Coal-fired BBQ-Salmon With A Spicy Smokey Finish
Smokey coal flavour enhances the juicy spice-rubbed salmon to perfection, resulting in soft juicy flesh. For a deeper flavour injection, marinate rubbed salmon overnight. Alternatively after apply rub leave salmon to rest for 30 minutes before grilling.
BBQ Spice Rub Salmon Ingredients
For this recipe, a 1kg whole salmon fillet is rubbed in smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, fennel, chilli powder and sumac. Served with a delicious fresh summery Charred Green Feta Sauce full of coriander, mint and lime juice. A beautifully refreshing flavour combination.
How to BBQ a Whole Salmon Fillet
It’s amazing how easy it is to BBQ with coal when you start the process with a coal chimney starter. Within 15 minutes you have red hot roaring coal ready to be dropped into your BBQ grill.
When Is The Coal Ready?
Coals are ready when covered with gray ash.
Wait until your charcoal has burned to an even temperature before placing any meat on the grill plates. When the charcoal first turns white, it’s only hot on the outside, but still cool on the inside. Wait until the charcoal has stopped smoking, 2/3rd are white and ash has formed around the coal.
How To Stop The Salmon Sticking to the Grill?
Always grill the salmon skin side down and do not turn it. Instead, close the lid of your BBQ and allow the circulation of heat and smoke to evenly cook the salmon fillet.
One important note to remember is fish will continue to cook once taken off the heat for a few more minutes. So always slightly undercook and allow it to finish whilst resting off the heat otherwise it will be very dry.
Do Not Turn The Fillet
Grill only skin side down. Make sure the grill and the salmon skin have been generously oiled to prevent sticking and the fish from breaking apart. You can either cook directly on the bbq grill plate or place the fish on a separate rack for easier removal.
PrintBBQ Spice Rub Salmon
Whole salmon fillet rubbed in smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, fennel, chilli powder and sumac, then left to rest overnight so the marinade. Coal-fire grilled and served with a delicious fresh summery Charred Green Feta Sauce full of coriander, mint and lime juice.
Ingredients
BBQ Spice-Rubbed Salmon
- 1kg whole salmon fillet, skin on
- Oil for cooking
Spice Rub
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp crushed fennel seeds
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp sumac
- 2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all spice rub ingredients. Place salmon in a tray and rub evenly with the spice mix.
- Option 1: For a more intense flavour, cover the tray with cling film (making sure the film does not touch the salmon) and marinate overnight. Option 2: To save time, rub the salmon with the spice and let it marinate for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Prepare coal bbq. Coal should not be glowing red but white and covered with grey ash (read post above for further details).
- Brush oil on the grill plate and on the salmon skin. This will stop it from sticking.
- Place salmon skin side down on coal and close BBQ lid. The salmon will cook very quickly, approx 10 minutes. Do not turn the salmon at any point. Once taken off the heat the flesh will continue to cook for a few more minutes. For this reason always slightly undercook the fillet before removing it from the grill.
- Serve with Charred Green Feta Sauce
Keywords: BBQ Spice Rubbed Salmon, charred green feta sauce, spice rubbed fish, bbq spice rub, BBQ spice-rub salmon
Other dishes that pair well with this recipe:
- Asian Slaw – 2 ways
- Fennel Celery Apple and Coriander Salad
- Crispy Dipped Potato Wedges
- Sumac Orange Tomato Salsa