Valentina Ablaev
This grilled salmon salad is the ultimate summer meal, packed with fresh flavors, vibrant vegetables, and plenty of protein. Tender, smoky grilled salmon is paired with crisp greens, colorful veggies, and a creamy homemade dressing that ties every bite together. Light yet satisfying, this grilled salmon salad is bursting with texture and flavor, making it the perfect choice for backyard BBQs, summer gatherings, or an easy lunch you’ll actually look forward to eating.
What is a Grilled Salmon Salad?
Grilled salmon salad is a fresh, protein-packed dish that combines flaky grilled salmon with crisp greens, fresh vegetables, and flavorful toppings. Our version features grilled salmon served over a bed of mixed greens with juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and hard-boiled eggs for a satisfying balance of textures and flavors. This salad is both healthy and satisfying.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Customizable. Salads are easy to make and personalize to fit your tastes! Swap out ingredients, add your favorite toppings, or mix and match vegetables. The possibilities for this grilled salmon salad are endless.
- Protein-packed. Between the grilled salmon and hard-boiled eggs, this salad is loaded with protein to keep you feeling full, satisfied, and energized.
- Meal prep friendly. This salad is perfect for meal prep. Simply assemble the ingredients in containers and keep the dressing on the side for a quick and easy lunch throughout the week.
What Makes This Grilled Salmon Salad Healthy
This salmon salad is delicious, easy to make, and healthy! This dish is packed with protein, healthy fats, and fresh veggies, making for a salad that will keep you full and satisfied for hours.
What Dressing Goes Best with Grilled Salmon Salad
This loaded grilled salmon salad is best served with a tangy and sweet dressing. Our creamy poppy seed dressing is another perfect dressing to elevate this salad. You can also serve this salad with our greek salad dressing, which brings a zesty kick to every bite.
Ingredients for Grilled Salmon Salad
- Dressing – A simple dressing made with mayo, oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, and seasoning.
- Grilled salmon -A seasoned salmon fillet, grilled to smoky perfection.
- Greens – Mixed greens or romaine lettuce are the perfect salad base.
- Eggs – Hard-boiled eggs add great flavor and texture to salads, and, as in a cobb salad, make this salmon salad extra delicious.
- Veggies – We finish off this salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and sliced red onion. This variety brings so much flavor and texture to every bite, but you can totally customize the vegetables you add.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- We love mixing the dressing in a mason jar, and bonus points if you make extra and store it in the fridge.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check that your salmon is cooked through.
- A large salad bowl makes the presentation of this salad extra grand!
Salmon Salad Toppings
Make this salad your own with a variety of fun and delicious toppings:
- Bacon – Chopped bacon bits add the perfect crunch and flavor to any salad.
- Nuts – Elevate any salad with walnuts, pecans, or even candied walnuts for an extra crunch.
- Grains – Just like our classic harvest bowl, this salad can be made extra filling and flavorful with quinoa.
- Dried fruit – Craisins are a great addition to any salad and add the perfect texture and sweetness.
Expert Tips:
- Don’t overcook the salmon. When making this salad, a juicy salmon is key. Be extra careful not to overcook the salmon when preparing this salad.
- Prep in advance. Grilled the salmon in advance and refrigerated it until ready to build the salad. This way, you have all the components ready to go!
- Dress right before serving. No one wants a soggy salad, and the best way to prevent it is to dress it right before serving.
How to Make Grilled Salmon Salad
Step-by-step instructions for making the salad:
- Make the dressing. Add the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake well until smooth and fully combined.
- Season the salmon. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the salmon. Mix the seasonings and evenly coat the salmon on all sides.
- Grill the salmon. Oil the grill grates and preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the salmon for 4–5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- Build the salad. Add the greens to a large salad bowl and arrange the eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and onion on top.
- Add the salmon. Place the grilled salmon over the salad.
- Dress the salad. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad ingredients.
- Serve and enjoy. Serve immediately and enjoy!
What Temperature Should Salmon be Grilled To
When grilling salmon, check the internal temperature and cook until it reaches 145°F. The easiest way to do this is to use an instant-read thermometer. This way, you’ll never have overcooked, dry salmon again.
No Grill? No Problem!
If you don’t have a grill or don’t want to grill the salmon, there are a few other great ways to prepare it. A pan-seared blackened salmon delivers incredible flavor and can be made on the stovetop! You can even make salmon in the air fryer for an extra healthy alternative.
How to Serve Grilled Salmon Salad
- Bread: Serve this salad with a fresh slice of homemade focaccia or fresh dinner rolls for a filling and delicious meal.
- Veggie side: Enjoy this salad with a side of vegetables for a balanced and delicious meal! Crispy bacon and brussel sprouts are a hearty side, or you can keep it simple with air-fryer asparagus.
- Summer BBQ: Enjoy this salmon salad with a variety of BBQ sides. Creamy macaroni salad and BBQ pulled pork are the perfect sides for a grilled salmon salad.
- Soup and salad: A classic combination! Serve this salmon salad with a creamy vegetable soup or a classic potato soup for a perfect, filling, and delicious combination.
Store Salad Leftovers
When storing leftover salad, the best way is to store the salad and dressing separately. This prevents a soggy salad and keeps it fresh for up to 3 days.
More Salad Recipes
If you enjoyed this grilled salmon salad recipe, be sure to try our other easy salad recipes; here are some of our favorites:
Cabbage- Chicken
- Chicken
- Greens
If you tried this grilled salmon salad recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Grilled Salmon Salad (Easy Summer Recipe)
Ingredients
dressing –
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 large cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
grilled salmon –
- 1 lb salmon fillet
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
salad –
- 4 cups greens mixed greens, romaine, or lettuce
- 2 large eggs hard-boiled, cut into quarters
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 mini cucumbers sliced
- 1 large ripe avocado sliced
- ¼ red onion sliced
Instructions
- Prepare dressing. Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake until incorporated. Set aside.
- Season salmon. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the salmon. Combine the seasonings and season both sides of the salmon.
- Grill salmon.Spray or oil the grill grates. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the salmon onto the grill grates. Cook the salmon for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Assemble salad. While the salmon is being cooked, prepare the salad. Add the greens to the bottom of the salad bowl. Arrange the eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado slices, and onion.
- Add salmon. Once the salmon is grilled, add the salmon on top of the greens.
- Garnish with dressing. Drizzle the dressing over all of the ingredients.
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
- Cook the salmon to perfection. Tender, juicy salmon makes all the difference in this salad. Keep a close eye on it while grilling to avoid overcooking and use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- Get a head start. Grill the salmon ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to assemble the salad. Having the components prepped makes mealtime quick and easy.
- Add the dressing right before serving. For the freshest texture, wait to dress the salad until just before serving. This helps keep the greens crisp and prevents sogginess.
