Salicylate (SA) was shown to alleviate insulin resistance. Here, we showed that SA inhibited Ser731 phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and S6 kinase activation, and enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS1 in response to insulin or amino acid. Experiments using a cJun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-deficient cell and an IRS1 JNK-binding mutant showed that JNK is not required for Ser731 phosphorylation. A two-week treatment of obese mice with SA resulted in decreased Ser731 phosphorylation and enhanced insulin signaling. These results suggest that SA enhances insulin signaling by inhibiting Ser731 phosphorylation of IRS1.