Grilled Chipotle-Orange Salmon
Yield: 4 servings
Sweet and smoky and beautifully spiced - and so very pretty - this recipe promises to become a grilling season obsession!
Equipment
- 1 cedar grilling plank (we use 6" x 12" size)
- 1 spray bottle of water
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds salmon fillet, with skin on and about 1" thick at the thickest area of the fillet
- 2 teaspoons finely-zested fresh orange zest (use a microplane zester)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ¼"-thick orange slices
- 4 orange wedges
Instructions
- 2 hours (or more) prior to grilling: Place cedar grilling plank in a 9'' x 13'' rimmed pan and add enough water to cover the plank by 1". Set a heavy mug or two on top of the plank to keep it submerged. Set aside.
- 30 minutes prior to grilling: Move plank to a large rimmed baking sheet. If needed, cut off ends of salmon fillet to allow about ½" bare space at each end of the plank. Place salmon on plank and, if needed, tuck the thinnest side flesh underneath the fillet a bit, to fit on the plank.
- In a small bowl, stir together orange zest and juice, olive oil, chipotle powder, and cumin. Then rub or brush all of this mixture over the top and sides of the salmon flesh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your liking. Top with orange slices.
- Preheat grill to medium-high, about 435° F.
- Once grill is hot, set plank with salmon directly onto the grill grates and shut grill. Cook for 20 minutes without opening the grill lid, to keep the cedar smoke inside the grill. Depending on your grill plank and grill heat, the plank will smoke and smolder, and possibly char and burn. We like to keep a spray bottle of water on hand if the plank wants to char/burn excessively – just give a few squirts to the plank (do not directly spray the salmon) if you need to tame some flame – or turn the heat down a bit – or move the plank to less direct heat.
- Depending on the size and thickness of the salmon, cook for roughly 30-35 minutes total, checking every 3-5 minutes after the initial 20-minute cook time. The salmon is done when the flesh is beautifully caramelized, and flakes easily when you insert a fork into the thickest part of the fillet. We find that it's difficult to over-cook salmon when grilling skin-on fillets, on a cedar plank – our goal is always caramelized flesh that yields delicious smoky flavor; we are rarely concerned about overcooked/dry salmon using this method.
- Use a large grilling spatula to carefully transfer the plank of salmon to a clean rimmed pan or platter, and serve the salmon straight from the plank – this makes for a fuss-free presentation and fun conversation piece at the table. Offer fresh orange wedges on the side, for squeezing over the top of individual portions.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 341kcal Carbohydrates: 16g Protein: 26g Fat: 15g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 71mg Sodium: 201mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.