Chef Tom's Grilled Barbecue Salmon with Peanut Slaw is a delicious, no-fuss meal that comes together easily! Enjoy the succulent flavors of grilled barbecue salmon with a side of flavorful peanut slaw.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Marinating the salmon before it ever touches the grill layers citrus, honey, and Cajun spice into the fish itself, not just the surface
- Building the slaw dressing's wet ingredients first keeps the chipotle and garlic evenly distributed before the cabbage and peanuts go in
- Grilling flesh-side down first sears in color and flavor, while finishing skin-side down protects the delicate flesh from overcooking against direct flame
- A last-minute brush of grilling sauce right before the salmon comes off adds a glossy glaze without burning the sugars over prolonged heat
Grilled Barbecue Salmon with Peanut Slaw
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
1201
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for this quick and EASY Grilled Barbecue Salmon with Peanut Slaw recipe!
Ingredients
-
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce
-
2 tbsp Reida Farm Kansas Wildflower Honey
- 2 clove garlic, minced
-
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Seasoning
- 4 (12 oz) filets skin on salmon
-
Plowboys BBQ Fin & Feather Seasoning
-
Firebug Mild Grillin’ Sauce
- 4 cups (12 oz) savoy cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups honey roasted peanuts
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled (optional)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup cultured buttermilk
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
- 2 tsp white vinegar
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, to taste
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, fresh cracked, to taste
For the marinade:
For the Peanut Slaw:
Directions
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Place your salmon in a plastic zip top bag. Add the marinade. Let soak for 30-45 minutes, in the refrigeration.
- To make the slaw, first combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, chipotles in adobo and white vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the cabbage, carrot, peanuts and blue cheese in a bowl. Add the slaw dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Remove the salmon from the marinade. Season with Plowboys Fin & Feather.
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 425ºF, set up for direct grilling with the standard grates in place. Clean the grates well with a grill brush. Spray with fat (oil, duck fat, etc.).
- Place the salmon on the grates, directly over the flame, flesh side down. Close the lid and let cook until lightly charred. Flip and continue cooking, skin side down, with the door closed, until the internal temperature reaches 135ºF-140ºF. You can move the salmon away from or toward the direct flame in order to achieve your desired amount of char.
Just before removing the salmon from the grill, brush on a thin layer of Firebug Mild Grillin’ Sauce.
- Remove the salmon from the grill and serve warm, topped with the peanut slaw.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why marinate the salmon before seasoning it again with Fin & Feather?
The marinade works citrus, honey, and Cajun flavor into the fish over 30-45 minutes. Seasoning again just before grilling adds a second, more concentrated layer of flavor right at the surface where it'll be most noticeable.
Why mix the slaw's wet ingredients before adding the cabbage and peanuts?
Whisking the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, and chipotle together first distributes that flavor evenly, so tossing it with the cabbage afterward coats everything at once rather than pooling unevenly at the bottom of the bowl.
Why grill the salmon flesh-side down first, then flip to skin-side down?
Starting flesh-side down builds color and a light char on the more delicate side while the pan is at its hottest. Finishing skin-side down protects that same flesh from direct flame for the rest of the cook, letting the skin act as a buffer.
Why brush on the grilling sauce only right before pulling the salmon off?
Adding it at the very end gives the salmon a glossy glaze without exposing the sauce's sugars to heat long enough to burn, which would happen if it went on earlier in the cook.
Does the 135-140°F target actually get the salmon fully done?
Not quite — USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for fish is 145°F, and this range falls short by 5-10 degrees. Continue cooking until the salmon reaches at least 145°F rather than pulling within the 135-140°F window.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 — a hot cast iron skillet or grill pan on the stovetop can replicate the sear and finish; the grill mainly adds char flavor a stovetop can't fully match.
Recipe Highlights
Citrus-honey-Cajun marinade: Builds flavor into the fish itself before it ever reaches the grill.
Wet-first slaw assembly: Distributes the chipotle-buttermilk dressing evenly before the cabbage goes in.
Flesh-then-skin grilling order: Sears the delicate side first, then shields it for the rest of the cook.
Last-minute sauce glaze: Adds shine and flavor without risking burnt sugars.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 13.81 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 1201
- Carbs
- 36 grams
- Protein
- 69 grams
- Fat
- 90 grams
- Sodium
- 1536 milligrams
