Lemon Butter Grilled Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
For the Salmon:
4 salmon filets, skin-on, thawed overnight in the fridge if frozen
4 Tbsp butter
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
For the Creamy Dill Sauce:
1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp sour cream
3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
For Serving:
Lemon wedges
Instructions
Quick-Brine the Salmon
Even if your salmon filets thawed overnight in the fridge and look perfectly thawed, a quick brine makes ALL the difference! Dissolve 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon sugar in about 4 cups of cold water in a large bowl or baking dish.
Submerge the salmon filets and let them sit for 15-20 minutes. (This seasons them all the way through, prevents that white albumin from oozing out on the grill, and keeps everything incredibly moist. Pat completely dry with paper towels after.)
Make the Creamy Dill Sauce
While the salmon brines, whisk together 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp sour cream, 3 Tbsp finely chopped dill, 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives, and the juice of 1/2 lemon in a bowl. Season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate until serving (it gets better as it sits!).
Make the Lemon Butter
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 4 Tbsp butter. Stir in the zest of your lemon and the juice. Add 2 of your minced garlic cloves, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the smell of garlic hits your nose!
Remove from heat and set aside; you’ll brush this over the salmon as it grills and again right before serving.
Preheat the Grill
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400-425°F).
Skin Side Down First: Put half of the lemon butter sauce in a separate small dish. Brush the skin side of your dried salmon filets with lemon butter and season generously with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper.
Place skin-side DOWN on the clean, oiled grill grates. Close the lid and do not touch them for 4-5 minutes. The skin will act as a natural barrier and protect the flesh. After 4-5 minutes, brush the flesh generously with your lemon butter sauce.
Flip Once and Finish with Butter
Carefully flip the salmon using a wide spatula; if it resists, give it another 3 minutes. It will release when it’s ready.
Cook flesh-side down for just 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness (you want an internal temp of 125-130°F for medium, 145°F for fully cooked).
The second it comes off the grill, hit every filet with another generous brush of lemon butter (from the other half portion that was reserved). Let the butter melt and pool.
Dish and Serve
Plate the salmon filets. Spoon some of the cold dill sauce on the plate or serve it in a ramekin alongside. Add 4 lemon wedges to the plate for serving. Drizzle any remaining lemon butter over everything.