This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

Starting the week off with the perfect Memorial Day BBQ recipe, Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce. Spice rub grilled salmon drizzled with sweet and tangy honey mustard. Serve alongside a deliciously addicting avocado basil sauce and top with sweet basily cherry tomatoes – so simple, extra colorful, and super flavorful. A great healthy salmon recipe to throw on the grill for Memorial Day…and every other warm summer night to follow.

overhead photo of Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce on small cutting board

It’s crazy that Memorial Day is just a week from today. I say this every single year, so I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but to me, Memorial Day is the unofficial kick off to summer. I think most of you will agree with me on that. It’s exciting, right? I’m ready for the chill days of summer and all the delicious food that comes along with the extra sunshine and long days.

As close as we are to summer, back at home there’s actually a winter storm warning in effect. There’s 8-18 inches of snow predicted in Summit County – ugh. May is one of our “ugliest” months, but come June things will turn the corner, and I cannot wait!

The good news for me is that I’m spending all of this week in LA, and escaping the cold, dreary spring mountain weather. Pretty happy about it, such a fun week ahead!

Anyway, in prep for Memorial Day next week, I’ll be sharing all summer cookout recipes this week! Starting with this colorful and delicious salmon.

Avocado Basil Sauce

Do you all remember a few weeks ago when I made these black pepper chicken fingers? If you happened to have missed that recipe, I highly recommend giving it a scroll through. It’s become everyone’s favorite dinner this past month, mine included. What I love most about those chicken fingers though?

The honey mustard dipping sauce. Ever since I made that sauce, I have been obsessed with it. I’ve used it on everything from chicken, to salads, to this salmon recipe. It’s one of those sauces that’s just so easy make, and so good, that you make it all the time.

Honey Mustard

I started by rubbing the whole salmon with a mix of spices to create a bit of a rub. I love flavor, so seasoning the salmon before it hits the grill is a must, you know?

Once the salmon is grilled on both sides, drizzle the honey mustard over the warm salmon. The sauce melts overtop creating a luscious sauce that glazes the salmon. It’s almost buttery, but without any butter. It’s slightly tangy, a touch sweet, and all around delicious.

overhead close up photo of Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce

I like to serve this salmon topped with sweet cherry tomatoes and a spicy jalapeño avocado and basil sauce. The avocado sauce is the perfect creamy, spicy sauce to balance out the sweetness from the honey mustard. It’s almost mayo like, but so much better…and kind of addicting. Tip? Leftovers are great on a salad, toast, or even used as a dip.

And the tomatoes? They’re the best topping! Summer is so close, and soon we’ll be needing ideas for all those tasty tomatoes. Just trying to prepare us all!

side angled photo of Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce

What’s truly great about this recipe is how simple and easy it is, but yet it has so much going on. So yes, this will be great for grilling over Memorial Day. But it’s going to be equally great as an any night of the week summer dinner. Simple enough for Monday through Friday, but elegant enough for a dinner party with friends.

And healthy…major bonus!

overhead close up photo of Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce with salmon cut in half to expose the inside

If you make this Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Grilled Honey Mustard Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1450 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Avocado Basil Sauce

  • 1 avocado, halved
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
  • 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded
  • juice from 1 lime

Basil Tomatoes

Instructions

  • 1. Place the salmon in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the paprika, cumin, garlic, lemon zest, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, rubbing the seasonings and oil evenly into flesh.
    2. In a glass jar or bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, cayenne, and a pinch of salt. Shake or whisk until smooth and creamy. 
    3. To make the avocado sauce. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, adding water - 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to thin the sauce.
    4. Heat your grill, grill pan or skillet to medium high heat. Place salmon on grill, skin side down. Cover and cook until skin is lightly charred, 4-5 minutes, carefully flip and grill another 3-4 minutes until opaque. Remove the salmon from the grill and drizzle with the honey mustard.
    5. Toss together the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
    6. To serve, spoon the tomatoes over the salmon and serve the avocado sauce alongside.
View Recipe Comments

horizontal photo of Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon with Avocado Basil Sauce

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Tried this today but we baked it and still got that crispy skin. Phew! It’s already good on its own but pairing it with the honey mustard and avocado sauce makes it a thousand times more delicious! There’s some leftover salmon and I can’t wait to finish it! ??

  2. 5 stars
    I am very picky when it comes to seafood. Normally sticking to white flaky fish. We tried this dish tonight and it was amazing! We took our first bites and decided it was going to go in regular rotation. Thank you for all of the amazing recipes. We cook at least 2-3 from your collection weekly!

  3. 5 stars
    This salmon was amazing! I had actually made your pineapple shrimp tacos earlier in the week, so I used the jalapeno sauce from that recipe instead of the avocado because I had some leftover. It worked so well! Will try the avocado sauce next time though. Thanks for bringing us delicious dinners!

  4. How would this be room temperature? Having some ladies over for an end of summer dinner and want to serve salmon, but don’t want to be grilling last minute. Seems as if it would hold?

    1. Hey Betsy! This is great room temp and hold up well, just don’t leave it out longer than an hour or so for food safety reason! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    I had to make this in the oven but the combo of the honey mustard and the avocado basil sauce was awesome! The tomatoes were great but I’m not sure they were necessary (I served it with a salad and roasted veggies). I think it would have been easier to mix the spices and put them on the fish and then add the lemon zest and garlic because it got a little gloppy.

    Overall it was amazing!! I got so many compliments at my dinner party!

  6. 5 stars
    This was a hit with the whole family, Also made it with chicken breast for my mother who dislikes salmon. It was just as good. Thanks for the great recipe

    1. Hey Steph! Of course! You can bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  7. 5 stars
    We so enjoyed this. That avocado sauce is delicious and I’ll be using the honey mustard again this week on some veggie side.
    Such a nice combo of sweet and spicy. Thanks for another hit!!!

  8. 5 stars
    So yummy! A def showstopper. Fun to make and eat for a crowd. A summer bbq must! The sauces were so.yummy!

  9. Any tips for doing this stovetop? This looks absolutely amazing and I currently have some wild Alaskan king salmon that needs to be cooked!

    1. Hey Nicole! Sure! You can first season the salmon as directed, then pan sear in a skillet. If you need, you can cut the salmon into smaller fillets to make it easier to sear in a skillet. Then add the honey mustard after cooking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  10. I made this and results were great. The sauce for salmon was exceptional.
    The avocado one didn’t seem that great.

  11. 5 stars
    Had this for dinner with friends, grilled it on a cedar plank, it came out AMAZING. We have other favorite salmon recipes from you (i.e. the one in your cookbook, oh my gosh!) but honestly, this one takes the cake! So delicious! Thank you for all the deliciousness you create! 🙂 Keep the recipes coming!

  12. 5 stars
    Made this tonight over mixed greens and corn cut from the cob (might grill it next time). Drizzled a bit of the honey mustard dressing on the greens. Huge it! The family loved it.