Grilled Pineapple Salmon

Name: Grilled Pineapple Salmon
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 16 oz Salmon filets (two 8oz. filets); Cilantro; 1 Pineapple; 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce

By Kevin

published Jun 26, 2021, updated Mar 13, 2022

4.72 from 7 votes

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Make pineapple salmon on the grill for a tropical Caribbean twist on wood plank salmon. This recipe uses grilled pineapple as the planks!

basting teriyaki sauce over salmon filet on a grill

After working on a recipe for pineapple hand pies, I wanted to use the leftover pineapple, which is where I got the inspiration for this dish. Making it is a snap, and it’s oh, so good!

Grilling salmon is a fantastic way to prepare a healthy bbq dinner quickly and without a lot of effort. This recipe for grilled pineapple salmon takes less than 20 minutes to make!

For those who don’t enjoy the flavor of grilled fish, there are plenty of other ways to prepare a heart-healthy salmon dinner. Making broiled salmon is really simple, and the fish takes just 2 minutes to cook!

Or, if you share my love for everything bagel seasoning, try my recipe for crispy pan seared salmon. The flavor of my homemade everything bagel seasoning that encrusts the fish is completely delicious!

Or, take a walk on the raw and wild side! Get some sushi-grade salmon to use instead of ahi tuna for a Japanese poke bowl!

close up image of pineapple salmon before grilling

Making pineapple salmon

This meal is a serious adventure in tropical flavor. If you have never tasted grilled pineapple, you are in for a treat! The sugars in the fruit caramelize as they cook, creating even more sweetness, but not to the point of being too sweet.

Not to mention, warm pineapple is so soft, it practically melts as it hits your tongue!

Now, imagine the amazing combination of flavors in this meal. Sweet grilled pineapple, umami flavor from teriyaki sauce, and the buttery rich flavor of the fresh salmon.

I bet even the people who don’t normally enjoy fish will thank you for making grilled pineapple salmon!

overhead image: counter top with raw salmon filet, bowl of teriyaki sauce, pineapple planks and cotton twine with scissors

Grilling Indoors

If you don’t have access to an outdoor grill, a grill pan on the stove should work. But, you’ll have to use a large pot lid or something else that will completely cover the grill pan.

Preventing a fire

Be sure to use cotton kitchen twine or heat-safe silicone bands to hold the pineapple planks onto the salmon. If you’re using cotton twine, soak it in water for a few minutes first. This prevents it from catching fire on the grill.

I may have gotten carried away with the kitchen twine here, but I didn’t want the packages to fall apart as I flipped them on the grill!

cotton twine ties salmon filet between two planks of pineapple

How to cut pineapple planks

Lay the pineapple down on its side onto a cutting board. Use a knife to remove the leafy crown from the top. Discard the crown. Use your knife again to remove a portion from the bottom of the fruit, creating a flat bottom surface.
Stand the fruit back up on the cutting board. Hold a sharp chef’s knife in one hand and use your free hand to hold the pineapple steady. Starting at the top of the fruit, and next to the fibrous outer skin, cut around the pineapple, following the natural curve, but leave an inch of flesh on your “planks”. Repeat on the remaining 3 sides, then cube the bulk of the pineapple for another use and discard the pineapple core.

FAQ about grilling salmon

How do you grill salmon without it falling apart?

Using a plank, whether it’s made of wood or a large piece of fruit like pineapple, is one of the easiest ways to keep fish from falling apart on the grill. This is because with plank grilled salmon, you don’t have to flip the salmon over. Another great option is to grill salmon in foil.

Do you grill salmon skin side up or down?

To keep things simple, cook salmon with skin side down on the grill. The flesh of the fish is very tender, so it’s difficult to slide a spatula underneath it without a risk of it falling apart. It’s much easier to slide a fish spatula underneath the skin.

What’s the white stuff on grilled salmon?

That white stuff oozing out from your cooked fish is harmless; it’s a coagulated protein called albumin. Although albumin doesn’t have much flavor, it’s perfectly safe to eat if you want to.

This usually happens when salmon is cooked over very high heat, and/or too quickly. Because you’ll use an indirect grilling method to make grilled pineapple salmon, you may not notice any albumin.

What is indirect grilling?

Indirect grilling involves cooking the food off of the direct flame (or white-hot charcoal) of the grill. This allows the food to cook gently, so it stays moist and doesn’t dry out while it’s cooking.

For this recipe, when you cook the salmon on a plank of grilled pineapple, the fruit becomes a protective barrier between the fish and the heat of the grill.

In comparison, direct grilling is perfect for a dish like blackened shrimp or salmon. This is when that super high heat and quick cooking process helps to create a good crust on the fish.

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This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking May 5, 2015 and has been updated with new content.

Grilled Pineapple Salmon

4.72 from 7 votes

Make pineapple salmon on the grill for a tropical Caribbean twist on wood plank salmon. This recipe uses grilled pineapple as the planks!

Servings: 2 servings

Prep: 12

Cook: 20

Total: 32

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Ingredients

▢ 16 oz Salmon filets two 8oz. filets
▢ Cilantro
▢ 1 Pineapple
▢ 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce

Instructions

Soak kitchen twine in a small bowl with water. Set aside. Preheat your grill to 350° F.
Lay pineapple on its side. Cut off and discard the leafy crown from the top and a small portion from the bottom of the fruit to create a flat surface.
Stand the pineapple up on a cutting surface and slice down next to the core on each of the four sides to create 4 "planks". Cut and store pineapple in refrigerator for another use.
Rinse salmon under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Lay a few sprigs of cilantro on top of a pineapple plank, then A salmon filet and brush with teriyaki sauce. Add another sprig of cilantro and top with another pineapple plank. Secure with kitchen twine tightly so salmon doesn't slide out when grilling. Repeat with other salmon and pineapple.
Grill covered for 15 minutes and turn over, then cut kitchen twine. Remove pineapple plank and set on outer area of grill to continue to cook and caramelize. Baste top of each salmon with teriyaki sauce several times. Cover the grill and cook for a few more minutes until the salmon springs back when pressed slightly and is opaque.
Remove from grill and allow to rest 5 minutes. To plate, serve each grilled salmon on top of one of the grilled pineapple planks, baste one more time with any remaining teriyaki sauce and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Cut remaining grilled pineapple from planks and serve with steamed rice.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dinners

Cuisine: American, Caribbean

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

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