The Rule You Need To Remember When Grilling Salmon With The Skin On

When the high heat of a grill meets the delicate flesh of a cut of salmon, the result is a beautifully smoked, butter-tasting fillet. Still, a grill's intense temperatures can be hard on fragile proteins such as fish, so you have to be extra careful during the cooking process to keep those filets intact and flavorful. Luckily, there are some tried-and-true precautions fish lovers can take to prevent the flesh from sticking and flaking all over the grill grates. One such rule you need to remember when grilling salmon is to grill the salmon skin-side up. 

While this tip might go against some conventional wisdom, it actually makes a lot of sense. Salmon becomes flaky only after it's cooked, when the flesh shrinks and becomes tender under heat. Raw salmon, on the other hand, remains firm and intact. For this reason, you should start grilling your salmon with the flesh-side down first. Then, after you've gotten a nice initial sear on the flesh, you can flip the salmon over and put that protective coating down to prevent the flesh from sticking. 

While most chefs have been taught to grill this fish with the skin-side down first, that logic is actually somewhat backwards and probably a big reason why salmon is so notorious for falling all over the grill in the first place. Starting with the flesh-side down instead is really what prevents the fish from falling apart and will save you some headaches down the line.

Still, because of the delicate nature of salmon, a little sticking is really inevitable, so make sure to take some other preventative measures to keep that margin of error small. Brush your grill grates and salmon in a generous amount of oil to prevent sticking from happening, and grilling salmon on top of a cedar plank can also prevent further sticking. Flipping your salmon quickly with utensils like tongs or a spatula are key, and only touch your fillets when they're really ready to flip. 

Finally, if you've been grilling salmon without the skin, that might be the source of all your problems. Some professional chefs like José Andrés claim it's the best part of grilled fish thanks to its crispiness when cooked and ability to lock in flavor. Plus, once your fillet is heated, it's one of the only things keeping the fillet together, so it's essential for more reasons than one.

From whole fillets to center cuts (which some say are king for grilling thanks to their uniformity), this hack applies to any salmon variety. While grilling salmon with the skin-side up may have seemed awkward at first mention, clearly it comes with its fair share of positives. For those who are still skeptical, that's understandable, and honestly grilling with the skin-side down can be just as good of an option in the right situation. For example, some say grilling salmon with the skin-side down first makes for a crispier end product. So, if you're a fan of an extra crunchy contrast between your salmon flesh and its skin, that option might be something to further explore.

All in all, the grilling process for salmon should be relatively short, with actual cooking times varying depending on the thickness of your fillets. Still, a lot can go wrong in that short period of time, so keep an eye on your filets until they're ready to serve.