Perfect for Lenten Friday Dinner: Smoky Grilled Lemon-Basil Salmon #lentenfridaymeals #grilledseafood #salmon #omega3

During the Lenten season, I'm always looking for healthy and delicious ideas for our Friday seafood dinner. If you love salmon, you'll go crazy for the Smoky Grilled Lemon-Basil Salmon I'm sharing today! It features bright lemon and garden-fresh basil in both the simple marinade and the flavor-packed spice rub. The end result is fish that's bursting with flavor...and a healthy dose of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Smoky Grilled Lemon-Basil Salmon

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes three servings):

• Three 4-ounce fillets wild-caught Atlantic salmon (skin on)
• Rice or riced cauliflower for plating the finished salmon
• Garnish: Thinly sliced lemon and whole basil leaves

For the marinade:

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS honey
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 5 basil leaves, chopped
• 2 TBS finely chopped shallot

For the compound butter:

• 1 TBS salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 3 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

For the spice rub:

• 1 tsp. Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dried parsley 
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

Directions:
Step 1: Add the pineapple juice, soy sauce, olive oil, honey, lemon juice and zest, basil, and shallot to an 8x8 dish. Whisk well to combine, then add the salmon pieces, skin side down. Marinate salmon in the fridge for one hour, flipping the pieces over after 30 minutes to ensure the marinade is infused into the entire fillet.

Step 2: Heat your grill. While the grill heats and the salmon marinates, assemble the other recipe components. For the compound butter: add the softened butter, lemon zest, basil, and garlic powder to a small bowl. Stir until all ingredients are completely combined. 

Step 3: For the spice rub: add the salt and pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and paprika to a small bowl. Stir to completely combine the spices.

Step 4: Spray a piece of aluminum foil with non-stick spray; arrange the salmon pieces on top, skin side down. Brush a third of the softened compound butter onto each of the fillets. Then sprinkle a third of the spice rub on top of each buttered fillet. Add the foil with the prepped salmon to the grill. Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes.

Step 5: To serve, spoon your favorite rice or lower-carb cauliflower rice -- onto a serving platter. Arrange the cooked salmon on top of the rice. Just before serving, garnish each piece of salmon with a thin slice of lemon and a whole basil leaf. Serve immediately.

Wowza is this salmon delicious! The bright lemon and basil work great with the richness of the salmon, and the smoky grill flavor compliments the entire dish. To save time, the spice blend and compound butter can be made up to a day ahead and stored until you're ready to cook the salmon. If you're not a fish fan, the versatile  compound butter and spice rub are also delicious on grilled or pan-seared jumbo shrimp!