Simple “Brown Sugar” Grilled Salmon

This Simple “Brown Sugar” Grilled Salmon only takes a few ingredients and comes together in a jiffy, but it tastes gourmet and fits into any THM fuel type! Now that spring is definitely here, I’m getting into the grilling mood. Grilled meats just have an extra depth of flavor, plus grilling is a really quick cooking method and doesn’t create many dishes to wash.

This particular salmon recipe is very simple. No previous marinating is needed; you simply need to rub the seasoned coconut oil over the salmon filets and fire up the grill! Since the amount of coconut oil used is so small when spread over several servings, this recipe actually fits the THM Fuel Pull category and can be used with any meal type. (To stay within Fuel Pull guidelines, use wild-caught salmon and stick to a 3-4 oz. portion.)

If you omit the molasses, this recipe can be used as part of a Deep S meal! To make it truly Deep S, add some more healthy foundational fats to round out the meal (since such a small amount of coconut oil per serving is used here). A nice pat of butter on top of the grilled salmon would work just fine!

To forestall questions, yes, molasses is approved on the THM plan in small quantities (up to 1/4 tsp. per serving) for flavor. The amount used here only comes to 1/8 tsp. per serving, and I added some maple extract to bump up the brown sugar flavor. The THM Super Sweet Blend adds some sweetness, but not too much because then part of my family would not enjoy it. Don’t have Super Sweet Blend? Feel free to substitute your own favorite sweetener using this sweetener conversion chart.

I typically try to stick with really budget-friendly recipes, so salmon has never been on my radar. However, my mom recently found out that Aldi carries 2-lb. bags of frozen wild-caught salmon filets for about $7. While there is definitely cheaper meat out there, $3.50/lb. isn’t outrageous, and having salmon once every few weeks is a nice change. And hey, if you want something for a special occasion, grilling your own salmon at home is waaayyy cheaper than buying it at a restaurant!

My family (even my dad) approved the subtle brown sugar flavor on this salmon! We’ll definitely be making it again. Well, my mom will. I have several other salmon rub/marinade ideas that I will be experimenting with.  😉

As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission to help defray the costs of running this blog (at no extra charge to you). Thanks for your help!

There are suggestions for FP, S, Deep S, and E side dishes in the Notes section of the printable recipe below, so be sure to check those out! The meal picture here was an S because I had salmon (FP), cauliflower (FP), green peas (FP because I had a small amount), and butter (S). I had some tartar sauce as well, but I didn’t end up using it because the salmon really didn’t need it. If you’d like a THM:S tartar sauce recipe, this one looks good. I hope to create my own tartar sauce recipe eventually but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

You may also enjoy:

• Starting THM
• my recipe index
• my recipes grouped by fuel type, allergy info, and theme
• all my Deep S recipes
• all my entrée recipes

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Simple "Brown Sugar" Grilled Salmon

 

Author:

Briana Thomas

Serves: 8

Print

 

THM:FP, low carb, low fat, gluten/egg/dairy/nut free

Ingredients

• 2 lb. wild-caught salmon (approx. 8 filets)
• -
• 1 T. refined coconut oil
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. molasses
• 1 tsp. maple extract (I use Watkins brand)
• ½ tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend
• ½ tsp. black pepper

Instructions

1. Melt the coconut oil. Let it get fairly warm so it won't immediately congeal on the salmon filets.
2. Whisk the garlic salt, molasses, maple extract, Super Sweet Blend, and black pepper into the hot coconut oil.
3. Pour the mixture over the salmon and use your hands to coat the filets. Do this quickly before the coconut oil solidifies. (Make sure the filets are completely thawed for best results.)
4. Grill the salmon for 2-4 minutes on each side (I grill the skin side first) or just until the fish flakes to the touch of a fork. Grill time will vary according to the thickness of the filets.

Notes

If you omit the molasses, this recipe can be used as part of a Deep S meal! To make it truly Deep S, add some more healthy foundational fats to round out the meal (since such a small amount of coconut oil per serving is used here). A nice pat of butter on top of the grilled salmon would work just fine!
The coconut oil used in this recipe falls well within THM:FP guidelines. The amount of molasses used comes to only ⅛ tsp. per serving (1/4 tsp. per serving is allowed for flavor per THM guidelines).
Side dish ideas:
(FP) Steamed cauliflower, ½ c. serving of green peas
(S) Steamed cauliflower with cheese or butter, salad with cheese and Ranch
(Deep S) Cabbage sautéed with butter and garlic salt, salad with oil and vinegar dressing
(E) Steamed carrots with garlic salt and dill weed, seasoned quinoa

3.5.3226

• THM Super Sweet Blend
• Imitation Maple Extract

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