This Plank Grilled Salmon is moist and delicious and perfect for to add to our summer entertaining ideas. Host an outdoor dinner party and serve this to your guests along with some of our favorite sides. This entree is perfect for family dinner too. Don’t you just love grilling and entertaining in the Spring and Summer months?
WHAT'S IN THIS GUIDE?
Salmon recipe for an Outdoor Dinner Party
Host a summer dinner party and make this grilled salmon on a plank with my semi-homemade barbecue sauce. I created the recipe by starting with a bottled barbecue sauce and adding to it.
The sauce on its own has a tangy, smoky flavor and the additions we made brought out the sweetness and added a little zing.
We recently started using these grilling planks to cook salmon on the grill. They make such a difference in flavor and texture compared to cooking in the oven.
These are just one of the items included in my top picks for summer grilling. So grab some cedar planks and use my recipe for bbq brushed salmon.
PARTY TIP: Host a dinner for 4 or 6 and serve the salmon on the planks straight from the grill.
Can you re-use the cedar planks
Yes you can! See everything you need to know about cleaning and reusing cedar planks for grilling. We have used ours up to 3-4 times. After that they do begin to degrade and you just can’t clean them anymore.
One of the things I like about entertaining with this recipe is that you can take the planks straight from the grill to the dining table. Serve the salmon right from the cedar plank for a beautiful rustic presentation.
PARTY TIP: Try this sauce recipe on chicken too!
Best tips for buying Salmon
You can easily find frozen salmon at any grocery store or warehouse store like Sams or Costco. But for the best flavor and nutrition you may want to keep a few things in mind.
- When you buy “Atlantic Salmon” in the US it is farm raised. Wild Atlantic salmon is now on the endangered list.
- Buy Pacific salmon if you want wild caught. Wild Pacific salmon will have less toxins or additives than farm raised.
- Salmon contains good fats for a healthy diet. It has omega-3 fatty acids to be exact, and wild caught has a higher percentage than farm raised.
- Salmon is full of nutrients and two servings of wild caught per week can be part of a healthy lifestyle. If you buy farm raised it’s recommended to stick with 2 times per month.
While wild salmon is a little more expensive for obvious reasons, it is an overall healthier choice. However buying fresh vs. frozen doesn’t really matter because the fish is flash-frozen when caught. You can defrost it in the refrigerator over night, or put it in Ziploc bags and let sit in cold water for about 45 minutes to thaw.
What to serve with grilled Salmon
The salmon turned out so moist and delicious, and I served it with pasta salad and Southern slaw.
- You can also try this veggie pesto pasta salad.
- Or my favorite classic pasta salad recipe.
- My classic potato salad recipe is also a tried and true side dish for summer parties.
- Here’s list of 6 summer side dishes that are perfect pairings for grilled meats.
BBQ-Brushed Plank Grilled Salmon recipe
This barbecue grilled Salmon on cedar plank recipe is so moist and delicious! It's perfect for summer entertaining or weeknight dinners with the family. The semi-homemade bbq sauce is sweet and smoky with a little zing.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup KC Masterpiece® Kansas City Classic bbq sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 to 6 – salmon fillets {our fillets were about 6 oz. each}
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Prepare grilling planks by soaking in water for about an hour.
- Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat or 350 degrees. Place empty planks on hot grill for 5 minutes to heat up. Flip the planks over just before adding the salmon.
- Prepare salmon by seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Add salmon on top of planks skin side down, close grill lid, and cook for about 10 minutes.
- After the 10 minutes, brush bbq sauce all over the salmon and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until fish begins to flake and internal temperature is 135 degrees.
Notes
Try the sauce on chicken too.