My Traeger Honey Garlic Salmon recipe is deceptively simple and one of the easiest and tastiest ways to make salmon. Throw it in some foil and let the pellet grill work its magic.

Traeger Honey Garlic Salmon

Is there anything better than a fresh filet of wild-caught salmon?

I don't really think so.

I didn't even LIKE salmon before I found out what it was actually supposed to taste like, and the farmed grocery-store variety is generally NOT it. It is one of the reasons that people tend to think of salmon as being so “strong”.

If you live in a place where you have access to fresh salmon, get some; if you don't, try and look for sources where the salmon isn't farmed. Farmed salmon is fed “pigmenting compounds” along with their food to give it the reddish-pink color of natural salmon. Otherwise, it would be white. At best. Or gray, at worst. Bleh.

Get all of my FISH recipes!

Recipe Shopping List

Wondering if you have to run to the store or not? Here's a list of what you'll need to make this recipe. Enjoy!

Fresh-caught salmon
Soy sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Honey
Butter
Garlic
White wine

More Easy Traeger Recipes here!

How To Make This Recipe

This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Preheat & Prep – Preheat your grill to 350°.
Make Sauce – Mix the sauce ingredients together in a grill-safe pan.
Prep Pan – Make a foil pan or use a pre-made pan. Prep with cooking spray. Season and place the salmon inside.
Grill – Put the salmon and the saucepan on the grill. Cook until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
Watch Closely – The sauce can burn if you don't check it and stir it, so keep an eye on it!
Enjoy – Sauce the salmon right before serving.

Try our Whole Grilled Salmon in Foil!

Recipe FAQ

How to make a pan sauce on the Traeger

This technique is for you if you're trying to keep your cooking outside. I love hands-off cooking, and the pan sauce in this recipe is perfect for that.
You just toss all of the ingredients into a grill-safe/oven-safe pan, stir it, and let it cook alongside your salmon.

This sauce is simple because it doesn't require much stirring or babysitting. As long as you ensure it isn't over a hot spot, you are pretty safe from scorching, and it only needs to simmer for about 10 minutes until it is thick and delicious.

I wouldn't recommend this with any sauce that has cream or dairy in them. That requires too much stirring and attention to work well in this application.

When is salmon “done”?

The FDA recommends cooking salmon to a minimum of 145°. If you are cooking farmed salmon, you should probably follow those recommendations.

We prefer our salmon to be cooked medium. The texture and flavor are much better than cooking to 145° which is like cooking a steak well-done.

The key is that once the white stuff starts coming out of the top of the salmon, you're going too far. Pull it. Quick. Or you'll learn why some people hate salmon, really fast.

What's the best way to store leftovers?

Salmon not eaten the same day it was cooked should be promptly refrigerated in a covered container.

You should eat it within 2-3 days of cooking.

What's the best way to reheat leftovers?

My favorite way to reheat cooked fish is using the sous vide method. You don't need an actual sous vide machine to make it work, either. You can use a food-safe plastic bag in a pot of water over low heat on the stove. That'll give you the best results with your leftovers, without overcooking the fish in the process.

Plus, people won't hate on you for cooking fish in the microwave either.

How about some Cedar Plank Salmon?

More Salmon Recipes

Hawaiian Salmon Poke
Spicy Salmon Rolls
Salmon Nigiri Recipe
Traeger Sheet Pan Salmon
Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice
Marry Me Salmon
Air Fryer Salmon with Wine and Garlic
Air Fryer Hot Honey Salmon Bites

Try Rockfish and Spot Prawn Ceviche!

Serve This With

Salmon is really versatile, and I've got a lot of great side dishes that'll work with this dish perfectly.

Yield: 6 servings

Traeger Honey Garlic Salmon

This easy Traeger Honey Garlic Salmon recipe uses fresh fish, simple ingredients, and the magic of your pellet grill to turn the sauce into a sticky, amazing, glaze.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons white wine

Salmon

6 small wild salmon filets
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
olive oil

Instructions

Preheat your grill to 350°.
Place all of the sauce ingredients into a small, grill-safe non-stick pan. Stir to evenly distribute all of the ingredients.
Make a foil pan with sides out of non-stick foil, or use a pre-made foil pan that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Place the salmon inside, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on the seasonings.
Place both the salmon and the saucepan into your grill, and let cook for 10-20 minutes, or until the salmon is done to your taste. The USDA recommends cooking salmon to 145°.
Keep an eye on the sauce. It just needs to simmer for about 10 minutes and you don't want it to burn. Take care to not put it over a hot-spot.
Remove both from the grill, and pour the sauce over the salmon before serving.