Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce Glaze
Grilled Salmon with Gochujang Sauce is a fast, flavor-packed grilled salmon recipe featuring a sweet and savory Korean-inspired chili glaze. Perfectly caramelized on the grill and finished with grilled lemon, this easy salmon recipe is ready in under 25 minutes.
Servings: 4 people
Cost: $20
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Gochujang Sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced or microplaned
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger finely minced or microplaned
For the Salmon
- 4 (6 ounce) salmon filets (or a 1 1/2 pound whole filet, sliced into 2" thick filets)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat Grill: Prepare grill for direct grilling, targeting 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit. For a gas grill, set to med-high heat.
- Make Gochujang Sauce: Combine all gochujang sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Season Salmon: Coat salmon with olive oil, then season with the kosher salt and ground pepper on all sides.
- Grill Salmon: Place salmon on the grill skin-side up (flesh-side down) over direct heat. Grill 3–5 minutes, or until the fish releases easily from the grates.
- Flip and Glaze: Flip the salmon so it’s now skin-side down. Brush the top (flesh) generously with the gochujang sauce. Continue grilling for another 5–7 minutes, or until the salmon reaches 135°F internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve: Remove salmon from the grill, glaze one final time, squeeze grilled lemon over the top, and serve immediately.
For the Grilled Lemon:
- While the salmon is grilling, place the lemon halves on the grill, flesh side down, for 3-5 minutes, or until caramelized and nicely seared. Remove and set aside. Squeeze some of the juices over the finished salmon just before eating.
Notes
Gochujang contains sugar, so always glaze after flipping. Starting with a dry sear on the flesh side prevents burning and gives you better caramelization once the sauce goes on.
Serve the remaining gochujang sauce on the side, especially if serving with rice and veggies (it's so good drizzled over the veggies).
Nutrition
Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 2000mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
