Grilling Seafood: What you Need to Know 

Summer grilling doesn’t mean just burgers, steaks, and hot dogs.  Get creative with your menu for a rewarding meal that includes seafood.  This week Safeway has a great sale on wild-caught salmon, swordfish, tuna, scallops and shrimp.   There are so many ways to feast on grilled seafood, serve it straight up with a squeeze of lemon, on skewers, in tacos, or with a steak for a surf and turf combo.

Take advantage of the sale on seafood to wow your family with a delicious entree prepared simply over the grill with easy preparation techniques using McCormick Grill Mates seasoning blends and marinades.  The Grill Mates seasoning blends have been expertly crafted to impart a delicious flavor that brings out the flavor of the meat, seafood or veggie you pair it with.

With simple ingredients like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and natural flavors, you can achieve restaurant-quality food in your own kitchen!

Take advantage of the sale on McCormick Grill Mates- just $1.49 for the marinade mixes and $2.99 for the seasoning blends through the end of August for perfectly seasoned grilled seafood this summer!

How to Grill Salmon

When grilling salmon, you’ll want to brush it with oil and top with your favorite seasoning blend. Heat the grill to medium-high heat and place the fillet on grill on the seasoned side first.  The rule of thumb for salmon is 10 minutes for every one inch of thickness, so if you have a 1 inch fillet at the thickest point, you’ll cook it for 10 minutes total or 5 minutes per side.  You don’t want to overcook the salmon because it will be dry.

Cooking salmon on a cedar plank is another great option and opportunity to impart delicious flavor into your fish.  Safeway sells the cedar planks right in the seafood department.  Simply soak the grilling plank in warm water for a min of 20 minutes up to 1 hour before you use it.  Place the seasoned seafood on the soaked plank and cover as much of the plank with food as possible to prevent flare-ups on the grill.

I like to cook wild Sockeye salmon on cedar planks because it’s thinner than farmed Atlantic salmon, so it cooks through more evenly.

A few great seasoning options for salmon include the McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, or the Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb seasoning blend and if you want a sweet and smoky flavor profile, my new favorite seasoning blend this summer is the Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple.  It’s made with maple syrup, brown sugar and molasses and really gives an amazing flavor to grilled salmon!

How to Grill Tuna

Ahi tuna cooks really quickly and is a fish that shouldn’t be cooked through all the way.  It’s best seared over high heat for a 3 to 4 minutes on each side so that it gets the gorgeous grill marks but the center is left slightly pink for maximum flavor.  Be sure to brush the tuna with oil and season on both sides before grilling for maximum flavor.  A squeeze of lime juice at the end adds incredible flavor.

How To Grill Shrimp

Shrimp is another great option on the grill – it cooks quickly and can take on a myriad of flavor profiles depending on how it’s seasoned and with what it’s paired.  Shrimp should be cooked in the grill basket, on foil, or on skewers so that you don’t lose it through the grates.   If using skewers, remember to soak the skewers before grilling to avoid burning the wood.  Shrimp will cook the fastest of all seafood options, so if you are having shrimp with other grilled meats, be sure to plan to grill the shrimp last as it’s done in 5 minutes or less.  I plan for 2.5 minutes on each side.  Any longer on the grill and you risk having chewy overcooked shrimp.

How to Grill Scallops

Scallops can be grilled as well – it’s best to place scallops in a grill basket or thread on skewers so that they do not fall trough the grill grates.  If you wrap the scallops in bacon, you add a killer dimension of flavor and the fat in the bacon helps prevent the scallops from overcooking and drying out.  Scallops should be grilled no more than 6 to 8 minutes otherwise you risk having chewy scallops for dinner.

For more seafood grilling tips, be sure to read the McCormick Grill Mates Seafood Grill Guide here.  Be sure to also read our Grilling the Perfect Burger Guide and our Grilling the Perfect Steak Guide to as well as How to Perfectly Grill Vegetables Guide to be the master of everything on the grill this summer.

5 Recipes for Grilled Seafood, courtesy of McCormick Grill Mates

Montreal Salmon

A rub of Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Seasoning, lemon peel and dill weed provide delicious flavor for salmon on the grill.  McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning is made with coarse salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, onion, sunflower oil and paprika.  It’s the essential seasoning blend for grilling steaks, chops and fillets this summer.  Get the recipe here.

 

Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Make salmon really special with Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning and a rich butter sauce flavored with balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.  McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning is made with garlic, onion, salt, red pepper, orange peel, paprika, green bell pepper lemon juice solids, and natural flavors.  It’s a natural complement to salmon and the balsamic mustard butter sauce ties all the flavors together in a delicious glaze.  Get the recipe here.

Mesquite Lime Grilled Peel and Eat Shrimp

Peel and eat shrimp are about to steal the grilling spotlight.  Prepared with the Grill Mates Mesquite Marinade Mix, the shrimp is marinaded with the seasoning blend, lime juice, honey and oil for 15 minutes which infuses the delicious smoky mesquite flavors into the shrimp.  The best part of this recipe is that you don’t have to peel the shrimp before grilling, rather your guests will peel their own, which is part of the fun.  Get the recipe here.

Grilled Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Tuna With Lime

Re-create restaurant-quality tuna right at your own grill. Season tuna steaks with Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Seasoning, then grill to perfection and brush with lime juice for a fresh, flavor-packed finish.  McCormick Grill Mates Chipotle & Roasted Garlic seasoning blend is made with salt, spices (including black pepper, chipotle chili pepper, paprika, cumin), garlic, onion, roasted garlic, and sunflower oil.  It’s a delicious flavor-packed punch for grilled tuna. Get the recipe here.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallop Skewers

Smoky bacon + tender, briny scallops + Grill Mates Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning. What could be better?  McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning blend is made with salt, onion, spices and herbs (including paprika), roasted garlic, dill weed oil and coriander.  It’s a perfect combo for the smoky bacon and tender scallops.  Get the recipe here.

 

Seafood Sale at Safeway

Be sure to take advantage of the hot sale on seafood and McCormick Grill Mates seasoning blends and marinade mixes at Safeway and make these recipes for dinner this week.

• Open Nature Wild-Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is on sale for $9.99/lb. through August 13th

• Open Nature Wild Sea Scallops 16 oz bags on sale for $12.99 each through August 13th

• Wild Caught Ahi Tuna or Swordfish Steaks on sale for $9.99/lb. through August 13th

• Medium Raw Shrimp is on sale for $6.99/lb. or Extra Jumbo Wild Raw Pink Shrimp is on sale for $10.99/lb. through August 13th

Sale on McCormick Grill Mates at Safeway

McCormick Grill Mates seasoning blends are available in the spice aisle at your local Safeway.  There are over 15 seasoning blends and even more Grill Mates marinades available for all your grilling needs.

• McCormick Grill Mates Marinades are on sale for $1.49 each through August 27th
• McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning Blends are on sale for $2.99 each through August 27th

Be sure to pin this post to your summer grilling Pinterest board to remember these tips and recipes for future grilling.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of McCormick to highlight various ways Grill Mates seasoning blends can be used to create delicious grilled seafood recipes.  The recipe images above are used with permission from McCormick.  As always, opinions are my own.  We appreciate and encourage your support of the brands that make this site possible.

SuperSafeway is a blog devoted to helping you find the best deals at Safeway in the Denver division.  Every week we slice and dice the ad and tell you the best deals at Safeway with and without coupons.  For more low prices, check out Super Safeway’s weekly ad coupon matchup page. Want to stay updated on the best deals? If so, make sure to like Super Safeway on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter.

* Please note – Savings information is based on Colorado pricing and the Safeway Coupon Policy for the Denver Division which includes Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming and South Dakota. Your market may vary. *