Grilled Salmon Piccata

Wild caught salmon grilled to perfection then drizzled with a simple butter sauce.

What up! So, if you’ve been here for a while, you know I am a huge fan of simple, but delicious recipes. A few key ingredients and you can take a dish to the next level. Of course, we don’t have to discuss my love for all things salmon right? Yea ok. I knew we were on the same page. Now I am going to drop this Grilled Salmon piccata recipe on you. But first, I want to share a few tips on grilling salmon or any fish when you don’t have a grill or live in an apartment.

GRILLING SALMON ON A GRILL PAN:

Choose a quality piece of fish. When grilling, I choose a fish that is buttery but also, one that will keep its shape on the grill. Some examples are salmon, cod, halibut or snapper. Of course in my case, I tend to go for the best wild Alaskan salmon around (check out Surrender Salmon if you are located in Minnesota).
Make sure you heat the pan until it starts to smoke. If you place your fish in a cold pan or one that is not properly heated, the fish will stick to the pan.
Use a cooking fat with a high smoke point. I usually choose ghee when I am grilling or searing in cast iron. Ghee has a higher smoke point than coconut oil. Which means the fish will develop beautiful grill makes/a nice sear without burning. You can also choose to use avocado oil which is another example of a fat with a higher smoke point.
And my last tip, DO NOT TOUCH THE FISH! As soon as the fish hits the pan, whether you are searing or grilling, do not touch it! Let the fish cook no less than 5 minutes before trying to flip it. If you try to move the fish around before it’s ready to be flipped, you are only going to break the fish apart. Let the fish cook, and when it’s formed a nice crust, it will start to pull away from the pan.

Grilled Salmon piccata:

Now that you are equipped with all the tips you need to perfectly grill or sear a piece of salmon, let’s get into this recipe! The key to this recipe is definitely the sauce. When making simple dishes like this, It is important to choose quality ingredients. Because we aren’t using many ingredients, it’s important to make sure every ingredient stands out. It is perfectly ok to use butter in the place of ghee if you aren’t Paleo or on a Whole30.

Serve alongside these delicious sides for a complete meal:

Let’s get cooking

Grilled Salmon Piccata

Wild caught salmon grilled to perfection then drizzled with a simple butter sauce.

Print It Pin It

Wild caught salmon grilled to perfection then drizzled with a simple butter sauce.

Print It Pin It

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Total Time:20 mins

Yields:4 Serves

1X

2X

3X

Ingredients

FOR SAUCE:
3
tbsp. melted ghee
2
garlic cloves (finely minced)
1
tbsp. lemon juice
1
tsp. coconut aminos
1/4
cup organic bone broth
FOR SALMON:
4
salmon fillets (skinless*)
salt and pepper
1
tbsp. melted ghee
the greens of 2 scallions-finely chopped (or 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro or parsley)
lemon wedges for garnish

Instructions

Start by making the sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic (stirring continuously) until its slightly golden brown. Stir in lemon juice, bone broth, and coconut aminos. Simmer the small until it reduces to about half (approximately 2-3 tablespoons), about 3 minutes. Now, remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee, then set aside.
Now, if needed, skin salmon by placing one palm over each salmon fillet and using a sharp knife to slowly slice between the skin and flesh of the salmon until the fish pulls away from the skin. Then, season the salmon with salt and pepper on each side and set aside.
Heat a castiron grill pan over high heat until it starts to smoke. Then, brush with one tablespoon of ghee. Gently transfer each salmon fillet to the grill pan (skin side up). Lower the heat to medium-high and let the salmon cook for ~five minutes (do not touch the salmon until during that time). Let the salmon cook and create nice grill marks. It will start to pull away from the pan when it’s ready to be flipped. Flip the salmon and sear on the other side for 3-5 minutes. Transfer the fish to a serving dish, add scallions and pour sauce over. Serve with grilled vegetables, cauliflower rice or potatoes