Grilled Salmon Skewers

Name: Grilled Salmon Skewers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless, skinless salmon filet; Vegetable oil, (as needed); 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon cayenne; ½ teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; Kosher salt, (as needed); Freshly ground black pepper, (as needed); 2 lemons, (thinly sliced into rounds about ¼” thick); 2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs ((I use chives, and fennel fronds or dill and parsley))

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Cubes of salmon are tossed in spiced and threaded onto skewers then grilled until tender for an easy and delicious dinner.

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This is a no frills recipe for salmon made with simple ingredients and incredible flavor. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight, as there is no marinating involved and it has little cleanup. I provide instructions for making these salmon kebabs on the grill or in the oven.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

Salmon – Because the salmon is threaded onto the skewers, I recommend looking for a thicker, middle cut of salmon. Then when it is cut into cubes, it cooks evenly on the skewers.
Olive oil – First tossing the salmon in a bit of olive oil helps the spices to adhere to the cubes.
Spices – The salmon cubes are tossed in a simple combination of garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper as well as cayenne for just a bit of a kick.
Lemon – Thin slices of lemon help to space out the salmon cubes. The lemon juice also keeps them moist over the high heat and provide a bright citrus touch.
Herbs – After grilling the salmon skewers I garnish them with an assortment of fresh chopped herbs. While you can get creative, I prefer using a combination of chopped chives, dill and parsley. You can also swap in herbs like tarragon, oregano or basil.

How to Make Grilled Salmon Skewers

Step 1: Cut the salmon.

Cut the salmon into ½” (13mm) cubes. Heat grill to 450ºF (230ºC) or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with vegetable oil.

Step 2: Season salmon.

Add the cubed salmon to a medium mixing bowl and toss with the oil. Season with the cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, tossing to combine and evenly coat the salmon.

Step 3: Thread salmon on skewers.

Thread salmon pieces and folded lemon slices onto 2 soaked skewers, alternating the salmon and lemon.

Step 4: Cook the salmon.

Grill the salmon skewers, turning halfway through cooking until the fish is cooked through and has turned light pink color, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 5: Serve salmon.

Serve the salmon on or off the skewers garnished with fresh chopped herbs with roasted vegetables or a kale salad.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

How to Make This Recipe in the Oven

Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Arrange the salmon skewers on a baking sheet and bake until just cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with herbs as directed below.

Tips for using bamboo skewers

Soaking the bamboo or wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes keeps them from drying out and burning on the grill.
You can swap the bamboo skewers for reusable metal kabob skewers instead.
Using two skewers rather than one to thread the salmon keeps them from rotating and spinning when they are on the grill.

Other seasoning ideas

Rather than simply seasoning the salmon with a combination of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper as I do, try these seasoning combinations with this recipe:

Serving suggestions

Serve the skewers on their own with chopped herbs or drizzled with a sauce like this chimichurri or zhug.
A simple kale salad like this one with crispy halloumi and garlic tahini dressing or this vegetable quinoa salad.
Roasted vegetables like this chili oil roasted broccoli.
A roasted starch like these sweet potato spears.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this grilled salmon kabobs recipe, give these a try:

Grilled Salmon Skewers

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Serves

Equipment:

12 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes (so they don’t burn)

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless salmon filet
Vegetable oil, as needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
2 lemons, thinly sliced into rounds about ¼” thick
2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (I use chives, and fennel fronds or dill and parsley)

Instructions:

Cut the salmon into ½” (13mm) cubes. Heat grill to 450ºF (230ºC) or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with vegetable oil.
Add the cubed salmon to a medium mixing bowl and toss with the oil. Season with the cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, tossing to combine and evenly coat the salmon.
Thread the salmon and folded lemon slices onto 2 soaked skewers, alternating the salmon and lemon.
Grill the salmon skewers, turning halfway through cooking until the fish is cooked through and has turned light pink color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve the salmon on or off the skewers garnished with fresh chopped herbs with roasted vegetables or a kale salad.

Grilled Salmon Skewers