Grilled Maple Salmon Recipe (VIDEO)
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This grilled maple salmon recipe is a KEEPER! One of my readers, Marina, shared the concept for this soy-maple glaze with us, saying “it is by far the best salmon recipe I’ve ever had.”
Naturally, I was curious and after looking at the ingredients (you really can’t go wrong with this list!), I was off to the grocery store to re-create. We loved this maple salmon on the grill for the added smokiness. The sizzling hot grates seal in flavor and add those pretty grill marks that are the hallmark of summer!
Watch the video tutorial and you’ll be convinced! You can also make this a baked maple salmon for the winter months (see instructions below).
Watch How To Make Maple Salmon:
We served this maple salmon with grilled zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes. It was an easy, excellent dinner! 🙂
Notes on Grilling Times:
It all comes down to how thick salmon fillets are. Follow these guidelines for grilling over med/high (350˚F heat):
1″ thick fillets = 4 to 5 minutes per side
3/4″ thick fillets = 3 to 4 minutes per side
1/2″ thick fillets = 2 to 3 minutes per side
Instructions for Baked Maple Salmon:
1. Combine the salmon and sauce in a baking pan and marinate 45 minutes in the refrigerator, turning half way.
2. Preheat oven to 400˚F and bake salmon in the same pan (with the sauce) for 20 minutes or until flaky and cooked through.
Grilled Maple Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 to 2 1/2 lbs salmon fillet, cut into 6 (1-inch thick) portions
- 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
How to Make Grilled Maple Salmon:
- Stir together marinade: 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 2 pressed garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp pepper (you can even combine it in the plastic bag to save a dish!).
- In a large zip-loc bag, combine salmon fillets with marinade and toss to combine. Seal the bag, removing excess air. Marinate in the refrigerator 45 minutes. Flipping the bag over halfway. Preheat Grill to medium/high heat.
- Remove salmon to a platter, reserving marinade. Oil the grates (dip a paper towel in oil and use tongs and an oven mitt for safety). Grill salmon skin-side-down over medium/high heat according to the chart below (this salmon took about 4 min per side). Carefully flip salmon over and continue grilling until salmon is flaky.
To Make the Maple Glaze:
- Transfer reserved marinade to a small sauce pan and boil it down over high heat whisking constantly for for 3-4 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Brush grilled salmon with soy-maple glaze and serve garnished with green onion if desired.
Notes
1" thick fillets = 4 to 5 minutes per side
3/4" thick fillets = 3 to 4 minutes per side
1/2" thick fillets = 2 to 3 minutes per side
How to Make Baked Salmon:
Combine the salmon and sauce in a baking pan and marinate 45 minutes in the refrigerator, turning half way. Preheat oven to 400˚F and bake salmon in the same pan (with the sauce) for 20 minutes or until flaky and cooked through.
We served these with grilled zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes. Easy, excellent dinner! 🙂
Important Note: the glaze works best after marinating fresh fish. If you purchase frozen salmon and thaw it, you may have to strain marinade before boiling down to remove debris. The fish will still taste great without the extra glaze if you decide to omit it.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Throw some salmon on the grill and have an awesome week my friends! 🙂
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Best marinade for salmon!
Favorite for sure! It is simple and very tasty!
Thank you for the feedback, Gloria!
Hi Natasha, love your recipes! Can I use my Blackstone griddle to cook the salmon or will the sugar from the syrup in the marinade burn? Would probably set the surface temperature to 350-375F. Thanks!
HI Michael, I think the syrup would burn and you would have a tough time cleaning your griddle after.
We used our griddle and it turned out great. Since we season the griddle the marinade does not Carmelize and stick. Cleanup was easy. My husband and guests really liked the fish!
Hi Inga! Thank you for sharing! I’m glad it was enjoyed.
Served to a dinner party of 5 couples. RAVE REVIEWS!!!
Every guest asked for the recipe. And every one has now made it at home PLUS reported back these exact words: “Best fish recipe I’ve ever had”
It’s now my go to main course for dinner parties …. And, of course for us.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Stephen!
Our favorite salmon recipe! Have grilled it and baked it- delicious either way!
Yum! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Gloria!
My daughter is deathly allergic to all forms of sesame…what is a good substitute so we avoid killing her ?
Hi Cheryl, you can omit the seasme oil or replace with another oil. I also have plenty of other salmon recipe to choose from. You can view them here.
Wonderful recipe. Thanks Natasha!
I did decrease the syrup by half and added a tsp of fresh grated ginger. So good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Joy! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Made the baked version tonight and it was delicious! So easy!! I decreased the amount of soy sauce as I’m not a fan.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Michelle!
I am not a fan of salmon but with this marinade I became one! Thank you, Just delicious…
I’m glad to hear that you loved it, Karen!
Just wondering if this sauce can be used the same way with boneless chicken? Also can you make extra and store it in a canning jar for future use? How long would it keep? Thank you for taking the time to reply…
Hi Martha, I honestly haven’t tried using boneless chicken yet to advise. I think it works but I can’t say for sure unless I try it. I also haven’t tried canning or putting it in a jar for future use. We usually make and serve it same day.
I’ve made this recipe many times now. So gosh darn good. my husband got me a new grill pan, the perfect culinary storm! Sometimes, the salmon search is over! thank you!
I’m so sorry for being redundant! I just get excited about cooking and finding perfect recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’m making this tonight. Again! such a great recipe and my husband bought me a new grill pan. I have to admit, I can’t help but eat a little of that crunchy skin! yum
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I make this once a week in a cast iron pan on a gas grill. Comes out perfect and delicious every time. I’ve also used the marinade on pork chops but let the pork sit in the juice for a couple hours.
Isn’t it the best! It sounds like you found a new favorite! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha. May I ask if this will work on salmon steaks instead of salmon fillet?
Hi Joanna, I haven’t tested that to advise but I bet that could work! If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
This glaze is so so simple, and a huge hit in our family. What a great tip for using the marinade after it has done it’s first job. Thanks so much!!
You’re welcome Bev! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I made this last night and it was awesome! I followed the recipe and baked it in the oven. Also the leftovers were delicious in a salad the next day. I will make this again.
Aren’t left overs the best! Thank you for sharing that with us!
This has become my go to recipe for salmon. Very flavourful. I really appreciated the cook times based on thickness of fish. It makes it easy to get a perfect cook every time. I have grilled it and baked it. Both delivered a delicious dish.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Brenda!
I’ve made this several times with great results, but this time I used low sodium soy sauce and when I went to boil the marinade, it was chunky and a must lighter color.
For the marinade, do I use the marinade the fish was in or do I put some to the side? Thank you for help in advance. I am a First time fish griller.
Hi Sue, we reserve the marinade that was used in the salmon and heat it to a boil for several minutes. Since the marinade is brought to the boiling point, it is safe. If you are more comfortable reserving half and discarding what was used on the salmon, that would work as well.
Great recipe wife and i love it we have it every other week. its definitely a must try if you haven’t.
Thank you for that wonderful review, Chris!
Wow, this is my second time trying this. Absolutely love it and so easy .
That’s so great, Peter!! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Amazing, i ended up baking mine and it was fabulous 🙂
Sounds wonderful! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
I think I’m going to try it! But is the fish smell gone away or barely tasteable? Because I don’t really like fish but I think with marinating I can eat it.
I hope you like it!
Do you think I can marinate this overnight or maybe couple hours?
Thanks for this recipe, I’ve made it many many times!
Nadia, I won’t marinate for more than couple hours. You are very welcome 😀
My husband and I eat a lot of salmon and this recipe is a keeper. I made it in the oven and we had Mushroom Rice with it – great combo.
I’m glad you both love recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
This is a quick and easy recipe for grilled salmon. The glaze is a nice finish. My husband always said he doesn’t like salmon but really enjoyed this dish.
I’m glad to hear you and your husband both enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Debbie! 🙂
Love the marinade! Boiled it on the stove as directed and then poured it over quinoa with some veggies. YUM!
Oh yum! That sounds delicious Pat! Thanks for sharing your tip with other readers!
This looks delicious!! I’ve been cooking for many years but I’ve never fixed salmon but I really want to. I’ve decided to use your recipe for my 1st try. I do have a couple of questions. Some say grill skin side down 1st and others say to grill skin side up. Which is the best way & why? Also I’ve always thought that the skin could be eaten, but again some say not to. Is that just a personal opinion or does it matter? Also what sides go best with this? Thanks for the recipe and for taking the time to answer…what may seem like dumb questions!! I’m really looking forward to making this and getting over my fear of fixing salmon and other seafood. I think my fear is because of the cost of seafood and I don’t want to waste it. Thanks again!!
Hi Patty, I grill skin-side down first because it seems slightly easier to flip the salmon and the salmon doesn’t stick quite as badly to the grates if it is slightly cooked from the grill heat when you clip it over. I’m not sure if that’s the only reasoning for doing it that way but it is my reasoning 🙂 I love this with steamed vegetables and white rice because the salmon is very flavorful. You can explore all of our sides here.
Thanks for getting back to me so quick. I love grilled vegetables!! I was thinking that I’d make some grilled asparagus and baby new potatoes. I’ll definitely check out your link. Thanks again!!
Those both sound so good!! You’re making me hungry! 🙂
Oil the grill and do it skin side up, close the grill lid. In 3-4 minutes you can easily peel the skin off and discard. Flip the fillet to finish.
I was afraid this was going to be to sweet, but my oh my was I pleasantly surprised. This receipe was so worth trying!
I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 😀
Wanted to try out a new salmon recipe and this IS AMAZING. I wasn’t able to grill it (too rainy outdoors) but I baked in for about 17 minutes and it turned out perfect. Nice and flaky!
I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing Alena 😀
Hi,
Great article.I really appreciate it.This is making me really hungry.
All of these dishes look absolutely delicious! know it can be really hard finding good dinning spots, especially when you’re in a new place.
Thanks for being sharing.
Regards
You’re welcome Julie! Let me know what you think of the recipes. 🙂
I happened upon a fresh sockeye salmon the other day and went searching for a new recipe to try. This was a delicious way to enjoy a fresh caught fish, our dinner guests loved every bite! I will definitely be grilling this again, with the addition of orange zest and a splash of rice vinegar! The reduction was absolutely delicious drizzled over the cooked fish.
Kitti, thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try Salmon because I’ve never had one before. I liked your Grilled Maple Salmon Recipe and i think this will be a good start! Its very appetizing in appearance!!!
Deborah, I would love to hear how it turns out 😀.
I made it last week, when we had a family over, and the salmon was a blast! Thank you for your hard work and amazing food! I don’t drug myself to kitchen anymore, especially after your inspirations
Oh that is just awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I am all smiles!
I love salmon baked and especially grilled! Now my mouth’s watering! 😀 This will be good for fish Fridays!
I love that you have fish Fridays!!
I love your salmon recipes (all your recipes, really) and I’m excited to try this one. The baking times on your lemon and teriyaki salmon call for about 13 minutes of baking. I found that the salmon was dry if I baked it even a couple of minutes longer. So I’m wondering how come the baking time on this one is 20 minutes? As always, thanks for sharing your recipes and then helping me through cooking them ☺️
Hi Jennu, it’s a little longer because it is baked in the sauce. If it’s a thinner piece of salmon, check it at 15 minutes 🙂
Loved the video! You make it look so easy! I bet it tastes great.
Thank you! I’m so gad you enjoyed it 🙂
Wow yum!! I totally love salmon on the grill. Thanks for sharing this. Looks amazing!
Thank you! I agree. I love salmon but something about grilling it makes it taste even better!