Grilled Salmon with Corn Salsa
This Grilled Salmon with Corn Salsa is easy enough to make on a weeknight, but impressive enough to serve to company on a weekend. Fire up the grill for dinner tonight!
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As we head through the warmer summer months, our grill is often packed with hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and all sorts of other traditional grilling foods. For some reason, grilled salmon only makes an appearance a couple of times each summer. This Grilled Salmon with Charred Corn Salsa will be changing that!
This grilled salmon recipe is easy enough to make on a weeknight, but impressive enough to serve to company on the weekends. And as fancy as it sounds, it really only takes ~30 minutes to make this meal.
Grilled Salmon with Corn Salsa
There are two “secrets” that boost the flavor in this recipe. The first is marinating the salmon before you grill it. This simple salmon marinade calls for equal parts soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil. Add in some brown sugar and seasonings, and you’re all set. Let that salmon marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours before taking it out to the grill.
The second “secret” is grilling the corn for the charred corn salsa. You can absolutely make this corn salsa with raw corn. We’ve done that in the past, and it’s delicious. But charring that corn on the grill first adds a ton of extra flavor. The taste is amazing. Just peel the corn on the cob, remove the silk and grill the ears directly on the grill grates for ~15-20 minutes. Rotate the corn occasionally and pull the ears off once the corn kernels start to turn black.
The corn gets mixed with red onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice for an easy and absolutely delicious salsa. (Hint: Serve the extra salsa with tortilla chips. Or just make a double batch and eat salsa + chips as an appetizer.) The salsa is a fantastic summer snack by itself, but it’s especially tasty when spooned over the grilled salmon filets.
We served this grilled salmon over riced cauliflower, and we mixed a couple extra spoonfuls of the corn salsa into the cauliflower. Easy, delicious recipe!
This recipe calls for 4 salmon fillets, but you can easily double it to 8 pieces of salmon. You’ll still have enough corn salsa. (We just like having extra corn salsa because it’s so tasty!)
How to Store Leftovers
To store leftover Grilled Salmon, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The leftover corn salsa should be refrigerated in a separate container. To reheat the salmon, place it in a low temperature (~275°F) oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through. Tip: add a splash of water to the pan or a drizzle of olive oil on top of the salmon to prevent it from drying out while reheating.
The leftover grilled salmon fillets can also be frozen, but I don’t recommend freezing the corn salsa.
If you’re looking for an easy + flavorful summer meal, then put this Grilled Salmon with Corn Salsa recipe on the list. It’s definitely going to be making another appearance here soon!
Did you make this Grilled Salmon with Corn Salsa recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Grilled Salmon with Charred Corn Salsa
Ingredients
For the Grilled Salmon
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 salmon fillets ~6 oz. each
For the Charred Corn Salsa
- 4 ears corn husks and silk removed
- ¼ cup diced red onions
- 1 jalapeno seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
For the Grilled Salmon
- Using a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except for salmon (soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and garlic powder).
- Place salmon fillets in a shallow dish or in a resealable plastic bag. Add marinade, turning several times to coat. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. (Tip: Plan to make the corn salsa while the salmon is marinating.)
- Preheat grill to medium heat (~350°F).
- Remove salmon from marinade and place on grill skin side down. (Note: Discard excess marinade.)
- Grill for 5-7 minutes per side, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- Top each salmon fillet with corn salsa before serving.
For the Charred Corn Salsa
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat (~400°F).
- Grill corn, rotating occasionally, for 16-18 minutes, or until lightly charred.
- Let corn cool and then slice kernels into a large bowl. Add remaining salsa ingredients (diced onion, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper); stir until well combined. Set salsa aside.
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Thanks for making me hungry BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
Thanks, Ramya – the corn salsa + the grilled salmon is packed with summer flavor!
This looks delicious! I’m anxiously awaiting wild caught salmon season. The salsa sounds perfect for the salmon.
Definitely make this salsa once that wild salmon starts to show up – it’s a fantastic combo of flavors!
Such a fresh and vibrant dish, David! I love that grilled salmon with the sweet corn salsa – such a perfect combination for warmer weather.
Yes! Bring on the warmer weather and fire up the grill – thanks, Ben!
Mmmmm. Love the salsa.
Thanks, Mimi – it’s an easy and delicious side dish for summer!
this sounds really delicious David. We eat salmon once a week usually; I bake it in the oven. And i love the sound of the salsa too. I often put a bit of maple syrup or pomegranate molasses on the fish when baking. yum!
sherry
I’ll have to try that pomegranate molasses idea! But I do strongly recommend the corn salsa – you can “blister” the corn in the oven (broiler) to get that nice charred flavor, too.
Your tip for charing the whole corn on the cob is pure genius. It sends the flavors of your homemade corn salsa through the roof… in a really good way! I also think the salmon marinade makes all the difference. The rich and savory flavors of the salmon marinade create a mouthwatering flavor extravaganza when grilled, then topped with corn salsa!
That charring the corn does add a bit of time to the overall recipe, but it’s SO worth it. The extra flavor is fantastic. Thanks, Heidi!
So fresh and vibrant, perfect for lighter summer dinners! I really need to play with grilling salmon more!
You should totally play with grilling salmon more often – it’s so easy! And this corn salsa is a great topping for grilled foods, too!
That charred corn for that corn salsa is EPIC! Such a flavorful combo!
The charred corn steals the show here, Shashi!
Looks tasty, David! I love the colors and flavors here. Plus it’s. healthy! Just the ticket for me as I try to shed a few pounds before the summer.
Haha – I totally get you there, Frank! Fortunately, “diet food” (as we call it here) doesn’t have to be bland and tasteless. Definitely put this one on the menu!
I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this delicious looking dish to guests, it would be the hit of the party.
Thanks so much, Karen – this is indeed a good entertaining recipe! 🙂