon lime cedar plank salmon.
COOKING THE SALMON
Before you prep the salmon, get your grill heated up to 400 degrees. I prefer to go over direct heat, but can be done indirect if a pellet grill is what you own. Place the cedar planked salmon on the grill, close the lid, and let cook for about 20 minutes. You can cook salmon to 125-145 degrees Fahrenheit, but when you use wild salmon, it is leaner and is preferred to pull off earlier at the 125 mark. If you don’t have a digital thermometer (although recommended), you can eyeball it with a fork. If it is flaky, it is ready to eat.
I like to keep some extra slices of lemon and lime on hand to squeeze on top if I want more of that flavor to my garlic lemon lime cedar plank salmon. Give it a shot and see if it wins over your family!
THE RECIPE!
Garlic Lemon Lime Cedar Plank Salmon
Looking to fire up the grill but want a leaner protein to cook up? This garlic lemon lime cedar plank salmon will do the trick!
Ingredients
- 1 filet salmon (about 16 oz)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp your favorite rub/seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 Tbsp butter, divided into six-1 Tbsp pieces
- 2 slices lemon
- 2 slices lime
- 1 cedar plank
Instructions
1. Preheat grill to 400 degrees.
2. Place salmon on presoaked cedar plank and apply olive oil, minced garlic, rub/seasoning, butter, and lemon and lime slices on the salmon.
3. Place cedar plank full of salmon on grill and let cook for about 20 minutes. Done when internal temp reaches 125 degrees or salmon flakes off when scraped with a fork.
Notes
1. Cut extra slices of lemon and lime for squeezing on salmon if you want some of that extra citrus flavor after cooking.
2. Presoak cedar plank for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Doing this will help prevent the plank from catching fire during the grilling process.
3. Direct or indirect heat is fine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 4 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8.5gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 200mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 31g
Note: Nutrition information isn't always accurate. Spices used may alter some of this info, as well.
