Easy Garlic & Lemon Salmon Kabobs (video)

30 prep + 15 cook + 30 Marinating Time:

kabobs

The best garlic, herb, and lemon salmon kabobs recipe, great grilled or broiled. Made with a homemade marinade and creamy yogurt dipping sauce!

Prepare the marinade first. Start by zesting the lemons and add the zest to a large mixing bowl. Squeeze out the juices into the same bowl; you’ll need approximately ¼ cup of juice. Next, add in the olive oil.
Grate or press the garlic cloves. Add in the Dijon mustard, fresh dill, fresh thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
Whisk everything together and set aside.

Next, it’s time to portion the salmon for the kabobs. I personally prefer to remove the skin for salmon kabobs, but you can leave it on if you prefer. Use a sharp knife to portion the salmon into nice, large chunks, about 1-inch in size.
Place the salmon chunks into the marinade bowl. Gently mix and toss using your hands or a spatula, until the salmon is well coated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the salmon into the refrigerator. Marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, or overnight.

Place a wet paper towel underneath a large cutting board. Remove the salmon from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.
Lay the salmon flat onto your cutting board. Using a long, flexible and very sharp knife, cut through the flesh of the fish at the tail end down to the skin, but don’t slice through it, creating a little notch.
Turn and lay the knife flat. Hold the little notch of skin you just made firmly with one hand and a paper towel. Slide the knife firmly between the skin and the flesh, applying slight downward pressure on the knife to keep it flat on the cutting board.
Slide the knife from the tail end to the top end, removing the skin in one long piece. Continue to portion the salmon.

While the salmon is marinating, soak the bamboo skewers in water. Simply lay them in a casserole, add water until they’re completely covered, and set aside.
Thinly slice 1 to 2 lemons, then cut the slices into wedges.
To make the kabobs, simply slide chunks of marinaded salmon onto the bamboo skewers, adding the sliced lemon in between every piece or every other piece of salmon.

If preparing the salmon kabobs in the oven, first preheat the oven to 425F and arrange the oven rack to be in the middle of the oven. This will allow the kabobs to cook faster. Once preheated, switch the oven setting from ‘bake’ to ‘broil’.
Place the salmon kabobs onto a wire rack, onto a baking sheet wrapped in foil, for easier cleanup. Broil the kabobs on ‘high’ for 5 to 7 minutes per side, rotating the kabobs once they become golden and slightly charred. Cook until the internal temperature reaches between 135F and 140F (medium doneness).

If preparing the lemon salmon kabobs on the grill, preheat your outdoor grill to 525F for at least 10 minutes. Make sure the grates are super-hot and oil them to prevent the salmon from sticking.
Place the kabobs onto the hot grates and grill over medium flames for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, rotating them until they’re nicely cooked all over and reach an internal temperature of 135F-140F.

For the yogurt dipping sauce: Add the yogurt into a small mixing bowl. Add the zest of 1 large lemon, but not the lemon juice. Grate or press the garlic into the yogurt.
Season with salt, pepper, fresh dill, fresh chives, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix everything together.
Enjoy the salmon with the yogurt dipping sauce on the side and your choice of side dish.

Nutritional facts estimated for 1 kabob with about 6 pieces of salmon. Add additional 20 calories per tablespoon of yogurt sauce.