Perfectly grilled salmon is topped with a tangy tomato caper vinaigrette in this easy weeknight grilling recipe!
The salmon is rich and moist and pairs perfectly with the sweet tomatoes and the tart capers. This will become your favorite grilled salmon recipe!
It's summertime and the grilling is easy! Especially when you have a gas grill. A gas grill makes it so easy to grill fast recipes like this grilled salmon.
This easy grilled recipe is perfect for weeknight grilling. It's so fast that you make the vinaigrette first and let the flavors blend, while you quickly grill the salmon.
Light and healthy and a real show stopper. It looks like something you would get in a restaurant, only you need to know how easy it is!
Ingredients.
- Tomatoes - you can use any tomatoes, but gorgeous ripe summer tomatoes have the best flavor!
- Red onion - if you want even more zing in your vinaigrette, you can use Quick Pickled Red Onions, I always have a jar of these in my fridge.
- Capers, extra virgin olive oil.
- Vinegar - the recipe calls for sherry vinegar, but I use whatever I have handy. Infused Basil Vinegar is especially nice.
- Fresh thyme and basil.
- Salmon - I used farm salmon, it's fattier and grills up especially moist.
Tips for easy grilling.
This is a perfect example of easy weeknight grilling - or easy weekend grilling. Perfectly ripe tomatoes, red onions, and capers are paired with fresh herb vinaigrette. You can make the vinaigrette ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to grill the salmon, then just bring it to room temperature.
With this flavorful vinaigrette, the salmon doesn't need anything more than a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Grilling Salmon - The directions on the recipe are to cook the salmon on one side and then flip and cook on the other. My salmon filets were cooked perfectly without the flip, so you can decide whether to flip or not. Also, I grill my salmon skin side down. You don't get the grill marks on top of the salmon, but you don't have to worry as much about it sticking to the grates.
I found this recipe in an old Bobby Flay cookbook - Boy Gets Grill!
This really is so easy and so delicious! The tomato vinaigrette could also be used on any other grilled fish or grilled chicken. It's so light and healthy!
Perfectly grilled salmon topped with a tangy homemade tomato vinaigrette!
More salmon recipes.
Recipe.
**As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Grilled Salmon with Tomato Caper Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes cored, seeded and diced
- ¼ red onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
Salmon
- 4 8-ounce salmon filets with the skin
- canola oil
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. If made in advance, store in fridge and remove and let come to room temperature and mix well before serving.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush the salmon on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill skin side down for 3-4 minutes (this was enough for me). Turn and move to a cooler part of the grill to cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Serve the salmon with the vinaigrette over the top.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
This was originally published in 2015 and has been updated for 2023.
Joss says
Had this with grilled zucchini, so good!
Ann says
That salmon is such a versatile ingredient. You can do just about anything to it. A delicious looking dish.
Pam Greer says
Thanks Ann! We eat a lot of salmon around here!
Katherines Corner says
Thank you for sharing your yumminess at the Thursday Favorite Things blog party. Pinned and feature today Hugs!
Miz Helen says
Your Salmon looks delicious with the Tomato Caper Vinaigrette. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us here at Full Plate Thursday. We hope to see you again real soon.
Miz Helen
Ann says
This looks delicious Pam and we get beautiful salmon from the pristine waters of Tasmania.
Sandee says
Oh yummy. One of my favorite meals. I love all things salmon.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Dini @ The Flavor Bender says
This is beautiful Pam! 🙂 A gas grill is on my wishlist, but not anytime soon 🙁 But till then a girl can dream right? That salmon looks so beautiful!!
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
That vinaigrette! The capers are totally doing it for me. And I love Salmon always and forever. Sooooo, grilling question. Did you close the grill on this salmon? Do you ever? What's your criteria? One day I'll own a grill and I want to be prepared. Thanks for linking up at #SaucySaturdays.
Pam Greer says
I always close the grill. I think everything cooks more evenly that way.
Ann says
Definitely putting this recipe on the summer rotation. It reads and loos delicious.
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
The tomato caper vinaigrette sounds delicious, and this salmon looks amazing!
JessicaJ says
I am intrigued by this vinaigrette, it sounds delicious! I bet it would pair well with other recipes as well. As soon as I get my hands on some salmon, I'm going to try this! Have a great weekend Pam! 🙂
Joanne says
My mom has a gas grill now, but they did used to have charcoal and YES grilling was an ordeal. Love the simplicity of this! Plus anything with capers is something I want to be eating.
Barbara says
That's a beautiful dish, Pam. Love the tomato vinaigrette!