Grilled Salmon with Creamy Pesto Sauce and Light Char
By Emma Collins
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Ready in 25 minutes, this grilled salmon keeps dinner moving with a short list of salmon, cream cheese, milk, and pesto. The fillets pick up a light char over medium-high heat, then get a warm, creamy pesto sauce that contrasts with the grilled exterior.
Brush the salmon and grill grates with olive oil, then season the fillets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The sauce uses cubed cream cheese and milk melted together before pesto is stirred in off the heat. That order creates a smooth base while keeping the pesto’s color and flavor intact. Homemade or store-bought pesto both work here.
Watch for salmon that is just cooked through after roughly three minutes per side for 6-ounce fillets. Thickness, not the clock alone, determines the final grill time. The main mistake is leaving the fish on too long; it continues cooking slightly after it comes off the heat, so the recipe recommends stopping a little early.
Serve the salmon warm with the sauce spooned over the top and a teaspoon of extra pesto for color and flavor. If there are leftovers, keep the grilled salmon and pesto sauce in separate containers so the fish is not stored under the sauce.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Gets dinner on the table in 25 minutes because the salmon grills in roughly six minutes while the three-ingredient sauce melts alongside it.
- Keeps prep short with salmon, olive oil, seasoning, cream cheese, milk, and pesto, so the shopping list stays focused for a weeknight meal.
- Uses a grill and small saucepan rather than special equipment, making the recipe manageable with standard outdoor cooking tools and a basic stovetop pan.
- Makes four servings from four to six fillets, which helps stretch a restaurant-style salmon dinner across a family meal without complicated sides.
- Offers store-bought pesto as an option, so the sauce can come together without making basil pesto from scratch or using a food processor.
- Allows skin-on or skinless fillets, giving flexibility at the fish counter while the skin can crisp on the grill when it is left attached.
Ingredients
- •4 salmon fillets (4-6 fillets, 6 oz each, skin-on or skinless)
- •1 Tbsp olive oil (for brushing salmon and grill; about 1 Tbsp total)
- •salt (to taste)
- •freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- •4 oz cream cheese (diced into small cubes)
- •¼ cup milk
- •3 Tbsp pesto (homemade or store-bought, plus more for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to about 425 degrees F.
- 2
Brush both sides of the salmon with olive oil, using about 1 Tbsp total, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 3
Brush the grill grates with oil.
- 4
Grill the salmon about 3 minutes per side or to desired doneness; if using skin-on salmon, grill skin side up first.
- 5
While the salmon grills, heat the cream cheese and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- 6
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pesto.
- 7
Serve the salmon warm with creamy pesto sauce and spoon about 1 tsp pesto over the sauce for added color and flavor.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
467
Protein
36g
Fat
27g
Carbs
2g
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