Follow these simple steps at home to make the most moist, flaky salmon filets on a Traeger wood pellet grill. While grilling, the salmon filets are brushed with a simple sauce made with butter, garlic, and fresh herbs, among other things, which gives a great flavor to the dish. Ready within 25 minutes!
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This grilled salmon is a family recipe, shared by my dad in Episode 016 of the Grill Like A Mother podcast. In it, my dad talks about this and two other salmon recipes – Traeger smoked salmon and a smoked salmon ball.
My dad is an avid fisherman and has been grilling salmon for decades. He also loves his Traeger grill (just like I do) and was more than happy to share his years of grilling experience in the form of his recipes.
Not to mention he’s been very happy taste-testing all my Traeger grill recipes. From Traeger bacon to Traeger smoked chicken breast and Traeger smoked skirt steak, he’s loved them all.
But back to this salmon. It makes for a great weeknight dinner, especially if it’s warm out and you don’t want to heat up your kitchen.
And bonus, the sauce works just as well with other fish too, like trout and halibut. You can also use it on other types of seafood like shrimp, oysters, and scallops! I use a similar sauce in my garlic grilled shrimp recipe.
Grab these ingredients!
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Salmon – you want fresh salmon with the skin on.
- Butter – you can use unsalted if you want more control over how much salt you use. Otherwise salted will work fine. Ghee will also work.
- Caesar salad dressing – my family uses Paul Newman’s Caesar dressing in this recipe, but you can use what you have on hand.
- Lemon juice – from half a lemon, or just use the bottled kind.
- White wine – something on the drier side is better, like a chardonnay or a pinot gris. Don’t use a sweet white wine.
- Garlic – either one large clove or two smaller ones.
- Hot sauce – my family uses Tabasco sauce, but any hot sauce works fine. You only need a little bit.
- Parmesan cheese – it’s better to get a block and grate it fresh so it will melt more easily.
- Spices – salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Fresh herbs – either basil or parsley, whichever you prefer or have on hand.
How to grill salmon filets on the Traeger
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
- Melt the butter in small saucepan and add in the other sauce ingredients. Keep warm
- Heat the Traeger grill to 325 degrees F. Oil the grates with a paper towel.
- Place the fish flesh side down on the grill to sear.
- Turn the fish over and brush the sauce on it.
- Cook the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F.
- Remove the salmon from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Use any extra marinade to sprinkle over the fish at serving.
We LOVE our Thermoworks Thermapen ONE meat thermometer to quickly and easily check the internal temperatures of meats. We’ve used a Thermapen for years and they are AMAZING. Get one for yourself here.
What temp do you cook salmon on a pellet grill?
For this recipe, you set the grill temperature to 325 degrees F. This helps sear the flesh side of the fish first, then cooks it the rest of the way once it’s flipped.
What flavor of pellets are used for salmon?
Typically lighter wood pellets like pecan, alder, apple cherry, or maple are used for grilling and smoking salmon. If you want a heavier smoke flavor you could use hickory pellets. We like to use the Traeger Signature wood pellet blend as it works for so many different types of protein.
Can you put salmon directly on the grill?
Yes, in fact, you should put salmon directly on the grill so you can sear it, then flip it and cook it the rest of the way skin side down.
Do you have to flip salmon on the grill?
You don’t have to flip salmon on the grill, but it’s best if you do. Oil the grill so the salmon doesn’t stick, then place the salmon skin side up and sear the flesh side of the fish. You then flip it and cook the salmon the rest of the way with the skin side down. There’s a layer of fat between the skin and the flesh that will help keep the fish moist as it cooks that way.
Ready to develop your grilling skills?
Tune in and listen to the newly launched Grill Like a Mother podcast from Hot Pan Kitchen author Taryn Solie.
Consider these tips
- If you’re worried about the fish sticking to the grill when it sears, you can cook it in a small foil pan on the grill instead. Turn the Traeger on to a high heat. Place the pan on the grill, put the fish in the pan, and cover all of the fish with the marinade. Cook the fish for 5 minutes on high heat, then turn the grill down to a medium heat. Remove the fish from the grill once the internal temperature reads 125 to 130 degrees F. Make sure to monitor the fish to make sure you don’t over cook it!
- Check your hopper! You want to look and see if you have enough wood pellets (or wood chips depending on if you’re using a Traeger grill or other smoker). You don’t want to run out of wood while the chicken is cooking.
- The cooking time will really vary depending on how big and how thick your salmon pieces are. Smaller pieces of fish will be done sooner than larger and thicker pieces of fish, so check the smaller pieces first for doneness!
- To check a piece of fish for doneness, get a fork and pull back the fish at the thickest portion. When the center of the fish is opaque that’s when you want to remove it from the grill.
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If you make end up making this pellet grill salmon recipe, then don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
25-Minute Traeger Grilled Salmon Filets
Equipment
- A saucepan
- A spatula (for the grill)
Ingredients
- 6 salmon fillets 4-6 ounces each
Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup Caesar dressing
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp white wine
- 1 large clove of garlic pressed or minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 5-10 drops hot sauce we use Tabasco
- 2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1-2 tsp chopped fresh herbs basil or parsley, whichever you prefer
Instructions
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove to melt it. Add in the remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Keep warm over low heat while grilling the salmon.
- Heat the Traeger grill to 325 degrees F. When it is hot, oil the grates using a pair of tongs and a paper towel with oil on it.
- Place the fish flesh side down on the grill. Sear until you get nice grill marks on the flesh, only for a couple of minutes.
- Turn the fish over so that the skin side is on the grill. Brush the sauce onto the fish as soon as you turn it over, coating the flesh.
- Cook the fish at 325 degrees F until it reaches an internal temperature of 125-130 degrees F, or until the flesh in the thickest part has just turned opaque.
- Remove the salmon from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Use any extra marinade to sprinkle over the fish at serving.
Notes
- Check your hopper! You want to look and see if you have enough wood pellets (or wood chips depending on if you’re using a Traeger grill or other smoker). You don’t want to run out of wood while the salmon is cooking.
- The cooking time will really vary depending on how big and how thick your salmon pieces are. Smaller pieces of fish will be done sooner than larger and thicker pieces of fish, so check the smaller pieces first for doneness!
- To check a piece of fish for doneness, get a fork and pull back the fish at the thickest portion. When the center of the fish is opaque that’s when you want to remove it from the grill.
- You can also use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the salmon. You can either do this with a temperature probe (if your grill comes with one) or use a hand-held meat thermometer. We’ve had a Thermapen for years and love it (affiliate link). If you aren’t familiar with them, see this post on how to use a meat thermometer.
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