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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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
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.

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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

US Customary - Metric

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.
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love your recipes so much! This one is so simple, so quick and yet so tasty… This site amazes me every time 🙂 Greetings from Germany

    Reply

    1. Hey Letti,
      Happy Wednesday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Made this last night it was sooo good. I grilled it and put it in some foil and I didn’t bother flipping it. I liked the honey dijon mustard sauce, but hubby thought it was unnecessary. You could totally omit this and it will still be fine.

    Reply

    1. Hey Amy,
      Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan

      Reply

    2. I loved this, I added too much lime and wish I would have added more jalapeños, like it spicy!! My family really enjoyed it

      Reply

      1. Hey Karen,
        Love to hear this! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan

        Reply

  5. 5 stars
    This is the best salmon I’ve had (home, restaurant, otherwise) hands-down. Loved the rub, the honey-mustard drizzle, and the avocado side-sauce. Absolutely delicious, thank you!!!

    Reply

    1. Hey Margaret,
      Yes, that would work well. 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

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    This was soooo good! Highly recommend and have saved to make again soon. We made the avocado basil sauce (which was delicious in its own right) but found that the salmon was perfect without it!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Another winner from HBH! Looking it over this may seem labor intensive but all comes together quickly and well worth the effort. My family dubbed it their favorite seafood dish to date. All flavors and textures are covered. Will definitely serve when hosting guests – presentation is gorgeous. Thank you!!!!

    Reply

  11. 4 stars
    The sauces were both great! Made the salmon fillets on a traeger smoker. I added extra garlic to the basil avocado sauce as well as salt because it was sort of bland before.

    Reply

  12. I have never commented on a recipe in my life. This was INSANELY perfect. The best dish I’ve made (and I’ve made one every night) during the pandemic. Each night, my ex-husband (yep) and my 25-year-old daughter put a price tag on the meals: “In a restaurant, this would be $xxx.” Last night, with this dish, it was, easily, $38 per plate. It’s not a lot of work–and it is heaven for the tastebuds. Thank you so much! A keeper!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight for my family and it was incredible! A friend introduced me to your blog a couple of month ago, right before the stay at home order, so it’s given me the opportunity to try a lot of your recipes. I’ve been enjoying them all – the cocktails and the meals more do than the baking as I’m not a huge sweets person. This recipe inspired me to comment, as it was surprisingly delicious. My whole family was racing. I wasn’t sure about the flavor combinations – is it southwest or Italian? But everything worked. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for sharing such great recipes!!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Kim! I am so happy you have been loving my recipes and I hope you continue to! Probably the best time to be introduced to the site haha. Thank you so much! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. 5 stars
    This was unreal! I just made this for my family in Denver, and it really was one of the most unique, beautiful salmon dishes I’ve ever made – and we eat salmon weekly. Easier than it looks, the flavors were so incredible, and the presentation was so pretty. I felt like we were (finally!) back in a restaurant. And because I always love to know what people do, we kept it super simple and just served it with quinoa (+ rolls for the kids).

    I’ve been making your recipes almost daily during quarantine. You are such a talent! Thanks for sharing with us.

    Reply