Salmon Kabobs
Updated Jul 28, 2026
These salmon kabobs are marinated in a tangy mustard sauce, skewered, and grilled with zucchini and onions. Perfect over a flame for grilling!
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Salmon kabobs are one of the easiest ways I know how to make one decent-sized salmon fillet stretch into a full meal. I cut the salmon into large cubes, marinate it with Dijon, lemon, garlic, honey, and thyme, then thread it onto skewers with zucchini and red onion. Everything cooks together, so I don’t have to make a separate veggie side unless I really feel like it.
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this salmon kabobs recipe.
Salmon skewers can dry out fast, so my whole focus here was keeping the salmon tender while giving the zucchini enough time to cook. My first batch had smaller salmon pieces, and they were already dry by the time the vegetables softened. Cutting the salmon into larger, 2-inch cubes fixed it. They held together better on the kabobs and finished cooking at the same time as the veggies.
I also tested the marinade timing. Leaving the salmon in it for a few hours made the outside mushy from the lemon. Thirty minutes was the sweet spot. It gave the Dijon, garlic, honey, and thyme enough time to coat the salmon without changing the texture.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for July 2024!
Salmon Kabobs Ingredients
- Salmon: I use center-cut salmon because the thicker, more even portion is easier to cut into 2-inch cubes. Try to keep the pieces close to the same size so they finish cooking together. Skinless salmon is easiest here, but I remove the skin before cutting if needed.
- Salmon skewers marinade: Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, honey, fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper. Zest the lemon before squeezing it and stop before reaching the bitter white pith. Use ⅓ teaspoon dried thyme if you don’t have fresh.
- Vegetables: Zucchini and red onion. Cut the zucchini into 1-inch pieces and the onion into chunks large enough to stay on the skewers. Avoid making the vegetables much smaller than the salmon because they can soften too quickly or slide off while turning.
- For grilling: Avocado oil is my go-to for greasing the grill grates because it handles high heat well. Another neutral high-heat oil works.
- For serving: I serve these salmon kabobs with fresh lemon wedges and tartar sauce or tzatziki.
How to Make Salmon Kabobs
These step-by-step photos show how I marinate, assemble, and grill the salmon skewers. For the complete measurements, grill temperature, and cooking time, jump down to the → Salmon Kabobs Recipe
1. Mix the Marinade
Whisk the Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, honey, thyme, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until the mixture looks smooth.
2. Marinate the Salmon
Add the salmon and gently toss until every piece is coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate while the marinade does its thing.
3. Assemble the Salmon Skewers
Alternate the salmon, zucchini, and red onion on the soaked skewers. Leave a small amount of space between the pieces so the heat can reach the sides.
4. Grill the Salmon and Vegetable Kebabs
Place the skewers on the greased grill and turn them as each side browns. The salmon is ready when it flakes easily and the veggies are tender with some char around the edges.
Full Salmon Kabobs Recipe
Salmon Kabobs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds center cut salmon filet skin removed, cut into 2-inch cubes
- ½ large red onion cut into chunks
- 2 medium zucchini cut into 1-inch chunks
- 8 to 10 wooden skewers soaked
- Avocado oil for grilling
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
- Tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together Dijon, garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, honey, thyme, salt and pepper. Add salmon and toss to evenly coat the salmon in the Dijon mixture. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Assemble the skewers by alternating between onions slices, marinated salmon, and zucchini, thread the ingredients onto the soaked wooden skewers. It should make between 8 and 10 kabobs.
- When ready to cook, grease the grill with avocado oil then preheat to medium-high heat.
- Grill the kabobs until fully cooked and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, turning the skewers every couple minutes to allow for even cooking.
- Remove the kabobs from the grill and squeeze fresh lemon on top before serving.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Use bell peppers: Replace one zucchini with 1 large bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces. Red, yellow, and orange peppers all hold up well on the grill.
- Add cherry tomatoes: Thread 1 cup of firm cherry tomatoes between the salmon and vegetables. Very ripe tomatoes can split, so use ones that don’t feel soft.
- Use a maple Dijon marinade: This almost made the final cut as the main marinade! Replace the honey with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and keep everything else the same. It’s a little deeper and sweeter, but I liked the honey version just slightly more with the salmon.
Recipe Tips
- Start with a clean, hot grill. I brush the grates clean, preheat the grill for 10-15 minutes, and oil them right before adding the salmon kabobs. That helps the skewers release when I turn them.
- Don’t pack the skewers too tightly. Leave some space between the salmon and vegetables so the sides can brown. When everything is pressed together, the areas that touch tend to steam and stay pale.
- Turn the skewers gently. Salmon gets delicate as it cooks, so use long tongs and only turn the skewers when the fish releases easily from the grill.
- Watch the smaller pieces first. Even when I cut the salmon as evenly as possible, there are usually one or two smaller cubes. I move those skewers to a cooler part of the grill if they start cooking faster than the rest.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with rice or grains. I like to slide everything off the skewers over Lebanese rice, lemon rice, or bulgur.
- Add a salad. Serve the salmon skewers with Greek salad, quinoa avocado salad, or fattoush.
- Serve with potatoes. Grilled potatoes, roasted baby potatoes, or Lebanese spicy potatoes make the meal more filling.
- Add a sauce. There are plenty of other sauces that work with these salmon zucchini kabobs. Greek yogurt sauce, toum, even avocado crema.
Troubleshooting
Your salmon pieces were probably too small, or they stayed on the grill for too long. Cut them into 2-inch cubes so they don’t overcook.
The grill was probably too hot. Salmon can pick up color fast, especially with honey in the marinade, so I would move the skewers to a slightly cooler part of the grill and let them cook more gently.
Your salmon was likely still wet when it went into the bowl. Pat it dry first so the marinade actually clings to the meat.
Some darkening is normal, especially at the exposed ends. If they are burning quickly, keep the bare parts of the skewers away from direct flame or lay a strip of foil under the handles.
Comments
This salmon recipe was so delicious 😋. I usually cook my salmon very simple – but this maybe my new favorite 🤩 recipe for cooking salmon. I used the trick of hot water to take off the skin for the salmon – and it worked like magic. The recipe is very simple, fast and the delicious 😋 marinate makes the salmon extra special. I made a quick yogurt, cucumber 🥒, caper, dill sauce to go with this delicious recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “ so good “ 😊
Your sauce sounds delicious!! So happy you loved the recipe and that the hot water trick worked for you. Thanks, Agnes!!
My family had the recipe since May and my Father grilled it on the grill then. It was delicious and different. Thanks
So happy you and your family liked it, Maura! Thank you!
Delicious and makes the perfect dinner. The fresh ingredients like lemon, garlic and herbs take it to another level! My family loves seafood and this recipe was a hit. Jazakillah for always sharing with us your delicious recipes 🩵🩵🩵
Shukran, Zainab! I’m so happy you and your family loved the recipe. The fresh ingredients are the key to great flavor for these kabobs!!
This is such an easy and flavorful recipe! The marinade is light and super tasty. I tend to like my veggies more tender, so I kept them separate and grilled them a bit longer than the salmon. All turned out perfect. Great summer recipe!
Yes, it is perfect for summer! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Adrienne!!
I made your Salmon Kabobs for the July Cooking challenge and they were delicious! The salmon and veggies were very flavorful, and they all cooked evenly. We were concerned that the salmon might need less time than the vegetables, but the salmon was flaky and the vegetables were done but nicely crisp. Thank you!
Aww, I’m so happy the salmon kabobs and veggies turned out great for you! Thanks, Emiley!
I made these last night and oh my goodness..so good! I made Yumna’s roasted veggie and feta sauce over pasta to go with the kabobs and my family were happy campers. These kabobs are going to be on repeat for me all summer.
*Quick tip – if your salmon has the skin on simply pour a teeny bit of boiling water over the skin of the raw salmon and the skin will peel right off*
Sounds like a delicious pairing, Tracy! So glad your family loved the meal. Great tip for removing salmon skin too, thank you for sharing!!
Today I made these salmon skewers and they turned out sooo sooo good!! First time I actually made something from Yumna, although a long time (lazy) fan! But now I want to made more stuff!! Couldn’t even take pics because they were gone so fast!
Yay, I’m so happy you loved them!!
Such a light summer meal. I added peppers and served it with rice. So good.
Yum, peppers and rice sound like a delicious pairing! So happy you liked it, Tracy!!
I love the recipe you shared, it was a nice change. My employer loved it.. Thank you so much
So happy you and your employer loved it—thanks, Evangeline!
Really great, tasty and easy recipe. Making kebabs during the summer is always my favourite, and these are now in the rotation
Yay, I love to hear that! Thanks, Clara!!
Oh my gosh, these were so good on the grill! They were perfect for the barbecue cookout, a hit with our guests! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Aww yay, I’m so happy your barbecue guests enjoyed them!
Where do you buy your salmon? Do they remove the skin for you? I live in West Michigan and would love to find a butcher that removes the skin. 🙂
I buy them mostly from Wild Alaskan Company and the ones photographed are from Whole Foods. The fishmonger there can remove the skin for you!