Saffron Salmon Kababs
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- About 1½ teaspoons saffron threads (0.35 grams)
- Pinch of granulated sugar
- 3tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2large garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1¼teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- ½teaspoon dried oregano, crushed between your fingers
- ½teaspoon ground coriander
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1½pounds skinless salmon (preferably center-cut), cut into 1-inch pieces
- Fresh herbs, such as mint, cilantro and basil, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
424 calories; 30 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 454 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Using a mortar and pestle or small bowl and the handle end of a wooden spoon, grind the saffron with a pinch of sugar to a fine powder (about ¼ teaspoon). Transfer to a large bowl. Bring 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a saucepan, kettle or using the microwave, then let stand for 2 minutes to allow the water temperature to drop slightly. Add to the ground saffron powder, gently stir, cover and steep for 5 minutes.
- Step 2
To the saffron water, add the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano, coriander, pepper and turmeric. Stir to mix, add the salmon pieces and combine until the salmon is well coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Step 3
As the salmon marinates, prepare a charcoal grill until the coals are ashed over and slightly cooled to medium-hot and or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Skewer the salmon and save any remaining marinade. Grill the skewers, brushing with the remaining marinade and turning every couple of minutes, until tender and buttery, about 10 minutes total. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the fish. Enjoy, with bites of fresh herbs between bites of salmon.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Rk
1 1/2 teaspoons is a LOT of saffron!
Jon Souder
Salmon are better with the skin left on. That's where all the Omega-3 fatty acids are! Plus, they keep the flesh moist. I did ours in a convection oven with the skewers resting on a glass baking dish. Broil last 3 minutes.
James H. Longstreet
This was excellent. But I have to say that it’s hard to believe that the saffron shows up after the inclusion of garlic, coriander, turmeric, oregano, and lime juice. Next time I’ll omit this costly ingredient and see if the flavorful marinade suffers. Meanwhile, the recommended dill rice and cucumber/tomato/red onion salad were both great suggestions.
The Meshugana Gadfly
It's 1 1/2 t of saffron threads; when ground down w/ the sugar, it's only 1/4 t.
JooJoo
Delicious marinade for the salmon...although did not grill my salmon or cut into chunks for the skewer, I marinated and covered my 2 lbs. of skinless King Salmon on a aluminum sheet pan and cooked covered in the oven and broiled it at the end. My family and I loved it alongside the 'dill rice'!
nerdgirl
Can these be made in an oven or broiler? If so, can someone provide instructions? Thanks.
JanetWH
I used skin-on salmon fillets, and cooked in a cast iron skillet. SO delicious! And easy. Will definitely make again!
Stewart In Houston
This recipe yields 4 servings. I would use 12 strands. From spicesinc.com A good rule of thumb is to use about three strands a person. There are approximately 463 threads (3/8" to ½" in length) per gram of saffron so 1 gram would yield approximately 150 servings.
Chuck
Hi barbA: If I may offer an opinion. Rather than skipping the saffron minimize the OTHER ingredients. The saffron flavor should be the focus. And you can absolutely make this in an apartment. I use a stove top griddle pan or an oven broiler all the time and they work just fine. Yes some barbecued smokiness is sacrificed but that is just the reality of apartment living. Good luck with your dinner party!
Joan
Made this yesterday with same spices, but left out the turmeric because I was concerned about the saffron being overwhelmed. Marinated about 1 hour, and with no barbecue, I cooked larger pieces in a ribbed grill pan. Took just about 5-6 minutes in all, and skin came off easily. Served at room temp with extra lime and herbs. Delicious and saffron shined.
Elliot
This recipe is so good! I made the marinade exactly as written (maybe a couple more tablespoons of lime juice) and the taste of saffron was definitely present at the end of it all - I used half the amount of salmon. I reduced the extra marinade in a small pot on the stovetop on low heat for a couple minutes and poured the reduction on top of the kebabs - a perfect tangy addition to the dish.
Fred M
Marinated a salmon filet per this recipe, then cooked in the oven per Mark Bittman’s recipe for Salmon Roasted in Butter (substituting olive oil for butter). Superb!
Pete Roddy
If your salmon is dry you overcooked it.
PondAndWoods
I planned to grill it but discovered that my sweetheart brought me a huge skinless salmon filet. Afraid it would stick to the grill grate, we broiled it instead. 4 minutes each side. Loved the marinade. Smells amazing when you plate it. Great contrast with the buttery texture of the fish.
Fabian
It's all about the saffron!
BB
Underwhelming. My partner politely said that it was a little blend and lacked dimension. I thought it was totally tasteless although I used a very fine and flavorful middle eastern safran, followed the recipe to a T and gave salmon time to marinade. I am ditching that recipe for better ones. Ciao!
Erawal
Made the marinade as directed, but used 0.5 grams of saffron (that's the amount that came in the package). I used a skin-on salmon filet (didn't bother cubing the salmon to make kebobs), and grilled the marinated salmon on a gas grill. I had leftover marinade, so I also used it on boneless skinless chicken breasts, which I grilled alongside the salmon. Served with a dollop of greek yogurt (into which I'd mixed lemon juice, cilantro, a little olive oil and garlic). Tasty!
Chef Carlos
Entirely excellent dinner, including the rice, which I made with tarragon and the tomato salad, which I made with zucchini. This one goes into the hard to achieve Keepers File. Best part is the salmon, especially for non fish people like my wife. Loved the interplay of the saffron and spices. Goes well with La Crema Chardonnay. Iranian appetizers would be good too.
AndreaStPaul
Made this yummy dish a few times, always great. Trader Joe's is carrying good saffron now. Cooked on skewers in cast iron pan or on griddle, lightly coated with oil, on stove top. Made with salmon which is great; think it would be great with other types of fish as others have noted. Also think it would be very good with shrimp. Encourage marinating 6-8 hours or overnight.
Annabella
This recipe was delicious & the saffron flavor was discernible and not overpowering. I used the more fatty Icelandic salmon, farm raised. Chicago winter, so grilling was impossible. Oven set at 425 for 8 minutes. Under the broiler for about 3 minutes. I added the thinnest slices of lemon between each cube. Plus I also broiled skewers of cherry tomatoes and yellow pepper for a veggie side. Company dinner!
Troy
I was excited about this recipe and followed it exactly but it was waaay too much saffron so it tasted almost soapy.
Joe
Delicious marinade - don’t skimp on the saffron! saffron bouillon with a pinch of sugar should also work if you’re looking for a cheaper option.
MoeInSydney
Delicious. Do not under any circumstances skimp on the saffron. Served with basmati, minted yogurt and Shirazi salad.
from an actual Iranian
Saffron is neither overpowered not overpowering if you follow this recipe AND have real, good quality saffron, which admittedly is hard to find. If you don’t personally like saffron with fish there’s no need for you to comment… It’s just derogatory. It’s a staple of Persian food and this is a fantastic recipe!
lightquest
Didn’t have saffron. used 1/4 teaspoon curry instead. Excellent!
Lisa G
I made this but did not do kebabs. It was a fantastic dish. Good for a weeknight but elegant enough for a dinner party. Highly recommend!
Jennie
This is so good! My changes: I used a mix of salmon, tuna, swordfish and sea-bass cubes, and cooked the marinated pieces in a hot cast-iron skillet slicked with olive oil. They got a great brown crust (took a while to cook through), and the marinade gave them so much flavor. The saffron certainly didn't dominate, but it was just discernible. Fish, to me, is always a somewhat risky thing to cook (especially for guests!), but this came out superbly.
Sohrab Ismail-Beigi
Couldn't find any thick salmon anywhere so tried swordfish instead: came out delicious! Great recipe.
michelem
This was a good recipe. Not great. But a solid good.
grptcooker
I baked these at 400° for 12 mins and they were AMAZING! I will do them again when I get a grilling opportunity for sure, but they were still so so so good in the oven.
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