Grilled Lemon Pepper Kokanee Salmon Recipe

Grilling is a hot and fast way to cook kokanee salmon. I like lemon pepper for this application. I like the smoky char with the lemon pepper. It’s a great combo, especially on salmon. BUT with the method I’m going over, you can substitute any seasoning blend (that goes well with fish) and it’ll turn out great for your grilled kokanee salmon.

The first thing you need to know- kokanee salmon is lean. Most of the salmon you buy at the store is pretty fatty. Kokanee isn’t like that. Because of that, there are a few things you should know. Kokanee, looking at its nutrition facts, has less calories and more protein than any other salmon. It’s pretty much a super food. BUT because its so lean, it really benefits from adding other oil to it. I like to spray my kokanee down with olive oil as a binder before hitting it with my lemon pepper. The oil helps the fish from becoming too dry. Also, as it heats up on the grill, the oil will kind of fry the surface of the fish, giving it a really nice flavorful crust.

The Flavor of Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon is a fairly mild fish. It is somewhere between a good mountain trout and store bought salmon. Many people describe it as a light, mild fish. If you’re having kokanee and think it tastes too gamey, this is probably from how the fish was handled. If you don’t get your fish on ice FAST it can really affect the quality of the meat, and the flavor. As far as freshwater fish goes, even though they’re a very different fish, I rank kokanee on the same quality level as walleye.

Get Good Lemon Pepper

Growing up my folks were cheap. We had Walmart brand Great Value everything. One of those things was the Great Value lemon pepper. It’s honestly not terrible, but it’s far from amazing. This doesn’t mean you need some fancy, organic, whatever to make it good. Honestly, the best brand of lemon pepper I’ve found is Lawry’s. I love their garlic salt as well, but their lemon pepper is fantastic. It’s not a store brand, but it’s usually the next cheapest option on the shelf. Also, as a PSA, at the time I’m writing this, its currently more than 30% less expensive on Amazon than at Walmart, and funny enough, the smaller size is cheaper per ounce. That could certainly change, but I thought I’d share to help out. Honestly though, buy it from wherever you want. Just please, take a step up from Great Value.

Lawry’s Lemon Pepper

Lawry's Lemon Pepper with Zest of Lemon, 4.5 oz

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Lawry's Lemon Pepper Seasoning, 20.5 oz - One 20.5 Ounce Container of Lemon Pepper Blend to Add a Burst of Fresh Flavor to Vegetables, Fish, Seafood and More

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Prepping Kokanee For the Grill

I like working with fillets. It’s important to keep the skin on when working with kokanee. Grilling kokanee with the skin off will just make a mess. Kokanee is a soft and delicate fish to begin with. Cooked kokanee gets flaky and soft, and it’ll just fall apart as you’re working with it. Having the skin on will help keep it all together.

Temperature for Grilling Kokanee

You want to grill your kokanee at a medium high heat. For leaner meat, which kokanee definitely is, unless you’re on a smoker, hot and fast is the best way to maintain juiciness. The ideal temperature is about 375 degrees. At that temperature, it shouldn’t take long for the fish to cook. If you’re preheated well, you will have grilled kokanee salmon ready to go with our recipe in about 6-8 minutes.

Grilled Lemon Pepper Kokanee Salmon

This recipe will help you take your kokanee salmon from lake to table in a way that's fast, easy, and delicious. It keeps your fish from drying out while also pairing a lemon pepper, citrus zing to the fish.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 200

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 Fillets Kokanee Can be substituted for whole kokanee salmon
• 2 tbsp olive oil I like it in a spray bottle
• 3 tbsp Lowry's Lemon Pepper seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Lemon The juice from one lemon

Equipment

• 1 Fish Spatula
• 1 BBQ Grill

Method

 

1. Fillet your kokanee, or remove head guts from kokanee if cooking whole, if you have not already done so.
2. Rinse your kokanee to remove any lake debris, then pat dry with paper towels. You need to have it dry so the oil will better coat and penetrate into the fish. Setting it on a drying rack in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour is another way to accomplish this.
3. Gently spray or pour the olive oil on your fish, primarily focusing on the side that doesn't have skin. Do not try to rub in the olive oil. The kokanee is too delicate and it'll turn to mush if you do. That's why I use a spray bottle.
4. Apply your lemon pepper to the fish first. Then apply a light coating of salt to the fish as well. If you are on a low sodium diet, the lemon pepper has some salt in it already, but I like to add just a little bit more.
5. Preheat your grill to a medium high heat, around 375-400 degrees. Oil your grill, either with cooking spray or olive oil.
6. Put the kokanee, skin side down, on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes skin side down. For smaller fillets, this may be enough to cook it. For larger fillets, spray the fish with more cooking oil, then flip the fillet and allow it to cook, skin side down for 2 minutes. You don't want the fish to stick to your grill, so don't skip the extra oil on this step. Grill your kokanee to 145 degrees internal temperature, or until just firm. Be careful not to overcook.
7. Right before serving, squeeze lemon juice onto your fillets. Don't let the fish sit in lemon juice for a long period of time, otherwise it'll go soggy and you'll ruin the nice crust you made on the grill.

Notes

While you can use any lemon pepper you want, Lowry’s is the best I’ve tried. Not sponsored by them, I just like it. Adding salt is optional. For most seasoning blends, salt is the first ingredient. For lemon pepper, its the 3rd or 4th, so adding additional salt can help. Be careful not to overcook your salmon. Grilled kokanee salmon can go from not quite ready to dried out really fast. Watch it closely as its getting close to done. 

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