Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with Pesto
Delicious grilled Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with pesto and cashew is one of our favorite summer recipes, with fresh heirloom tomatoes, smoked and cooked to perfection. Make your own dairy-free cashew pesto witih salt and pepper. It’s the perfect summer salmon dinner!
We love summer grilling here in Oregon, and our Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon recipe is one of our favorites. We first smoke it on the grill, and then we top it with a homemade cashew and pesto topping, with graden heirloom tomatoes. It’s the ultimate summer dinner, on a warm evening, and for sure it’s company-worthy.
Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with Pesto
Growing up in Oregon, I’ve enjoyed a lot of salmon recipes. My favorite has always been grilled salmon. There are so many ways to prepare the salmon, but this recipe today is the best. One reader recently wrote: “This is among the most delicious meals we have ever had at home. It was just so freaking juicy and GOOD.”
Read more: Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with Pesto
Why I love this recipe
- Salmon is so easy to grill – and easy for company!
- Make your own (dairy-free) cashew pesto!
- The flavor of cashew and pesto pairs perfectly with salmon and the tomatoes.
- The ultimate summer meal.
We recently served this Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon for dinner guests, with a side of Tennessee Onions, a Greenhouse salad, and Salted Watermelon Salad. We picked up the heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market here in Bend.
This is an easy salmon recipe, on the table in less than 30 minutes, perfect for a summer party!
Gather these ingredients
- Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon filet, we buy at Costco
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Ground cashews
- Olive oil
- Bunches fresh basil
- Black cracked pepper
- Salt
- Honey
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
How do you make Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with pesto
- Rinse and dry Wild Sockeye Salmon filets. Layer two sheets of foil together, large enough for the salmon, and fold up the sides to make a tray. Place filet on foil. (We used 3 trays, so 6 pieces of foil).
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and lemon. Process until smooth. Add in finely ground cashews and continue to blend until smooth.
- Spread pesto evenly on fish. Slice tomatoes and place on top.
- Place on grill at 300 degrees heat, for about 10 minutes, or until white areas appear on the top of the salmon. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
- Remove from the grill and serve immediately!
How do you smoke salmon?
Using our Traeger grill, it’s optional to smoke the salmon first. You’ll want to cook it on low—170°F – 200°F . Use your favorite flavor pellets to get that nice smoky flavor. After smoking you can turn up the grill for a few minutes untilt he salmon is done (whiteness will form). Or if you don’t have a smoker, follow the recipe.
Tips and substitutios:
- The best wood for smoking salmon are hardwoods. Some of the best options include cedar, alder, apple, lemon, and cherry.
- You can buy Wild Sockeye Salmon at Costco or Market of Choice, Whole Foods, or even Safeway.
- It’s the best with heirloom tomatoes, but of course you can use any fresh tomatoes.
- Optoinal to use pine nuts in place of the cashew (to make your own pesto).
- Also optional to use store-bought pesto if you don’t want to make your own.
- We love that our pesto is dairy-free!
- Cook the bread on the grill the same time the fish is cooking.
- How do you know if the salmon is done? Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
How do you serve grilled salmon?
Summer meals are the freshest and so healthy! Serve this salmon with sliced watermelon or cantaloupe, a side of green salad, and a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream (with fresh blackberries).
This meal was the essence of summer and good friendships, we all agreed.
More salmon recipes you may want to try while you are here:
Get the Recipe:
Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse and dry Wild Sockeye Salmon filets. Layer two sheets of foil together, large enough for the salmon, and fold up the sides to make a tray. Place filet on foil. (We used 3 trays, so 6 pieces of foil).
- To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and lemon. Process until smooth. Add in finely ground cashews and continue to blend until smooth.
- Spread pesto evenly on fish. Slice tomatoes and place on top.
- Place on grill at 300 degrees heat, for about 10 minutes, or until white areas appear on the top of the salmon. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
- Remove from the grill and serve immediately!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I found this recipe it’s among the most delicious meals we have ever had at home. Because we had the Costco salmon it was super fatty with the fish, olive oil, and cashews, and just so freaking juicy and GOOD. Noting minor change that I did not have lime/lemon and made pesto without.
What is the quantity of olive oil to ise to make the pesto? The recipe says “½ plus 1 Tablespoon.” Is it ½ cup? Thanks!
Hi Patti, yes 1/2 cup! Thanks, I fixed the recipe!
I love everything about this post! The grill, the salmon, the pesto sounds yummy!