Grilled Salmon with Orange Maple Glaze
Grilled Salmon with Orange Maple Glaze
Salmon on the Egg is one of those cooks that looks impressive and takes almost no time at all. The high direct heat sears the flesh, sets the crust from the smoked paprika and brown sugar rub, and lifts the skin into something crisp and deeply savoury. Then the glaze goes on — orange juice, maple syrup and soy — and the lid comes down for a final minute that turns it lacquered, sticky, and just barely caramelised at the edges.
The key is temperature and restraint. Don't move the salmon once it's down, don't rush the flip, and pull it at 52°C. Rested for 10 minutes, it will be perfectly medium rare all the way through — silky in the centre, with a crust that holds together when you serve it.
"Don't touch it until it releases. If it's sticking, it's not ready to flip — the Egg will tell you when."
— Big Green Egg AustraliaIngredients
1. Salmon & Dry Rub
| 4 fillets | Skin-on salmon (170–227g each), pin bones removed — or a 907g whole fillet sliced into 5cm portions |
| 1 tbsp | Extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 tbsp | Brown sugar |
| 2 tsp | Kosher salt |
| 1 tsp | Smoked paprika |
| ½ tsp | Garlic powder |
| ½ tsp | Freshly ground black pepper |
| ¼ tsp | Cayenne pepper |
- 1 Combine the brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix well — this is your dry rub.
- 2 Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Coat each piece in olive oil, then sprinkle the dry rub generously over the flesh side. Press it in lightly so it adheres.
Drying the salmon well before oiling and rubbing is the step most people skip. Surface moisture is the enemy of a good sear — a dry fillet will crust; a wet one will steam. Paper towels, two passes, then oil.
2. Orange Maple Glaze
| 2 tbsp | Soy sauce |
| ¼ cup | Maple syrup (honey works too) |
| 1 medium | Orange, juiced |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
- 1 Whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, orange juice and salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside — it will be brushed onto the salmon during the final stage of the cook.
For a thicker, more lacquered glaze, reduce the mixture in a small saucepan over low heat for 3–4 minutes until slightly syrupy before brushing it on. It clings to the fish better and caramelises faster on the grill.
Grilling & Glazing the Salmon
- Set the Egg for direct cooking and bring the temperature up to 232°C–260°C. If you have the EGGspander, use it without the convEGGtor — this raises the grate and gives you a more even, controlled direct heat for fish.
- While the Egg comes to temperature, combine the dry rub ingredients in one bowl and whisk together the glaze ingredients in another. Pat the salmon dry, coat in olive oil, and press the rub firmly into the flesh side of each fillet.
- Place the salmon fillets skin side up on the grill grate over direct heat. Do not move them. Let them sear for up to 4 minutes — the salmon will release naturally from the grate when it's ready to flip. If it resists, give it another 30 seconds.
- Flip the fillets skin side down. Close the lid and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Open the lid and brush the orange maple glaze generously over the top of each fillet. Close the lid and continue cooking until the internal temperature at the thickest point reaches 52°C for medium rare. If the flame is running hot, move the salmon to an indirect zone and monitor the temperature closely — it can go from perfect to overdone quickly at this stage.
- Remove the salmon from the Egg and transfer to a warm plate or board. Rest for 10 minutes — this is not optional. The carry-over heat will finish the cook gently and the juices will redistribute through the flesh.
- Drizzle with a little extra glaze just before serving. Serve with steamed greens, a simple salad, or rice.