I cant think of a single thing I don’t heart about this Grilled Salmon Puttanesca. Not only is it ready in just 30 minutes, but it’s so saucy and loaded with garlic, capers and olives! Serve it over pasta or keep it gluten-free and serve it over zucchini noodles instead.

Healthy Grilled Salmon Puttanesca with Garlic tomato sauce with olives and capers. @healthyseasonal

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you love Puttanesca Sauce, then you will love this Grilled Salmon Puttanesca. The salmon is grilled to perfection and then draped with savory tomato, caper and olive sauce. It makes a quick dinner for a weeknight when served with pasta and a garden salad.

I know it sounds complicated but this sauce is ready in about the same time it takes to get the coals ready for grilling the salmon. It is not the old school simmering on the back burner tomato sauce kind of recipe. Not that at all. This sauce is fast, and it tastes so good!

Ingredient Notes

Salmon

Before buying salmon, make sure to check with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch database to see which kind of salmon is a “Best Choice” option to buy.

If the salmon you purchase has “pin bones” remove them with clean needle nose pliers. Pull them the direction they tend to go so they don’t break as you pull them.

Diced Canned Tomatoes

I like the flavor of Fire Roasted diced canned tomatoes for this recipe. It helps to bring out the smoky flavor of the grilled salmon. You can use regular diced canned tomatoes if you can’t find fire roasted.

How to Make The Sauce

  • Cook the garlic and onion in olive oil.
  • Deglaze with red wine.
  • Add tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
  • Simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.

I should also mention the magic of grilling the salmon and it does not stick to the grill. I repeat, it does not stick to the grill. No aluminum foil. No cedar plank. Nada.

How To Grill The Salmon

To cook the salmon without it sticking follow these simple tricks:

  • Preheat the the grill grates with direct heat under it.
  • Oil the salmon.
  • Then cook the salmon on the hot grill grate with indirect heat with the lid on.
  • Do not flip the salmon.

I tested it with both gas and charcoal, and it works both ways.

For Charcoal Grill:

  1. Heat the coals in the chimney as usual, but when they are ready to use, pour them into one side of the kettle only.
  2. Place the grill grate on top and let it get hot.
  3. Use oven mitts to rotate the grill grate so the hottest part of the grate is not over the coals. Place the salmon on the hot grate.
  4. Cover the grill and let it cook as directed.

For a Gas Grill:

  1. Heat all burners on high until the grill is hot.
  2. For a grill with three burners, turn off one burner and reduce other two burners to medium-high.
  3. For a two burner gas grill turn off one and leave the other on high.
  4. Place the salmon on the grill where the burner is off, cover and cook as directed.
Healthy Grilled Salmon Puttanesca with Garlic tomato sauce with olives and capers. @healthyseasonal

Once the salmon is done, top it with the easy Puttanesca sauce and you are ready for a delicious meal!

More Salmon Recipes

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Grilled Salmon Puttanesca

grilled salmon puttanesca

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 pound salmon 1 cup sauce 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Grill/ Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

You’ll love this 30 minute Grilled Salmon Puttanesca with garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers. Super easy to make and it doesn’t stick to the grill. Serve it over pasta or keep it gluten-free and serve it over zucchini noodles instead.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ pound boneless salmon filet, skin removed cut into 4 equal pieces
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoons dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Chianti
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped pitted olives, such as Kalamata
  • 1 tablespoons capers
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • ½ cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to high heat. If using charcoal grill place grill grate over the fire to preheat. Coat salmon with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle salt over the salmon.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often until the onion is soft and translucent and just starting to brown, 6 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  3. Once grill is hot, if using gas grill with three burners, turn off one burner and reduce other two burners to medium-high. For a two burner gas grill turn off one and leave the other on high. If using a charcoal grill, empty coals from chimney onto one side or rake coals to one side of the kettle. Place grill on top of coals and let pre-heat for a minute. Rotate grill grate so hottest part is over the cooler side. Place fish, skinned side up, on the side of the grill with no heat under it. Place cover on grill (with vents open if using kettle grill) and allow the fish to cook, undisturbed until cooked to desired doneness, 6 to 10 minutes.
  4. Serve salmon with sauce topped with parsley.

Notes

Whole30: To make compliant, skip the wine or substitute broth.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 ounces salmon, 1/4 cup sauce
  • Calories: 300
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Sodium: 1007 mg
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 29 g