These Grilled Salmon Skewers only need a handful of ingredients and take about 20 minutes to prepare! They’re served with a light and creamy cilantro sauce that’s perfect for dipping or slathering on top. Serve the skewers with steamed rice or grilled veggies for a fast and easy weeknight dinner! 

About This Easy Recipe 

This recipe for weeknight salmon skewers is about as quick and easy as it gets! I like to buy a large side of salmon and cut it into bite-sized cubes before seasoning with a few basic spices and threading onto skewers. 

That’s right, there’s no wait time for this recipe since it skips the marinade and goes straight to the grilling! Salmon is super tender and flaky already, so the lengthy marinade process can be skipped entirely. 

We make this recipe all year round, using our outdoor grill in the summer and a stovetop grill pan in the winter. Serve the salmon skewers with steamed rice and vegetables for a filling, wholesome meal that makes fantastic leftovers.

Tools Needed

• Grill or Grill Pan
• Metal Skewers
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowl

Ingredients and Substitutions 

• Salmon. Pick your favorite salmon here! I like using Atlantic salmon because it’s a little fattier and doesn’t dry out while grilling.
• Lemons. Lemon juice in the cilantro sauce and sliced lemon grilled with the salmon makes these skewers extra fresh tasting. 
• Olive Oil. Opt for an olive oil with a higher smoke point.
• Spices. I used a bit of ancho chile powder and cumin to make these grilled salmon skewers extra flavorful.
• Skyr. Anytime I can, I like swapping in Icelandic skyr where I would usually use sour cream. Feel free to use regular plain yogurt if you don’t keep skyr on hand. 
• Avocado. A bit of avocado adds even more creaminess to our cilantro sauce.
• Cilantro. Fresh cilantro pairs so well with the salmon!
• Jalapeño. Gotta have some spice! Remove the seeds or just use half a jalapeño to make the cilantro sauce milder.

Switch it up! Don’t want to make the creamy cilantro sauce? Pair the salmon with homemade chimichurri sauce instead. 

Instructions for Grilling Salmon Skewers

1. Prep the salmon. Cube the salmon into 1-inch pieces, then coat in oil and season with the spices. Thread the salmon cubes onto the metal skewers. 

Jenny’s Tip: Only have wooden skewers on hand? Soak them in water for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning. 

2. Grill the salmon skewers. Preheat the grill and clean the grates before placing the skewers on the grill. Using a grill basket isn’t necessary, but I find it helpful for recipes like this. 
3. Blend together the cilantro sauce. The dipping sauce is made by blitzing everything in a blender. And that’s it! Your grilled salmon skewers are ready to be served. 

How Long Should You Grill Salmon Skewers? 

Since the salmon has been cut up and threaded onto skewers, it won’t need to cook for as long as regular grilled salmon. So be careful not to overcook the salmon! The skewers should be grilled for roughly 4 minutes per side. 

Make it a Meal with These Side Dishes! 

We love serving these skewers with steamed rice and grilled or steamed vegetables. Try pairing the salmon with one or more of the following: 

• Rice: Lemon Dill Rice or Green Mexican Rice
• Sides: Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Fries, or Grilled Asparagus
• Drinks: Strawberry Gin Lemonade or Coconut Margaritas  

More Easy Salmon Dinners to Make

• Greek Grilled Salmon
• Baked Salmon Rice Bowls
• Gochujang Glazed Salmon
• Tandoori Salmon Bowls

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Main Dishes

Grilled Salmon Skewers Recipe

5 from 13 votes

These grilled salmon skewers are the perfect weeknight dinner! They're quick and easy to prepare, and leftovers can be repurposed to make wraps and salads.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Makes: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Salmon Skewers

• 2 lbs. salmon filet cubed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon , thinly sliced

Cilantro Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain Skyr (or full-fat plain yogurt)
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 lemon , juiced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeño , chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• Kosher salt , to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper , to taste

Instructions

For the Salmon Skewers

• In a medium mixing bowl, toss the salmon cubes with the olive oil, spices, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Thread the salmon onto metal skewers, alternating salmon pieces and lemon slices.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates well, or oil a grill basket. Grill the salmon skewers about 4 minutes per side, until just cooked through. Remove from the heat and rest before serving.

For the Cilantro Sauce

• In a food processor or blender, combine the skyr/yogurt, avocado, lemon, cilantro, jalapeño, and olive oil. Process until smooth, adding water as necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve salmon with lemon wedges and cilantro sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Serving: 4ozCalories: 236kcalProtein: 23gFat: 15.5gSaturated Fat: 3.4gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 300mg