Barbecue Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

June 28, 2026
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There is something special about cooking over an open fire. The preparation is different, the heat is a little different and you are surrounded by nature, which feels really nice. I have some great outdoor recipes in my list like this strip steak with white bean ragu and my favorite barbecue sloppy joe recipe, but today we are making barbecue glazed salmon with a spicy pineapple salsa and it is just perfect for summertime.

Let’s get started…

Begin by prepping the pineapple salsa and the barbecue glaze…

- - For the spicy pineapple salsa, combine a small diced pineapple (about 2 cups), 1/4 cup of diced red onion, 1/4 cup of diced pasilla pepper (you could use poblano for slightly less heat or jalapeño for more heat), the juice from cutting the pineapple, a pinch of sea salt and tajin to taste
  - For the barbecue glaze, whisk 2 parts of your favorite barbecue sauce with 1 part honey and 1 part pineapple or citrus juice. I was making 2 salmon filets today and I used about 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce, 3 tablespoons of both honey and citrus juice and that was the perfect amount of glaze, but you can make as much or as little as you want as long as you loosely follow the 2 parts/1 part/1 part ratio
  - Chill both the salsa and barbecue glaze until you are ready to use them

When you are ready to cook the salmon, dry both sides with a paper towel and season generously with your favorite seasoned salt. I love Lawry’s on salmon, but the barbecue glaze has loads of flavor in it, so don’t worry too much about the seasoning here. Just make sure you get some salt on the salmon before you cook it.

Place your skillet over your fire grate or a grill or your stovetop over medium to medium high heat. Add a thin layer of oil and once the skillet is hot, place the salmon into the skillet.

Once the underside of the salmon has a nice crisp sear, flip it and add your barbecue glaze into the skillet.

You will notice the glaze thicken as soon as it begins to bubble, at this point, start brushing the glaze over the salmon until the salmon is cooked to your desired level.

This glaze adds such a beautiful degree of flavor and moisture to the salmon that I almost don’t mind if the salmon cooks a little more than I would usually prefer.

The only thing left to do is to spoon some of that pineapple salsa over the salmon and dig in.

If you have a safe place to transfer the screaming hot skillet, like a nice flat log or big cutting board, it is really nice to eat this rustic, delicious salmon right out of the skillet. It keeps everything warm and you have less things to clean after dinner.

Whether you are cooking on a campfire in the desert, a grill in your backyard or your stovetop in your kitchen, this barbecue glazed salmon with pineapple salsa is the perfect summertime meal.

If you want some delicious sides to serve with this salmon, I would love to suggest my lemon roasted potatoes, crispy potato salad or this classic cole slaw.

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