Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Sauce

Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Sauce is a simple yet elegant meal from the grill. A Pinot Noir makes a perfect wine pairing for this grilled salmon recipe. Read on for more details on the dish and wine pairing, or click here to jump ahead to the recipe.

I first tried salmon with mushroom sauce at The Elephant Walk restaurant in Cambridge, and successfully recreated a version that I first posted here in 2007. I recently came across the original recipe I posted back then, and realized it didn’t even have a picture along with the instructions. It was high time to update our Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Sauce recipe!

When I first posted this recipe, I said that I don’t make salmon much because Jodi isn’t a fan. Since that time, our boy has joined me in the ranks of serious seafood eaters, so I make salmon a lot more now. So now you can find all kinds of salmon recipes on Cooking Chat, ranging from Quinoa with Salmon and Strawberries to the Orzo, Salmon and Pesto recipe that has been one of the most popular Cooking Chat recipes lately.

Though I’ve branched out and made a lot of different salmon recipes, this Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Sauce is definitely a classic. The light taste of the grilled salmon combines perfectly with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms.

I originally served the Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Sauce with rice pilaf and sautéed spinach. During our recent remake of this recipe, we served it alongside some farro grain tossed with onions and a bit of the mushrooms sauce. This made for a very substantial and satisfying meal.

If you like this recipe, you should also check out our Grilled Swordfish with Garlic Soy Marinade!

Wine Pairing 

I’m inclined to serve salmon with Pinot Noir anyway, and the addition of mushroom sauce seals the deal! I had a bottle of 2013 Anaba Pinot Noir ($36, 14.1 % ABV) from the Sonoma Coast on hand to sample; making grilled salmon with mushroom sauce seemed like a great time to try it.

The Anaba Pinot has violet on the nose. Sweet cherry fruit, supple mouthfeel. The winery tasting notes also mentioned baking spices, and I definitely picked that up too. An excellent wine, and a perfect pairing for this salmon dish. For more on Anaba Wines, visit the winery website.

Interestingly, when I originally posted this recipe I paired the dish with another Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast with good results. So if you can’t get your hands on the Anaba Pinot you might want to stick with the Sonoma Coast region if you can!

Grilled Salmon with Mushroom Sauce

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Grilled salmon topped with a mixed mushroom sauce for a simple yet elegant meal from the grill.

• Author: Cooking Chat
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 3 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Method: grilling
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups mixed mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake and button mushrooms)
• 1 tbsp. fresh tarragon or thyme, chopped
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 3 tbsp. butter
• ⅓ cup red wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 12 to 14 ozs salmon fillet
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make the sauce. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallot until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the mushrooms, cook for about 4 minutes until the mushrooms begin to sweat.
3. Add the wine, and cook until the mushrooms are reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cream. Add the tarragon or thyme, and pepper to taste. Cover to keep warm while grilling the salmon.
4. Preheat a grill to medium high. Brush the salmon fillet with olive oil, and place the salmon on the grill skin side down. Grill covered for 4 minutes, then carefully turn the fish over to grill for another 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Remove salmon to platter to rest. Gently reheat the sauce if needed as the salmon rests.
6. Portion the salmon, and serve with a topping of the mushrooms sauce. Enjoy with a good Pinot Noir!

Recipe Card powered by

Full disclosure: I received a complimentary bottle of the Pinot Noir to sample from the winery. As always, the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.