Cilantro Lime Grilled Salmon Kabobs

Marinated in a fresh cilantro lime sauce and grilled alongside red onion, cherry tomatoes, and served with a cilantro lime crema, these cilantro lime grilled salmon kabobs are a quick dinner to throw on the grill for any occasion.

Cilantro lime-lovers, start your grills! You just found your new summer meal MVP.

I have a love-hate relationship with kabobs mostly because I find them a little tedious with threading the meat + veg onto the skewers but dang, if I don’t absolutely love the end result and find myself always coming back to them this time of year.

No hours-long marinating, or fancy cooking techniques required here either, thank the LORD. Just a good ol’ protein-packed summer meal on a stick with a pretty dang delicious cilantro lime crema coming in too for all your dipping needs.

These Kabobs Feature…

• Buttery tender salmon cubes marinated in a fresh cilantro and lime sauce
• Juicy cherry tomatoes and red onion
• A super creamy cilantro lime crema for dipping

Making the Salmon Kabobs

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Sour cream
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Lime
• Vegetable oil
• Salmon
• Red onion
• Cherry tomatoes

Choosing Your Salmon

I recommend purchasing a fresh side of salmon, removing the skin, and cutting it into 1-inch cubes yourself, rather than using pre-cut salmon. This allows you to control the size of the cubes and aim for uniformity.

If possible, always go for a fresh salmon such as Atlantic or sockeye with this recipe especially. High-quality salmon really shines here and you can taste the difference.

Tips for Perfect Salmon Kabobs

1. Use fresh lime, cilantro and garlic – you can’t beat the flavor using these ingredients fresh gives both the marinade and crema.
2. Don’t over-marinate salmon – if you let the salmon sit too long in the marinade, the acid from the lime juice will eventually start to break down the salmon. For best results, marinate the salmon no longer than 20 minutes.
3. Thread fresh lime slices onto kabobs – we typically don’t eat these with the kabobs since they can be a little bitter on their own, but it adds a lot of amazing extra lime flavor to the salmon while it cooks.
4. Grill salmon on sheet of tin foil – this will keep the delicate salmon from sticking to the grill grates.
5. Don’t overcook salmon – ideally, you want an internal temperature of 125-130F for the salmon which should only take a few minutes of grilling.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these kabobs.

• Grill with different veggies – try zucchini, eggplant, or sweet pepper diced into 1-inch cubes. Be aware, cook time may vary depending on the vegetable you use.
• Add some spice – add red pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste to the marinade and crema.

Serving Suggestions

These kabobs are great served alongside a fresh summer salad, steamed rice, or roast potatoes for a full meal.

Every part about these kabobs just screams FRESH! From the fresh lime and cilantro marinade to that wonderful cool and creamy cilantro lime crema, it’s really just any cilantro lime peep’s dream dinner situation.

My only advice is go HEAVY on the crema for dipping here!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More summery salmon dishes to make next!

• Greek Salmon Kabobs
• Grilled Bruschetta Salmon
• Chili Lime Salmon