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Cedar Grilled Salmon

Published: May 10, 2022 | Last Updated: May 10, 2022 | Lisa 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.

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Grilled salmon on cedar with asparagus and fish herb butter.

Grill this gorgeous cedar salmon recipe with everything you need for a healthy dinner including the fresh wild salmon, asparagus, and zucchini ribbons.

The cedar adds a slightly smoky flavor as the fish cooks and the salmon butter becomes a buttery lemon sauce that melts all over...

How To Make Grilled Cedar Salmon

4 cedar wraps or 4 cedar planks (soak wraps and string ties or planks)

4 pieces of fresh salmon fish (Trader Joes Coho Silver)

20 asparagus 6-8” spears, trimmed pieces

1 zucchini, cut into ribbons

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1 tablespoon dry rub (see below)

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 fresh lemon, cut into ¼" half-round slices

Lemon-Dill Butter slices (see below)

Cedar wraps and cedar planks are easy to find everywhere now including in hardware, grocery stores, and online.

  1. Soak cedar wraps/butcher string or cedar planks for 20 minutes in cool water. This prevents them from catching on fire while grilling.
  2. Slice lemons in ¼" half rounds. Peel the zucchini using a potato peeler then cut wide ribbons down the full length of the zucchini using a potato peeler.
  3. On a plate, drizzle a little olive oil on cleaned asparagus and microwave for 15-30 seconds. This pre-cooks the asparagus perfectly.
  4. In cedar wraps: on the diagonal, lay a piece of salmon skin side down, sprinkle on spice rub, and layer with asparagus, zucchini ribbons, and lemon slices. Tie with butcher string that was soaked in cold water.
  5. On the cedar plank: place cedar plank down, then lay a piece of salmon skin side down, sprinkle spice rub, and layer with asparagus, zucchini ribbons, and lemon slices.
  6. Heat the grill to medium heat, so the temperature of your gas grill reaches 450 degrees. 
  7. Cook for 7-8 minutes grill time, it will turn to a lighter color and 145 degrees internal temperature on a meat thermometer. Salmon cooks very fast on an outdoor grill, so keep an eye on it. You can also add a few wood chips to add additional smoke flavor.
  8. Serve warm with lemon butter.
Cedar wrapped bundles of salmon and asparagus on the gas grill tied with kitchen string.

PRO TIP: You can use skinless salmon fillets or skin-on because the cedar wrap keeps the salmon moist and you don't have to worry about it sticking to the grill.

Salmon Spice Rub

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup paprika
  • 3 tablespoons cracked black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to mix using a small whisk. 
  2. Store extra in an airtight jar out of light and heat. It will keep for at least 3 months, use it on chicken, hamburgers, or pulled pork.

Lemon Dill Salmon Butter

Slice off a coin and watch it become a melty lemon butter salmon sauce right over fish and vegetables.

You can swap in other fresh herbs like parsley, sage, or thyme in place of dill. I really recommend the dill and salmon combination, it is a classic.

I find garlic overpowers and adds too much flavor, but that would be an option. Just mix a little soft butter with crushed garlic, salt, and some lemon zest and juice. A drizzle of melted butter or pats of butter on top of the salmon is another option.

  • ½ cup butter softened (salted or unsalted butter)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt (kosher sea salt)
  • 1 lemon - fresh lemon juice and zest
Lemon-Dill Butter
Make Lemon Dill Compound Butter and melt on grilled salmon and vegetables like asparagus. Stores great in the freezer for months!
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Small brown round cutting board with slices of lemon dill butter garnished with fresh lemon and dill.

You can use up any extra Lemon Butter for the rest of the month. Try it on roasted or mashed potatoes, fish, and grilled vegetables like corn on the cob, and mix it into fresh pasta.

  1. In a small bowl, place the butter, zest of one fresh lemon, one squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
  2. Mix until combined using a small spatula, and place on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
  3. Push the butter mixture into a long roll shape using plastic wrap or paper to get it about an inch wide in a long roll. Twist the ends closed.
  4. Place in the fridge to firm up and use that day.
  5. Slice into coins, and serve over grilled fish, smashed potatoes or mashed potatoes, or asparagus.
  6. Will keep in the freezer for up to two months. Wrap well and store in a freezer zip-top bag or airtight container.
Melting herb lemon butter on asparagus with cedar salmon and garnished with lemon slices.

Cedar Salmon FAQ

How do you know when salmon is done?


Grilled Salmon starts out a raw pink translucent color and turns whiter or opaque lighter with a pink color.

A 1" thick piece of salmon without a cedar wrap takes about 8 minutes of grilling. What you want to do is check for doneness, by taking a sharp knife to peek into the thickest part of the fish. As the fish starts to flake, it will still be a bit raw in the middle, it is done.

It should not, however, look totally raw. And again look for that 145-degree internal temperature. Pull the salmon off the grill, cover with foil, and rest for at least 5 minutes to finish cooking.

Why use cedar wood with salmon on the grill?

Flavor! Grilling with cedar wraps or cedar grilling planks infuses food with cedar smoke aroma and steam without adding extra calories.

Make-Ahead Entertaining Menu: Make the dinner portions ahead for parties, and enjoy your guests while serving a beautiful dinner outdoors or indoors.

Easy Serving & Clean-Up: The entire dinner can be served in a cedar wrapped "package" or on a board per person making serving and clean up a breeze.

Grill Delicate Fish or Small Vegetables on Cedar: Avoid having foods fall through the grill grates or stick like thin vegetables, scallops, or delicate white fish.

How to use cedar planks or cedar grilling wraps?

Be sure to soak cedar wraps or cedar grilling planks for at least 10-20 minutes in cool water.

Preheat the grill to a medium temperature of 400-450º degrees. Place food on a cedar plank or stack the food in the center of the cedar wrap, parallel to the grain of the wood. Wrap edges toward each other and overlaps slightly. Tie with a piece of cotton butcher twine.

Place salmon wrapped packet on the hot grill; keep away from direct flames. Close grill and cook for 7-10 minutes or until done. Cooking times will vary.

Serve in the wrap. Cedar-wrapped entrées are beautiful and a great way to serve your guests at parties.

Keep a spray bottle filled with water close by in case of flare-ups, and enjoy the sweet smell of cedar smoke.

You can buy cedar wood products for grilling inexpensively at big box hardware stores in the bbq section, and local grocery stores.

What type of salmon filets should I use?


For the best salmon steaks, use a wild-caught variety. Some of the best salmon fish are from the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Wild salmon is preferred for taste if you're going with Pacific salmon, of which there are five types: King, Sockeye, Coho, Pink, and Chum.

Chinook Salmon (King) - Rich, high in fat, a large fish.
Coho Salmon (Silver) - Lighter subtle flavor, medium fat.
Pink Salmon (Humpback) - Light, mild, lower in fat.
Sockeye Salmon (Red) - Strong flavor, bright red color, leaner.
Silverbrite Salmon (Chum/Keta/Dog) - Pale to medium-colored, usually canned or frozen, lower in fat.
Steelhead - Flavor varies, pink-orange flesh.
Atlantic Salmon - Mild, well priced, mostly farmed, and controversial as they are overfished in the wild.

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A wooden platter with cedar wrapped salmon, asparagus, and lemon butter.
Print Pin Recipe

Cedar Grilled Salmon

Cedar Grilled Salmon with asparagus, zucchini ribbons, and a delicious lemon dill fish butter. This healthy dinner cooks everything at once!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 68kcal
Author Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Cedar Grilling Planks
Grilling Cedar Wraps
White Cotton Butcher String

Ingredients

Grilled Salmon and Vegetables

  • 4 pieces salmon fish
  • 20 asparagus 6-8” spears trimmed pieces
  • 1 zucchini cut into ribbons
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ Grill Dry Rub
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 fresh lemon cut into ¼" half-round slices

Salmon Butter

  • ½ cup butter softened (salted or unsalted butter)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt (kosher sea salt)
  • 1 lemon fresh lemon juice and zest

Instructions

Make Lemon-Dill Salmon Butter

  • In a small bowl, place the room temperature soft butter, zest of one fresh lemon, one squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined using a small spatula, place on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
  • Push the lemon dill butter into a long roll shape using the plastic wrap or paper to get it about an inch wide in a long roll. Twist the ends closed. Place in fridge to firm up and use that day. Slice into coins, and serve over grilled fish, potatoes, or asparagus. Will keep in the freezer for up to two months. Wrap well and store in a freezer zip top bag.

Prep Cedar Salmon and Vegetables

  • Soak cedar wraps/butcher string or cedar planks for 20 minutes in cool water. This prevents them from catching on fire while grilling. Slice lemons in ¼" half rounds. Peel the zucchini using a potato peeler then cut wide ribbons down the full length of the zucchini using a potato peeler.
  • On a plate, drizzle a little olive oil on cleaned asparagus and microwave for 15-30 seconds. This pre-cooks the asparagus perfectly.
  • In cedar wraps: on the diagonal, lay a piece of salmon skin side down, sprinkle on spice rub, and layer with asparagus, zucchini ribbons, and lemon slices. Tie with butcher string that was soaked in cold water.
  • On the cedar plank: place cedar plank down, then lay a piece of salmon skin side down, sprinkle spice rub, and layer with asparagus, zucchini ribbons, and lemon slices.

Grill Salmon

  •  Heat the grill to medium heat, so the temperature of your gas grill reaches 450 degrees.
  • Cook for 7-8 minutes grill time until salmon is cooked through. It will turn to a lighter color and 145 degrees internal temperature on a meat thermometer. Salmon cooks very fast on an outdoor grill, so keep an eye on it. You can also add a few wood chips to add additional smoke flavor.
  • Serve this easy grilled salmon warm with lemon butter.

Notes

Salmon

Use a wild-caught salmon variety,  some of the best salmon fish are Chinook, King, Coho, Silver, and Pink/Humpback.
For this recipe, I used skin off Coho/Silver Salmon from Trader Joe's. For the best salmon steaks, use a wild-caught variety. 
For this recipe, you can use skin-on or skinless because the cedar wrap keeps the fish moist and you don't have to worry about it sticking to the grill!

Salmon Fish Rub Seasoning

Try my Rub Recipe or sub in one you have or make at home!

When is salmon done? 

Grilled Salmon starts out a raw pink translucent color and turns whiter or opaque lighter with a pink color.
A 1" thick filet without a cedar wrap takes about 8 minutes of grilling. What you want to do is check for doneness, by taking a sharp knife to peek into the thickest part of the fish. As the fish starts to flake, it will still be a bit raw in the middle, it is done.
It should not, however, look totally raw. And again look for that 145-degree internal temperature. Pull off the grill, cover with foil, and rest for at least 5 minutes to finish cooking.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 27.6mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let's see it on Instagram! Follow us @Delicious.Table and tag us on your recipe photo with #delicioustable
Need ingredients or equipment to make this recipe? Shop Now Every cooking product recommended I own, use, and love how they perform in my kitchen. Happy Cooking! Lisa
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Delicious Table earns advertising fees from qualified purchases linking to Amazon.com
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cathy says

    June 19, 2019 at 8:19 pm

    I have to check out these cedar wraps! Your meal is pure perfection.

    Reply
  2. Jessica Robinson says

    May 30, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    5 stars
    This is the coolest post ever! I had never heard of cedar wraps until now!! How cool are these! And that salmon?! Looks SO delicious! Perfect for the grilling season!

    Reply

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