Grilled Salmon Salmoriglio with Olives
Salmon Salmoriglio is one of the simplest ways to make grilled salmon taste like it came straight from a restaurant on the Italian coast. Salmoriglio is a traditional Sicilian sauce made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic and tender herbs. In this version, the salmon marinates in half of that lemony herb sauce, soaking up layers of parsley, oregano and garlic before it hits the grill. The remaining sauce gets blended with a handful of green olives for a tapenade-style finishing sauce that’s still light, refreshing, and just a little bit briny. Spoon it generously over the warm, grilled salmon and suddenly you’re dining al fresco with an ocean breeze. It’s elegant without being fussy, and just as good on an outdoor grill as it is on a cast-iron grill pan inside.
How this Salmon Salmoriglio fits AIP, Paleo and Whole30
Salmon salmoriglio is fully compatible with AIP Core, AIP Modified, Paleo and Whole30. The recipe is built around whole, minimally processed ingredients: fresh lemon juice (never bottled), generous handfuls of tender herbs, high-quality olive oil, wild-caught salmon, and olives brined simply in water and salt. It’s a straightforward, anti-inflammatory recipe for grilling salmon.
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Start by making the marinade. You’ll need the leafy half of a bunch of parsley, plus about half as much fresh oregano. Strip the leaves and discard the woody oregano stems. There’s no substituting dried herbs in this recipe. Fresh oregano is soft, light and citrusy and may make you see oregano in a whole different light. Throw in two good-sized cloves of garlic, salt and olive oil, then blend until the herbs are finely chopped and the sauce is pourable.
Spoon half of the sauce over four salmon filets, then add another half teaspoon of salt. Toss everything to coat, cover and let the salmon marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. And honestly, if you’re in a hurry, you can skip the marinating step and go right to the grill.
You’ll still have half of the herb sauce left in the food processor. Throw in a handful of pitted green olives and pulse a few times to incorporate the olives into the sauce. It will start to look like a tapenade — more spoonable than pourable. Make any adjustments you’d like from here: Stir in a little more olive oil to loosen it up, add another squeeze of lemon juice or another pinch of salt, to your taste.
Take the salmon to the grill. Either an indoor cast-iron grill or an outdoor grill, whichever you prefer. I find that grilling on an indoor stovetop pan gives me that charred smoky flavor I’m looking for. Make sure there’s plenty of marinade on the fish and oil on the grill so nothing will stick, then lay the filets down to sear. They’ll lift easily as soon as they’re ready to flip. Cook them on both sides for about four minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches your preferred doneness. I like my salmon around 120°, which is medium, or you can go as far as 140° to 145° for well-done. (Discard any leftover marinade.)
Transfer the salmon to a platter and spoon the olive and herb salmoriglio sauce over the top. Garnish with lemon for squeezing and be sure to serve extra sauce on the side. This grilled salmon salmoriglio recipe is perfect for the warm days of summer. It’s an easy way to use up the fresh herbs in your garden and try a new take on a classic, laid-back Mediterranean-inspired dish.
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Grilled Salmon Salmoriglio with Olives FAQ
Grilled Salmon Salmoriglio with Olives
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
- ¼ cup fresh oregano, loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
- 1½ lb salmon, about four filets
- ¼ cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Picholine
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend lemon juice, parsley, fresh oregano, garlic, ⅓ cup of olive oil, and ½ teaspoon of salt until the herbs are finely chopped and the mixture is pourable.
- Spoon half of the sauce over the salmon. Add an additional ½ teaspoon of salt and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate to marinate for 30 minutes to one hour.
- Add the olives to the remaining sauce in the processor and pulse until finely chopped, then stir in the remaining olive oil to loosen as needed.
- Season with salt or an extra squeeze of lemon, to taste.
- Heat a cast-iron grill pan or outdoor grill and cook the salmon 4-6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 120°–125° for medium or 140°–145° for well done. Discard the marinade.
- Transfer the salmon to a serving platter and spoon the olive and herb sauce over, with additional sauce on the side for dipping and sliced lemons, if desired.
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I love a sauce that does double duty as a marinade and a finishing drizzle…