Taste of the Wild: Grilled Great Lakes Salmon or Trout

Sarah shared that one of her favorite memories from last summer was charter fishing on Lake Michigan. She was on a group trip, and they had great success catching numerous fish, including kings, lakers, and steelhead. At the end of the day, they split the haul and she took home a huge bag of fish. While packaging the fillets with her husband, Jay, Sarah said she was excited by the many options they had to enjoy them. She thought it would be fun to share with readers her favorite, a classic recipe for grilling that works for salmon or trout.

Ingredients

Salmon or trout fillets with the skin left on

1⁄3 cup brown sugar

1⁄3 cup soy sauce

1⁄3 cup cool water

¼ cup vegetable oil

Garlic powder, lemon pepper, and salt

Directions

Start off by generously seasoning your fillets with garlic powder, lemon pepper, and salt.

Place your fillets into a large Ziploc bag or airtight container. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in the bag or container, and shake well until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Add the fillets and turn to cover the surfaces with the sauce. Marinate your fillets in refrigerator for a minimum of two hours.

Preheat outdoor grill to high/medium-high heat. Lightly brush on a coat of additional vegetable oil to your grill grates to prevent fillets from sticking. (A paper towel coated in cooking oil and a pair of tongs make this job much safer.)

Carefully pull fillets out of the marinade and place onto the grill, skin side down. Cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness.

After the initial 6 to 8 minutes, carefully flip your fillets over and grill on other side. Fillets are done when they flake easily with a fork.

About the contributors

Sarah and her husband Jay Kozlowski are from Hayward, Wisconsin. They are an avid outdoors couple who enjoy sharing their hunting and fishing experiences and knowledge. You can join their adventures by following @skozlowskiii and @kozlowskijay on Instagram.