This Sockeye Salmon Recipe features Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple, and is perfect way to make fish the main meal at your spring and summer cookouts!
This Sockeye Salmon Recipe is sponsored by Orca Bay, but as always, all opinions are my own. I may receive commission for purchases made through links in this post.
Sockeye Salmon Recipe: Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple
Can I confess something? As much as I adore the idea of a cookout– I usually find myself eating semi-sad sandwiches made up of hamburger buns and hamburger toppings– without the meat.
Does this happen to you too?
If you, like me, choose to avoid red meat– you may feel a little left out when grilling season begins. If you’ve found yourself gazing sadly over piles of grilled red meat, wishing for a healthier option– I’ve got one for you!
This year, as the grills fire up and spring turns into summer– reclaim your grill!!! It’s time to bring seafood out of the kitchen and onto the fire, with this Sockeye Salmon recipe!
Grilling Pineapple
Grilling Sides of Salmon
For this recipe, we’re grilling a whole side of salmon. Salmon sides are easy to grill, because they’re large and fatty– not delicate like salmon fillets.
What type of salmon should you buy? I recommend sockeye salmon for this recipe, because its strong flavor compliments the tart pineapple and the spices.
Learn more about salmon: Check out this post– Types of Salmon: An Ultimate Guide.
Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple
Not sure where to buy a side of sockeye? I got mine from Orca Bay. Their whole sides of Alaska Sockeye salmon are hand-harvested from Bristol Bay— the Alaskan fishing area that sees about 38 million salmon each year.
Orca Bay’s one pound Alaska Sockeye sides are BIG– my little 18″ grill was just big enough! These big, meaty sides of salmon will feed four people easily, and are the PERFECT replacement for
“traditional” grilling meat like hamburgers, ribs, and hot dogs.
Order Orca Bay Online: Use my Ambassador Code: champagnetastes for 15% off!
Find Orca Bay locally: Use their store finder.
How to Grill a Side of Salmon
Grilling this salmon for this sockeye salmon recipe will be EASY. Start by taking your thawed salmon out of the fridge, and letting it come to room temperature. This will help make sure your fish doesn’t stick to the grill, and will give it crisper cooked edges.
Next, heat up the grill, making sure that the grill plates are clean (so that your fish doesn’t stick to the plates), and you’re almost ready!
Cut the pineapple into rings, brush it with the marinade, and grill it until it has nice dark lines on each side. Then, rub the spices onto your salmon, spray the grill with oil, and cook the salmon for just a few minutes on each side.
Don’t walk away while you’re grilling this fish– it cooks fast! Serve the salmon and pineapple together, and smile happily as you eat a healthy, delicious meal at your next cookout!
Want more tips about how to grill fish? Check out this post on Grilled Fish Tacos!
Sockeye Salmon Recipe: Grilled Chili Lime Salmo
This Sockeye Salmon Recipe features Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple, and is perfect way to make fish the main meal at your spring and summer cookouts!
Ingredients
Grilled Pineapple:
- 1 pineapple, outer skin removed + fruit cored
- 1 TB olive oil
- 2 TB honey OR sorghum syrup OR turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
Chili Lime Salmon:
- 1 lb sockeye salmon fillet, skin on (recommendation- Orca Bay Alaska Sockeye Salmon)
- olive oil spray
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 TB chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Grilled Pineapple:
Preheat grill to high heat.
Cut cored pineapple into rings, about 1/2" thick. Line a baking sheet with foil, and then lay pineapple slices flat on a the sheet. Brush pineapple with oil on both sides, and then drizzle with honey. Let pineapple marinate while the grill continues to heat up.
Once grill is hot, grill pineapple 2-3 minutes per side, until the slices have grill marks. Set pineapple aside. (If your grill is small, you may need to do the pineapple in batches. If your pineapple is extra juicy, you might have to cook the pineapple a few minutes longer.)
Grilled Chili Lime Salmon:* (See Recipe Notes)
Prepare grill plates by cleaning if needed, and spraying with oil. Allow the pineapple juices to burn off as and make sure the grill is still very hot.
Pat salmon dry, and then pat it dry again. Wet fish may stick to the grill. Rub chili powder and lime zest onto the flesh side of the salmon. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with salt.
Set salmon, skin-side down, on the grill. (Cooking skin-side down will make your fish easier to flip). Leave the grill lid open or off. Keep an eye on your salmon. As the fish grills, you'll see the edges start to firm up and get crisp. Cook the salmon about 4 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is and how thick the fish is. If the fish sticks to the grill, give it about 30 seconds more-- it will release when it's ready. Flip the salmon, and cook another 2 minutes.
Sprinkle salmon with the lime juice. Serve salmon immediately with the grilled pineapple. Serve the fish whole for a gorgeous presentation, or divide into 4 servings and then serve.
Recipe Notes
Cook Time: This recipe assumes you are using sockeye salmon. If you're using other varieties of salmon, you may need to increase the cook time slightly. With pink or Atlantic salmon, you should be able to watch the translucent fish turn opaque from the bottom up as it cooks. The fish will be ready to flip when it's 2/3 cooked through.
I love the chili flavor with salmon and I’ve made it with mango but not pineapple. It looks like a perfect weeknight summer meal that I can feel good about eating…and feeding my family!
Looks fantastic! I love grilled fish, and I had no idea that sockeye was oilier and easier to grill!!!! I’m so trying this!
I’m so torn with salmon! I love it so much, but so turned off by farmed salmon, which is what most of it is these days! I’ll have to keep an eye out for this one…this recipe sounds absolutely delicious and I love the pineapple on there. Sweet/savoury combos are the best!!
I’m with ya! Stick with the wild kind if you can 😁 it’s pretty easy to find wild fillets in stores- and the link for this beauty is up in the article 👆🏻😁
I love how pineapple is almost always the saving grace for those who miss out on grilled meat! And I absolutely loved learning up on Salmon trivia today! I had no idea of the effect krill had on the coloration!
Pineapples are an amazing fruit! And yes isn’t that crazy!!!
The pineapple peeking out from between those two layers of salmon and all that juice….oh my gah. Way to go! At home, we grill a lot more fish than other meat but you’re totally right about going to BBQ’s or other summer gatherings-it’s all hamburgers and hotdogs.
I have been just loving all your salmon pictures on instagram lately, and this recipe looks like the perfect way to use it! Grilled fish is so good already, but I love the touch of sweetness that the pineapple brings to this! I can’t wait to try this out!
My sister-in law and her family live in Alaska, and there is NOTHING better than wild caught salmon they serve when we visit. They explained all the info about the farm fish and why we want to eat wild versus farmed. Im in LosANgeles and I Find it hard to find wild raised….. but so happy when I do find it!!
Try looking for frozen wild salmon! I’m in Central Appalachia with zero hopes of finding it fresh- this frozen salmon was incredible!!
We absolutely love grilling salmon! It’s such a great alternative to grilled meat, and is so satisfying. I love the flavors you’ve paired with it, especially that sweet grilled/caramelized pineapple! It must be such a great contrast to the chili lime flavors in the fish. What a great recipe for summer entertaining!
This salmon looks amazing! I’ve never cooked salmon outside on the grill before. Better get out there before summer’s over!
Yes!!! You can grill all fall too 😉