This spice rubbed salmon recipe is a little bit spicy, a little bit smoky and a whole lot good. Rubbed with love and topped with a delightful Cilantro Lime Butter, this just might become your favorite grilled salmon recipe. So perfect for a quick dinner that packs a lot of flavor.
We love the results of grilled food, both from our gas and charcoal Webers. And think the aroma of a steak or burger wafting from those hot grates is about the best smell ever.
But have to admit I’m not a fan of the task of grilling. I’d much rather be in the air-conditioned kitchen chopping, dicing, fussing, sautéing, stirring, simmering, stewing, and braising, or sitting in the shade in my lawn chair with my glass of wine, watching someone else grill. ::::shrug
So with all that said, I’m so very excited to announce that we now have a griller in the house.
Bob received a certificate to a cooking class from our Son Sean for Christmas. Sean suggested Bob enroll in the baking class because there would be more “chicks” there, (thanks Son) but after a long study of the lineup, Bob chose the grilling class.
So off he went to Kitchen Table Cooking School over at Landmark last week. I was stunned with his first solo meal off our home grill, after his class to learn how to cook Spiced Rubbed Salmon With Cilantro-Lime Butter. Let’s take a look.
First of all, take a look at the line-up of ingredients for this impressive and rich-colored blend of spices for the rub. The aroma was intoxicating.
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Smoked Paprika
- Cayenne
- Garlic Powder
- Cumin
- Black Pepper
Yes please.
Pat salmon filets dry, slather in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, sprinkle on rub and rub into salmon. Shake off the excess rub and grill to desired doneness.
For the grand finale, dollop each salmon fillet with Cilantro Lime Butter.
It’s easy to make. Softened butter mixed with cilantro, parsley, honey, lime and salt and pepper. = DIVINE.
This is a photo after that wonderful Cilantro-Lime Butter oozed itself over and into the salmon. This salmon was perfectly cooked, juicy, tender and crazy with flavor. Hands down some of the best salmon I’ve ever had.
An impressive outcome for Bob’s first grilling project, especially since the wind was blowing a gale and it was cold out there and fish can be tricky to start with.
Look at this guy, one class and he’s a better chopper than I’ve ever been.
Recipe for Spice Rubbed Salmon with Cilantro Lime Butter
I hope you give this spice rubbed salmon recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite recipe for spice rubbed salmon, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Grilled Salmon Recipes
- Cedar Plank Salmon with Mushroom Red Wine Reduction Sauce
- Grilled Copper River Salmon
- Mexican Salmon with Salsa Verde
and this recipe I found for Sesame Chili Grilled Salmon from The Reluctant Entertainer sounds divine.
And if you’re looking for more super fast seafood dinner ideas, you won’t want to miss this broiled halibut recipe, Heavenly Halibut.
Spice Rubbed Salmon with Cilantro Lime Butter
Ingredients
- 4 Salmon Fillets
- Spice Rub For The Salmon
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 Tablespoon Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon New Mexico Chile Powder or Cayenne, or Ancho
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
- For the Cilantro Lime Butter
- 4 Tablespoons Butter room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1/2 Lime juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the spice rub. Set aside.
- Bring butter to room temperature.
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the Cilantro Lime Butter. Set aside.
- Sprinkle the spice mix over the salmon fillets and gently rub into the meat. Shake the excess rub off the salmon fillets.
- Light a grill and preheat to 500 degrees. Turn heat down to 350 degrees. Place salmon fillets on grill. Cook 12 – 15 minutes or until salmon is just starting to flake.
- Serve immediately and top each salmon fillet with a dollop of the cilantro lime butter.
Nutrition
Spice Rubbed Salmon with Cilantro-Lime Butter…It’s What’s for Dinner.
My hubby is the griller in the family and we grill a lot of salmon. This is a must make. I’m always looking for new ways to cook it. I can see it served with a mango salsa on the side to go with the cilantro lime butter.
Kristi
Looks delicious! That cilantro lime butter I will be making for sure. I don’t have Cilantro so instead I’ll use our Chadon Beni. The taste is the same as Cilantro just stronger so I will have to adjust it a bit 🙂
The cilantro lime butter looks great. It reminds me of a brunch that i attended. There was a bowl of green condiment. I thought it was avocado, but it was wasabi sauce. Oh my!
Well hello there ChiliB! Ohmy about that wasabi. No need for coffee, Bet that woke you right up. 🙂
Lea Ann, it looks like Bob is just a natural. Maybe he should just join all the cooking classes and share the recipes with us, that would make our blogger life a lot easier!
I really like the ingredients of the rub and cilantro is one of my favorite, too. I still have several very nice pieces of wild caught pacific salmon in my freezer. Can’t wait to start grilling.
Yes, we will definitely have a big Swedish meatball lunch as soon IKEA opens its doors. I can hardly wait.
Love the cilantro lime butter. Perfect for the dish.
That butter is going to be on top of so many more things Ellie, it’s delicious. As always thanks for stopping by and the comment.
I dislike grilling myself. I leave that up to the hubby. That salmon looks fantastic, I may need to forward this recipe over to him 😉
Thanks for stopping by and the comment. Lots of good flavors here.
Whoa.
I chose the baking class and was hit on by multiple chicks…
But man, from now on, if Bob’s grillin’ it, i’m swillin’ it.
Well, if YOU were hit on multiple times, I can’t imagine the harassment Bob would have received… 🙂
He grilled the same meal last night just so he could make sure he “had it down”. Mmmmmm I swilled! Delicious.
Howdy, neighbor! It was great to meet you today. What a fantastic group!
This salmon is the kind of meal that makes me long for summer. It looks like a crowd pleaser too. I’ll have to give it a go when the winds die down and the temperature climbs a bit… I’m a fair-weather griller. 🙂
It was really nice to meet you too. Can’t believe how close we live. I’m with you, I’m a fair weather griller. Bob is braving the winds and heading out there to do it all over again. Nice to be the recipient of such a great meal two weekends in a row. He just wants to make sure he has perfected this thing. 🙂
looks like he has aced his grilling course delicious meal
Boy I sure think so Rebecca! We’re getting ready for Saturday night round 2! 🙂
Woot woot, go Bob!
Yeah, I don’t like grilling much either (snicker).
LOL Chris, I’ve noticed.
JUST got back to town and am checking email when I see you blogging about Bob making a delicious salmon dinner?? Yum – I love the ingredients in that rub. I can tell it would be bursting with flavor. And the cilantro butter made my mouth water! I am totally with you on not being an avid griller – preferring instead to work on the rest while my griller does the outdoor part. (though I went through a mesquite wood phase in Texas where I was hell-bent on learning a little) I’m inspired to try to do more on the gas grill after reading your post. Very nice. One last thing. Try a pinch of smoked paprika, a pinch of good chile powder and a dash of cayenne with sea salt and olive oil on popcorn. Girl!
So where have you been? I’m am so trying a pinch of smoked paprika, a pinch of good chile powder and a dash of cayenne with salt and olive oil on popcorn!!! This morning. 🙂
So…a pinch of smoked paprika, and I’m coughing a bit…but what a rush. sorry, just kidding.
The popcorn salt/smoked paprika/cayenne/chili powder/ oilive oil/ whatever else/are you serious? Not Kidding ! I’m IN
No way I can sort all this out. But I’m all the way in.
I think this would pair very nicely for our next Wine Time! I’ve gotta give it a try and I think you sound like the perfect and willing guinea pig.
Mmmm… Zio grills fish for us every weekend. I admit that’s the day I look forward to dinner most. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Liz, keep your fingers crossed that I too will have a weekend griller.
Sounds like you already do 😉
I do believe you’re right Liz. He’s already got something planned for Oscar night. 🙂
Wow wow wow! I’m not a griller either, but I might have to learn if the results are that good! Love that cilantro lime butter. Just perfect for the salmon.
Joanne, that butter is to die for.
Love all the spices in that rub – smoked paprika has become a favorite of mine. I bet the cilantro butter would be good on different fish, too. I’m thinking trout and halibut.
I am very looking forward to more recipes that include smoked paprika. Love it. That butter would be good on anything. Delicious. Thanks for stopping by Karen.