Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Recipes

Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon (or, Salmon with Lemon and Pepper Sauce)

June 10, 2013

I've somehow morphed my blogging schedule into this weekly theme sorta thing. Not sure how that happened, but we're just running with it. This week - grilling in a less obvious way.

Admit it, when you hear someone talk about "grilling," you automatically think about burgers and hot dogs. Maybe ribs and bratwurst. All of those are toward the top of my list of things I love to eat, but the grill is perhaps the most versatile cooking apparatus out there. You can grill almost anything and it will be as good or better than using a pan or oven. So I want to share a few things you can do with your grill that you might never have done before, and hopefully we'll get those coals blazing all summer long.

I don't consider myself a food snob. I would say I'm pretty openminded and will eat just about anything. I mean, how picky could I possibly be when microwaved corn dogs are one of my favorite snacks? That said, lemon pepper is where I get a little snobby. Lemon and pepper make a wonderful pair, but lemon pepper is just lazy. Is it really too much effort to mix lemon, salt, pepper and a little sugar? It will take 30 seconds and be infinitely better than lemon pepper seasoning mix. Someone left a bottle of lemon pepper at our apartment 4 years ago and I can count on zero fingers the number of times we've used it. I should just toss it out. Actually, I'm gonna do it now. brb.

Ok I'm back. It took some digging but I found it by an old jar of bay leaves I didn't know I had. I kept the bay leaves. Tossed the lemon pepper. Moving on.

The list of ingredients I just gave for lemon pepper would make a great seasoning, but I'm going to share another lemon pepper recipe today - my grilled lemon pepper salmon. But it's not the type of lemon pepper you're thinking. Check it.

Here's what you need:
• 1 1/2 jalapeños
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 lemon
• 2 green onions
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pinches of salt
3-4 grinds black pepper (like a teaspoon or so)

This is a lemon pepper sauce where the "pepper" refers to green bell and jalapeños, not black pepper. Trust me, it's good.

First, the bulleted ingredients get grilled on high heat. Cut the lemon in half and just lay it face down on the grill. For the peppers, turn frequently and be sure to get a nice even char. The peppers take the longest, so start them first, then add your lemon and then the green onion. The green onion goes fast. Once grilled, remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the green pepper and the jalapeños. No need to peel the peppers, unless you have a blender that won't be able to annihilate the skins. If you're blender will struggle, take the peppers from the grill and put them into a ziplock bag immediately. Leave for about 5 minutes and the skin should come right off.

Squeeze the juice from the lemons into a blender (careful for the seeds - don't want them to sneak in. use a strainer if needed). Add the rest of the ingredients listed above and blend on high until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings however you like.

Once that's done, get to grilling the salmon fillets. Be sure to keep the skin on for grilling. Scrape off the scales and rinse in cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and rub with a little light olive oil (not extra virgin). Sprinkle each piece with a pinch of salt, 2-3 grinds of black pepper, and  grill on medium heat, skin side down. Cook it most of the way with the skin side down to get the skin nice and crispy. Most people won't eat it, but some people will if it's crispy enough. You may want to brush a little oil to the top before flipping, to keep it from sticking. Only grill on the top for a minute or two. If it seems undercooked, flip it back over to the skin side, close the grill and let it "bake" until you're satisfied with it. Salmon is notorious for sticking, and it begins flaking very easily once cooked, so be careful; employ some finesse and patience. Serve with grilled asparagus (asparagus tossed in oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper - grilled until done), and top the salmon with your lemon pepper sauce, like so:

The sauce is fresh with a kick, and will rock your socks off. I'm sure of it. Paired with the salmon (or even chicken), it's a great summertime dinner and will leave you feeling full, but also good about yourself because it's healthy. So make it for your family or friends and see how they react. I bet you'll never look at lemon pepper dishes the same way again.

filed under: 
— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Ohhhhh my goodness! I've had this saved in my inbox for a while and finally got around to making it tonight. YUM!! Thank you for this delicious recipe!

    1. Ok, so I just had to send you a little update (yeah, I'm the same as anonymous...). I had some leftover sauce from making this the other night and I really wanted to use it for lunch today when my friends came over (because, well, that sauce was impressive!). When I made it for my husband and I, I served it on chicken because my husband isn't really a big salmon guy. So today I decided to try it on some fish-- I served it over macadamia nut encrusted mahi mahi with a sprinkling of lump crab meat on top and grilled asparagus on the side. Ohhhh man it was SO so good and my friends loved it. Thanks for making me look like such a pro in the kitchen! Keep posting your delicious creations! :)

  2. This sounds amazing! I love peppers, but I'm one of those people that hates cilantro! If there's too much of it in something or if I can bite down on the tiniest piece of leaf or stem, it really ruins things for me. So, my question is, do you have any suggestions for a substitute or should I just leave the cilantro out? I've heard some say to replace the cilantro with parsley, so I'm wondering if that's what you might recommend or if you have any other ideas/opinions on the matter?

  3. Can't wait to try this.
    I made your BBQ sauce with the oven ribs on Sunday for my family and they LOVED it. I even served the broccoli salad as a side.
    I like your cooking style Chris! Thanks for entering the Blog world :)

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Lifestyle

Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

This post is sponsored by Neighborly, Your Hub for Home Services The beginning of the year we're always thinking "spring cleaning." But in fall, I like to cover our bases on home maintenance before we have guests or face colder weather. I usually like to split the tasks between things we tackle ourselves and things we […]
The Marcum family dressed as characters from the classic edition of Clue: The Game.
Entertaining

Our Halloween Family Costumes 2024: I'll Give You One Clue

It was Professor Plum, with the knife, in the Conservatory. Happy Halloween from Clue characters: 1986 edition! Shop Costume Inspiration Over the years, we've dressed as everything from dolls and monsters to Peter Pan, E.T. characters, and The Wizard of Oz. But in the last several years, one of our kids has usually chosen our costumes. If you look back, you […]
Wayfair Holiday Christmas collage round up
Decor

The Best Holiday Finds at Wayfair

This post is sponsored by Wayfair We bought this gorgeous, extremely realistic tree from Wayfair in 2019. It may be my best Christmas find ever because it has moved across the country with us, and it's the first thing we decorate every year (and that last thing we put away when the season is over). […]
product lines

Meet the New Chris Loves Julia x Loloi Pillows for Fall 2024

With the Chris Loves Julia x Loloi Rugs launch this season, we just had to add some new pillows too! For this collection, like all of our lines, we designed the pillows colorwise and pattern-wise to all work together. But there are some fun surprises too (including new floor pillows and a brand-new ruffle pillow […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES