I smoke a lot of salmon, and I am proud of this recipe, although it would be the height of arrogance to say that what I do is the end-all, be-all of salmon smoking recipes. Lots of people smoke their salmon in lots of ways, and many of them are good. But I’ve been smoking fish for many years, and I’ve developed a system that works well.
Keep in mind this is a hot-smoking recipe. Cold smoking, which is the kind of slice-able smoked fish you get in fancy boxes from Scotland is an entirely different thing.
Almost everyone in Salmon Country hot smokes their fish. If you’re unfamiliar with hot-smoked fish, think about those golden smoked whitefish you see in delicatessens; those are hot smoked.
How do you eat it? Well, you can just eat it plain, or you can flake it and make it into a smoked salmon salad, you can pound it with butter and make salmon rillettes, serve it in deviled eggs, tossed with pasta… you get the point.
Here’s what you need to get started:
- A smoker. I’ve uses a Traeger and a Bradley. Both are good. No matter what smoker you use, you will need to be able to a) know your smoking chamber’s temperature, and b) control the heat, at least in a rough sense.
- Wood. The only downside to a Traeger smoker is that you need to use their wood pellets. As a guy who used a Brinkmann wood-fired BBQ for years, fueling it with scraps of almond and other fruit woods, buying wood can be annoying, but you get better precision with this method. I prefer to use alder wood for my salmon, but apple, cherry, oak or maple work fine.
- Salt. Buy a box of kosher salt from the supermarket. Do not use regular table salt, as it contains iodide and anti-caking agents that will give your salmon an “off” flavor. I use Diamond Crystal, which is cut finer than Morton’s.
- Something sweet — salmon love sweet. I prefer to sweeten my smoked salmon with birch syrup; It’s just like maple syrup, only tapped from birch trees instead. Super cool stuff. But maple syrup is just as good. Just use real maple syrup, OK? Not the imitation crap. Honey works, too.
- A large plastic container. Buy the big, flat ones from the supermarket. They stack easily in a normal fridge, so you can have two different brines going. And they clean easily and are pretty cheap.
- A wire rack. You need to rest your brined fish on a rack with plenty of air circulation to form the all-important pellicle (more on that in a bit), and you will use it to rest the smoked fish before storing it.
- A basting brush. You probably already have this in your kitchen, but if not, pick one up. Get the flat kind, like you use to paint detail on window trim.
When you are ready to start, you will need smallish pieces of salmon about 1/4 to 1/2 pound each. Any salmonid fish will work with this recipe. I’ve done it with king salmon, sockeye, coho, and pink salmon, dolly varden, plus kokanee, steelhead and Lahontan trout.
There is no reason it would not work with chum salmon or any other char or trout species. And yes, it works with farmed Atlantic salmon, but I never eat the stuff.
I prefer to smoke salmon with its skin on, but I’ve done it with skinless pieces and it works fine.
Smoked Salmon
Note that my salmon cure is very simple. Feel free to add things if you like. I've added bay leaves, chiles, thyme, garlic and minced onion. All are fine, but subtle. And since I often use smoked salmon as a base for another dish, I want mine to remain simple and clean-tasting.
Servings: 5 pounds
Calories: 132kcal
Ingredients
- 5 pounds salmon, trout or char
- Birch or maple syrup for basting
BRINE
- 1 quart cool water
- 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, about 2 ounces of any kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix together the brine ingredients and place your fish in a non-reactive container (plastic or glass), cover and put in the refrigerator. This curing process eliminates some of the moisture from the inside of the fish while at the same time infusing it with salt, which will help preserve the salmon.
- You will need to cure your salmon at least 4 hours, even for thin fillets from trout or pink salmon. In my experience, large trout or char, as well as pink, sockeye and silver salmon need 8 hours. A really thick piece of king salmon might need as much as 36 hours in the brine. Never go more than 48 hours, however, or your fish will be too salty. Double the brine if it's not enough to cover the fish.
- Take your fish out of the brine and pat it dry. Set the fillets on your cooling rack, skin side down. Ideally you'd do this right under a ceiling fan set on high, or outside in a cool, breezy place. By "cool" I mean 60°F or cooler. Let the fish dry for 2 to 4 hours (or up to overnight in the fridge). You want the surface of the fish to develop a shiny skin called a pellicle. This is one step many beginning smokers fail to do, but drying your cured, brined fish in a cool, breezy place is vital to properly smoking it. The pellicle, which is a thin, lacquer-like layer on top of the fish, seals it and offers a sticky surface for the smoke to adhere to. Don't worry, the salt in the brine will protect your fish from spoilage. Once you have your pellicle, you can refrigerate your fish for a few hours and smoke it later if you'd like.
- Start by slicking the skin of your fish with some oil, so it won't stick to the smoker rack. Know that even though this is hot smoking, you still do not want high temperatures. Start with a small fire and work your way up as you go. It is important to bring the temperature up gradually or you will get that white albumin "bleed" on the meat. I can control my heat with my smoker, so I start the process between 140°F and 150°F for up to an hour, then finish at 175°F for a final hour or two. NOTE: What my smoker is set at is not necessarily what the actual temperature is. Smoking is an art, not a science. To keep temperatures mild, always put water in your drip pan to keep the temperature down. If your smoker is very hot, like a Traeger can get, put ice in the tray.
- After an hour in the smoker, baste the fish with birch or maple syrup, or honey; do this every hour. This is a good way to brush away any albumin that might form. In most cases, you will get a little. You just don't want a ton of it. Even if you can't control your temperature this precisely, you get the general idea. You goal should be an internal temperature of about 130°F to 140°F. (Incidentally, yes, I keep the smoke on the whole time. I don't find this to be too much smoke, but if you want a lighter smoke, finish the salmon without smoke or in a 200°F oven.)
- You must be careful about your heat. Other than failing to dry your salmon long enough, the single biggest problem in smoking salmon is too high heat. If you've ever seen salmon "bleed" a white, creamy substance, that's a protein called albumin. If you see lots of it, you've screwed up; a little is normal. Here's what happens: If you cook a piece of salmon at too high a heat, the muscle fibers in the meat contract so violently that they extrude albumin, which immediately congeals on the surface of the fish. It's ugly, and it also means your salmon will be drier than it could have been. You prevent this with a solidly formed pellicle, and by keeping your heat gentle. If you let your heat get away from you and you do get a white mess on your salmon, all is not lost. Just flake it out and make salmon salad with it: The mayonnaise in the salad will mask any dryness.
- Once your fish is smoked, let it rest on the cooling rack for an hour before you put it in the fridge. Once refrigerated and wrapped in plastic, smoked fish will keep for 10 days. If you vacuum-seal it, the fish will keep for up to 3 weeks. Or freeze your fish for up to a year.
Notes
One last piece of advice: Try to fill up your smoker with fish. This process takes a while to do, and your smoker doesn't care if its full or half-empty, so you might as well make a big batch. And keep in mind this recipe is for basic smoked salmon. Other options are smoked salmon candy, a great snack, and, once you have your smoked salmon, you can use it in smoked salmon dip on crackers.
Nutrition
Serving: 113g | Calories: 132kcal | Protein: 21.3g | Fat: 4.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 26.7mg | Potassium: 198.7mg | Vitamin A: 100IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Hey Hank – I’ve done this several times and found new and creative ways to mess something up in every cook but it has yet to turn out as anything but absolutely wonderful! I’ve done this once in an offset smoker with lump charcoal and some apple wood chips over an ice bath for like 12+ hours and I’ve done it a number of times on a pellet grill. Whether it seems to go perfectly with good constant heat and slow cook or I get a bad spike and it cooks in like 2 hours, it’s been a family favorite. Great and easy. Really love it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hey Hank, thanks for the recipe. Awesome salmon! Sharing what I did:
Rig: Camp Chef 24 SG pellet smoker/grill.
Pellet: 75% Alder 25% Mesquite
Smoked on top 24 × 14 top shelf on a wire rack inside a half sheeter.
Used a 1″× 10″×18″ patio brick wrapped in foil on a half sheeter on bottom shelf as a heat sync. This maintains the low heat and temp fluctuations you get with smaller spaces (36″ and under) and pellet smokers tend to swing temp when the door is opened.
Even though my lowest temp setting is 160° I was able to keep it at 140° constantly for the first 2 hrs. Gradually brought it up to 175 over the last 2 hrs and bam 138° finish temp.
Sauces: Maple syrup, Honey, Honey Strawberry (made from syrup leftover from fresh strawberries and large grain organic sugar and honey mixed in. Strawberry may sound like a weird pairing with salmon but it’s actually AMAZING!
Thanks again y’all for the great tips.
HAPPY SMOKIN’!!!
Hi. Hope you can help me. I’m using a WSM. Have done about 1/2 doz batches of salmon with good results, but always looking to improve. I bring temp up slowly as suggested and try to finish around 170 after 3 1/2hrs. I find after basting each hr, I have trouble keeping temp down and still maintain smoke. By the time I get it regulated, it’s time to bast again. To keep temp down I have to close off drafts, but then I find there is no smoke coming out of vent. Couple questions: Is this normal or is there something else I should be doing?
Am I still getting smoke effect even if I don’t see it? In other words, is cooler temp more important than smoke?
Thks
Craig: Not sure what a WSM is. But in general, smoke is more important than a higher temperature. If you are losing temp while basting, that’s not terrible. Far worse to see temperatures spike to, say, 275F. That’s too hot.
Try the snake method with your coals in the WSM. Maybe only use one layer of 2 unlit briquettes side by side in a semi circle. Start with a really small amount of lit charcoal. Maybe a quarter of a chimney full or less. Place the lit coals on one end of the semi circle. Place one wood chunk on top of the lit coals. See how that works for you with your temps.
Just tried this today and it was amazing. Put a little spice in the maple syrup and it came out perfect. Thanks for posting!
Hello! This recipe sounds amazing! Thank you so much for posting it. I’m very new to using a pellet grill or any type of smoker and I’m wondering if you think I could throw potatoes on there with the salmon at the same temp and get smoked “baked” potatoes? Do you think they would cook at that low temp? Thanks so much!
Brenda: I have never done it, but I suspect it would work. It might take several hours to cook through at that temperature, but you are smoking the fish that long anyway.
If you use a filet or whole fish, adjust time accordingly. This is the best smoked salmon recipe and I have used it dozens of times. Thank you!
I was skeptical about being able to follow this successfully as it looked pretty complicated but it really wasn’t. It just takes time.
This is the best damn smoked salmon I’ve ever had, let alone made.
how can I send my sisters some of this and have it get there safe to eat?
Diane: You can’t, not unless you send it frozen. This is not intended for long storage.
I have made this smoked salmon several times now and every time I get rave reviews! Even from people who profess to make the “best” smoked salmon! They have admitted they must their crown down to me. I pretty much follow the recipe exactly with the exception that I sprinkle fresh dill on them while they are forming the pellicule. Love it! Thank you for the recipe!
Has anyone tried smoking at 225f? My broil king regal smoker does 225f as its main low smoke point but I believe it can be as low as 180f.
Cheston: Yes, and it works, but you will get more albumin seeping from the meat. Just paint it more with the maple syrup and pull the fish after 3 hours.
I’m in the middle of smoking salmon and I’m already close to 130 internal in under an hour at 200-225f … is that normal? Maybe I didn’t probe correctly
I’ve been smoking fish for ~10 years and this recipe is one of the best I’ve used. The salt level ~2TBS for 2 lb salmon filet is perfect. It wasn’t too salty as I’ve made that mistake a few times. I missed the (post-brining) drying step for years. Don’t skip this! Also, it’s the first time I’ve basted [fish] during the smoke. I used a bourbon maple syrup. (Next time I might add a little more bourbon) It made a slightly sweet skin that sealed in the juices. I was worried that it would be overly sweet and it wasn’t. If you like sweet, smear a small handful of brown sugar each time after moping with the syrup and you have salmon candy.
Followed the recipe as written and it came out great! I was a bit disappointed in the maple syrup as it didn’t seem to give much of a kick to the sweet side of the salmon. I don’t have birch syrup readily available, but I do have molasses. Would molasses work as the sweetener for the baste?
Steve: Just use more maple if you want it genuinely sweet. I just like a hint of it. Molasses might be too strong.
I’ve made this about 4 years ago and it was great. I can’t remember if I did a light rinse after they cured from the brine. I believe I did. Are you supposed to?
I have done a quick rinse. Turn out great. Have not tried “not rinsing”.
Hank, great recipe for all the reasons in your posting and comments. I’ve made it several times in the past few months.
My question is about final texture, I’ve had some smoked salmon that had a flakey texture (like a grilled or baked fish) and it seems like mine turn out very flavorful, but soft and not flakey. What should I expect from this recipe and method?
Thank you
Bob
Bob: It should be cooked through, but not so much that it is hard. It should flake, however. My guess is you will need to increase your heat or time the next time you do it.
Is forming a pedical in a 70 degree house under a fan safe? Your instructions say 60 degrees.
Alan: Yes, it’s safe because you have salted the fish and you will only be air drying it for about an hour or so.
I tried this recipe in my Traeger, the salmon looked beautiful had an amzing texture but tasted awful. It was so salty the flavor of the fish was lost. I recommend adjusting the salt to a tablespoon per cup of PACKED brown sugar then allowing diners to salt to taste.
For folks who don’t do much salt, omit the salt. The sugar draws out quite a bit of the moisture. You will need to sprinkle a bit more on then allow it to form a new crust but it is worth the extra 15 mins. Then just use a finishing salt like maldon or richly flavored black sea salt.
Honeylieg what brand of kosher salt did you use? Diamond Crystal has 1/2 the sodium Morton contains. Salt is not just salt. Not to bash Morton, I use it daily, but when brining, only Diamond Crystal for me. Best of luck.
It’s better to add salt by weight instead of volume (cups). I’ve learned this the hard way too before. 1/3 cup of one salt could bef more that 2 grams of another salt.
Neal: You are right when you are directly salting, but with a brine you have a bit more leeway — enough to get away with volume measurements. I always measure by weight when I need precision, though.
I have never found it too salty using kosher salt. It would definitely be too salty if you used table salt.
Tried it today. Followed the directions to a T. Not only did it turn out exactly as pictured, as well as the description of the results of the drying process, it tasted as delicious as advertised. For the baste I used Asian sweet soy sauce, which is rather thick, mixed with honey. Basted again after the second hour and noticed it appeared to be just about done. I gave it another 10 minutes for the baste to caramelize on the fish and checked for flakiness. Viola! Perfection!
Thank you for the great recipe! If you have a nice piece of salmon, this is well worth the effort
What was your total time smoking/temps? I have (2) ~0.5lb fillets for my electric smoker. Did you do (1) hr at 150 and (2) hrs at 170? Thanks!
Jonny: I just set the smoker to 165 to 175F and let it run for a few hours. Three hours is pretty normal for me, but I sometimes go 4.
Seriously AMAZING!!!! I added old bay seasoning to the brine also and it added the perfect amount of savory. The recipe wasnt to sweet or salty. It was the perfect mix of salt, sweet and savory. Will definitely be making again!!!!
Would agave nectar work well as a sweetener for the basting?
Corbin: Sure, but it doesn’t add much flavor to the party beyond sweet.
How do you know when it’s done?
Mike: It’s up to you. It will be cooked through in about an hour at these low temperatures, but you need to leave it there to get a good smoke on it.
I’ve been a fan of smoked salmon from waaaaay back – early 70’s and this method is close enough to the old timer way of making it. Stressing that the primary ingredient is patience is dead on. If you want to use brown sugar instead of syrup, make a glaze of hot water and brown sugar – reduce it till as thick as bottled syrup.
Absolutely fantastic. I only wish I had listened to the note at the bottom and made more because everyone is eating it so quickly.
I’m new to smoking and have only smoked 4 meats. This is my first time doing salmon. I followed the instructions to a T and it turned out better-than-expected. Thank you!
Hi- I was curious, I bought FIVE 1.3-1.5 lb wild caught alaskan salmon filets (skin on) from Costco. I am using my electric pellet smoker. Can I brine these in a 5 qt bucket or should they be in a rectangular plastic container so they lay down flat? Also, would you recommend doubling or tripling your recipe for the brine? Trying to figure out how much to make and how long to let them brine for. Thanks! I’m so excited to do this!
Claire: Yes on both. I do prefer using a method that allows the fish to lay flat, but people use buckets all the time. And you can definitely scale up the brine amounts.
I have not tried this recipe. I am attempting to smoke fish that will he shelf stable for longer than 3 weeks. If I use a pink curing salt will it be stable longer? I see that your recipe is using kosher salt. Any tips of longer shelf stability will be greatly appreciated. I do not have room in a freezer for what I’m attempting to do. Thank you.
Crystal: Then this is not your recipe. I have no idea how to make fish shelf stable other than canning it. Sorry.
Thank you so much ..simple …supper easy to do and make it…first time I try …I make it…. it comes out not bad at alls…nice color …tasty ….jucice…thank you !!! so much!!!
Awesome recipe! I reduced the salt a little so that my brine is not as salty (half your recipe):
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar.
Brine salmon (1 pound, farm raised from costco) overnight, let dry in fridge few hours on rack.
I put my salmon in my cheap smoker from Amazon (no temperature control, smoker can also be used as slow cooker!) for 3 hours. The internal temperature ended up 180. Never basted or nothing, too much bother. The resulting salmon is slightly dry but still juicy enough, and tastes AWESOME! The family loves it!
I have you to thank for the awesome tasting smoked salmon.
I have been using your recipe for some time, printed it out. Now that were home bound a friend wanted the recipe so I thought I would see if I could re-find it. I did. I notice you updated it. The biggest change I noticed so far was the starting cooking temperature. Just curious, why the change.
Randy: Just tinkering with the recipe, trying to improve it.
I only have hickory or misquote chips. Can either one of those work?
Amanda: I mean, yes, they will work, but both are very strongly flavored woods that I never use with salmon. So if you are not in a position to get a lighter wood, go ahead. But I would do my best to find alder, maple or a fruit wood.
I’ve made this a couple times with good results, but I was wondering, is there a good rule of thumb or indicator for knowing how long to brine? Or do I just have to get a feel for it? I use this on salmon and trout caught in Lake Michigan, and this time of year the coho are rather small, like under 20”, though as the year goes on, I’ll be getting bigger coho and King. Is there a way to know my fish is cured? Or do I just have to be willing to make mistakes and figure out about how long I have to bribe varying sized fish?
Joe: It is complicated to get it exactly right with a brine, but a general rule is that with this brine, small fish like what you are referring to would only need about 4 to 6 hours in the brine, while a big king might need up to 24.
Hello Chef,
thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! I love smoked fish and have a pellet smoker (Rectec). I am new to this and your explanation of the science is greatly appreciated. The salmon I made was fantastic, restaurant-quality – Simply seasoned in a brine of water with 1:1 sugar salt, I let the smoke do all the flavoring except for the maple syrup brushed on in the last hour of the 2 hour 45-minute cooking process. The only thing that was not clear is when to put the fish in. Following your suggestion not to use shocking temps, I put the fish in the smoker cold while the smoker got up to temp. I had to open the lid on occasion as the heat got too high (180 f), even though it’s cold and snowy here in Colorado today. Otherwise, I woke up put the fish in and had it for brunch. Thanks!
Wow!!! Just Wow!!! I just made this for dinner last night – and it was out of this world delicious!!! I brined my salmon for 12 hours overnight then patted dry on a rack in the fridge for 4 hours before smoking slowly using Alder pellets. My family thought it was incredible. Thanks so much for the recipe. Simple and delicious
Yes – five stars…great procedure.
I use this recipe and it is great. I do have one comment about filling the smoker. Each smoker is difference and there seems to be a “sweet spot” where the quantity (volume) of fish seems to work the best in that volume of space. My smoker is home made and uses the Bradley supplemental smoke generator and a veritable hot plate.
First time Salmon smoker and this recipe Nailed It!!! I had a hard time controlling the temp on the Oklahoma Joe’s charcoal smoker.(ended up leaving the lid to the fire box open to achieve the right temps) I used misquote wood chips and it turned out AMAZING!!! Thank you for the easy but delicious recipe. Definitely will be using it again.
I have been smoking salmon for over 40 years and I do have some great recipes. I was looking for something new to try and I must say this is a great & simple recipe. I will do this one again for sure ! Thanks for posting.
Finally a correct recipe! I have been smoking salmon forever and just wince at all the stuff people add in their brines. Salt and raw brown sugar is all that is needed…with a baste or two of real syrup.
As important as the above is to use natural ocean caught salmon.
I use a big chief smoker and it stays around 130 deg so I have found that the air drying step can be skipped as by the time the smoker gets up to speed the fish is dry.
We have a new smoker and I’ve found some salmon that’s 5 months old frozen in a gallon sized bag… slightly freezer burned. We are unable to go to the store at this time. Do you think it would be worth it give it a crack in our new smoker or would it be awful? Should it be any good still?
Liz: It’s worth a shot, but it won’t be as good as fresh.
I appreciate you sharing your knowledge send postings , I am new to the smoking world and am attempting salmon
After you take the fish out of the brine, do you rinse it before patting it dry?
Lee: You can, briefly. Sometimes I do and sometimes not. Sometimes I just pat the fish dry.
I have done this exact recipe several times and like it better if I just pat dry and don’t rinse. Both are good though.
Can you describe the texture of the fish after brining for 36 hours? Should it be firm, medium firm? Mine came out just as soft as it went in.
Sam: It should be slightly firmer, but not hard like truly cured fish. You are only brining, not full-on curing.
Great, simple recipe. Thank you. What kind of wood do you use?
Jon: Alder, almost always. But willow is nice, too, as is oak or maple. Some people prefer fruit woods.
This Smoked Salmon instruction guide was AMAZING! I loved the directions and explanations. Thank you for taking the time to put this out there for rookies like me to explore with. Nailed it the first time!
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this use for it but… On a toasted bagel (everything) with green onion cream cheese, flaked salmon, lemon juice, this cut cucumber and fresh dill on top is amazing.
Don’t forget the capers!
Came out awesome did some in honey and maple syrup. Think next time I’m going to leave the heat at 150° and not go higher because couple of pieces were just a touch dry. And next time is tomorrow, lol.
A damn good recipe for salmon that tastes like you’re french kissing God!
Love this recipe! What do you serve your hot smoked salmon with?
Best smoked salmon I have ever made! Thank you!!
Iam going to smoke a batch of kokanee and eastern brook trout with my salmon I would cut in 1 inch strips, and with the ends just slice a bit with the kokanee and brookies do you you leave the filet whole or do you just slice them a bit
Being a rank new-comer to smoking foods, your recipe sounds fantastic, so flavorful. I’m 89 years old and don’t have a grill or smoker, can I still use salmon with the pellicle developed first, in a wok, smoke the fish on the stove top? I would be using the standard of uncooked white rice, some green tea, maybe a few aromatics to create the smoke…maybe later with more experience, I’ll try soaked wood chips, too.
Thank you for making the process so easy to understand.
Dione: Not with this recipe. Sorry, this will not work with a wok.
I really absolutely love this recipe. Second time using it. Talk about some great tasting smoked salmon!
Sir, Dustin Steger from Texas. Love the recipe, making it for second time. My question is, when you say let it rest for an hour after smoking, do you mean at room temp(AC 70 indoors) or what exactly? I shrink wrapped after last batch resting for 1 hour that way. Delicious. Just want to see if that’s the way you advise
Thanks for your wonderful insights
Dustin Steger
Texas
Dustin: Yes, at room temperature. It lets everything firm up and not “sweat” when you put it in the fridge.
Best smoked salmon I’ve ever had!! Thank you! One question, for convenience, I’d like to brine my salmon the day before drying it (I prefer to dry it outside rather than in the fridge). Is it ok to leave brined salmon refrigerated overnight and then dry it the next day?
Catherine: Yes, it’s fine to do that
I plan on smoking some river caught trout. When cleaning the fish for this recipe, do I need to scale the fillets?
Zane: I do not scale them.
Can i get a little clarification? You say to gradually increase the temperature of the fish. Should the fish be put into a cold smoker (starting 1 hr timer here) and heated to 150°, after the hour is up, bump the temp up to 175° for 1-2 hours. And then it’s done cooking. Is that right?
Thank you for any clarification.
Amy: Yes, I put my salmon in a cold smoker and let the temperature rise very slowly. This allows me to smoke for 3 hours without annihilating the fish.
Quick question. On the “something sweet” portion of the lead in to the recipe, you say you use it to sweeten your brine. But in the recipe section you don’t mention the syrup with the brine ingredients. I just brined my first salmon side without the sweet. Currently drying. Have I done wrong? Do you also baste with the sweet to start out, or wait at least an hour before the first basting? Thank you for any clarification you can offer.
Ian: Ah, good catch! I no longer do that. Will fix the recipe.
This was amazing. I didn’t have time to brine for as long and did so for an hour and then dryed it for another hour and it came out great! My temps (still working on it) went from 150 to 170 and I still had perfectly flavored salmon smoked with alder and then some cherry. I also only made a pound and just 1/5 the brine recipe. It was very, very good. Thanks!
I’m going to brine for maybe 3 hrs…. how long did you keep it on the smoker ? You started at 150 right. For how long. Thx ?
This is my go to recipe. Perfect.
Oustanding site Hank! Followed this recipe last weekend and had the best smoked salmon to date. Been cooking at too high a temp and never basted before your coming across this recipe. Your instructions made a world of difference. Been looking for more sausage ideas as well and looks like you have some really great ones. Being a Montanan, glad I discovered you!
Approximately how long do you smoke steel head pieces?
Rosemary: About 3 hours, if I can keep the smoker below 200F. Less if not.
I used this recipe a few weeks ago and the salmon came out great! Everyone who tried it said it was the best they ever had. Moist and flavorful. Thank you.
I started another batch last night and added some red pepper flakes to the brine.
When trying to dry my fish today, I couldn’t get the pellicle to form. My fish is just dry, it isnt sticky.
Is there a way to fix this?
My husband and I will be ice fishing this weekend for Lake Whitefish. Assuming we catch something I am planning on smoking them. Do I alter the recipe at all?
I’ve been using your method since last fall for all of the fish I bring home from commercial fishing in my home state of Alaska, except I’ve been using an indoor smoker that I place under the fan on my stove. The fish turns out incredibly well every time. Nothing like Alaska smoked sockeye with a New England maple glaze. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m a little confused on when you are putting the salmon in the smoker. Do you put it in right away, smoke until it reaches a temp of 140-150; leave for an hour, then raise the temp to 175 for an hour or two?
Jake: Yes, it stays in the whole time.
Try to baste with apricot jam. A friend who never eats anything that is not charcoaled to death just loved my smoked salmon ++++
Thanks. First Time smoker. Have my salmon in the brine
do you baste the fish with syrup as soon as you put it in the smoker, or just starting after the first hour?
Thanks for the write up, very helpful
Tyler: You start after the first hour, and not earlier than 30 minutes into it.
Hank: thanks for explaining the technique along with the recipe. It helped take my whole smoke game to the next level.
Larry: I had this problem with my masterbuilt, too. Lighting one charcoal briquette in the ash pan at the beginning solved the problem of no smoke, and still gave me a moist and juicy fish. The briquette heats the wood chips up enough to smoke, and the electronics adapt to keep the temp in range.
Can you use a Cameron stovetop cooker for this?
Anne: I don’t know that that is.
I caught my first salmon this fall with my father in law. She was a big girl who was not great table quality meat, so I decided to smoke it. This recipe is so good. I will use it over and over. In fact, I’ve got a second batch in the smoker now that should be done any time. Cheers!
Hank, I live in north FL, and use a Masterbuild Electric Smoker. The outside temp is usually warmer here, so the chips do not smoke at your 150 recommended cooking temperature. With 60 degrees outside, I have turn it up to 180 or 190 to get it to smoke. Any recommendations? Guessing a colder day will allow for lower cooking temp and slower cooking? Still came out tasty!!
Larry: You should be fine at 180F.
Turned out great on some small king fillets! Thanks for sharing.
Besides salmon salad, a chowder is a good use for “dry” smoked fish. I’ve made a spread as well which would probably mask a heavily smoked fish.
Salute and thank you from Montana! This recipe is AMAZING! I used bourbon aged maple syrup for the baste (I highly recommend it). Smoked for two hours at 130 and two hours at 180. It was moist and flaky and a huge hit! Thank you again!
Fabulous! Brining Atlantic salmon for 8 hours was perfect. I used a pellet smoker with applewood. I smoked the fish for two hours at 160 and then two more hours at 180, taking the thinner pieces off once they reached the appropriate internal temperature. The salmon is moist, flakey, and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
This recipe beat out the store bought smoked fish at deer camp this season. Not too smoky and moist, it was a great hit. The hunters at BD Doug’s camp salute you from Northern Minnesota!
You say that Atlantic salmon works fine but that you dont eat the stuff. Some of us dont get to fish for salmon and just buy it. Is there something wrong with Atlantic or Scottish farmed salmon? I haven’t smoked fish in 25 or 30 yrs and would like to start again.
David: Yes, I don’t eat it because I personally prefer the wild salmon I catch. There’s nothing wrong, culinarily speaking, with the farmed fish. I just don’t support salmon farming in most cases.
I made this recipe and it turned out great. The fish did not get the white layer during drying after several hours so I had to put it in the fridge overnight. I think my house may have been to hot. The lowest I could get my smokers to cook was 170 I added ice but it quickly got back up to 170. I propped the lid open a little. The thermostat often still read high but it must have been in the the bottom because my fish did not bleed white. Thanks for sharing.
I used your recipe and was so happy with the result. I raise bees, so used honey instead of syrup. Was so excited-I’m smoking again this weekend. My new favorite pastime!
I just got finished smoking an Alaskan salmon on my smoker using your super easy method now I need some recipes for smoked salmon
Cant wait to try this recipe today, may only question is you do not list what type of smoke wood you are using, cheery, mesquite, hickory,?
Andrew: Because it doesn’t matter. Use what makes you happy. I personally prefer alder.
Better and easier than other recipes I have tried. I also agree that the drying period is very important. I usually only baste one time which seems to do the trick. Leaves more of a true salmon flavor rather than a candy.
This salmon is fabulous. Only addition I make is to put a bit of salt i to the maple syrup when I baste it. I used thicker fillets and smoked it until it hit 140. It gets raves. Thank you!
Super ez and really good. Thank you for your recipe and very helpful hints..I have never had smoked salmon as good as this……
Hank, do you rinse the filets after brine or just pat dry?
Dave: I do rinse them.
Hank, I’ve used this a few times now and it has worked perfectly each time. I have access to a lot of fresh salmon this time of the year here in Oregon.
I’m trying your salmon candy recipe today and am sure it will come out just as good. Thanks for sharing the great advice, instructions and encouragement.
Just signed up for your newsletter, looking forward to new tips, tricks and recipes.
This recipe is dead on the money and incredibly easy!
This salmon is delicious! Thanks so much for sharing this. Do you know if seasoning the fish with something like cracked pepper during the drying process will affect the development of the pellicle?
Love the flavor! You mention that you prefer to sweeten your brine with birch syrup, however there’s no mention of that in the brine. Only in the basting. Do you do both?
Stan: Just in the basting.
Love this recipe. When brining. What do you consider “thick” for longer brings ?
Bill: The thick end of 20+ pound chinooks.
I feel like I’ve tried just about every brining method out there, both wet and dry. I can honestly say these instructions are absolutely perfect. Hank has dialed this method in … the end result proves it. Follow each simple step exactly as written and you’ll stop grinding the interwebs for other ideas. Everything posted here is spot-on! Thank you!
Killer recipe! Basically simple, but the tips and detail make all the difference. My 1st batch of Copper River came out great!!! Thanks ..so much.
Very simple, straightforward, and excellent outcome.
Try agave nectar instead of honey. Its wicked.
How do you get the smoker to smoke when the temperature is 130 ,140 for salmon. It did not work for me well. Can’t get the right look on salmon, as I see in others photos.
Dale: Just keep the smoked as cool as you can manage, and paint the salmon with the honey, maple or birch syrup, and you should be fine. The temp is not that vital.
Simple and delicious recipe. The basting created a new world of flavor. Everyone loves it!
Hi Hank, I have a Backwood Chubby water smoker and a Weber Kettle. I have one single filet of Atlantic Salmon, approximately 2 pounds. Do you have any tips or suggestions on which method I should use? This is my first try on smoking salmon. Thanks for any advice you could give.
smokerfan,
steve in Missouri
Steve: This recipe should work with your salmon, although I’ve never heard of your kind of smoker. Just keep the heat low.
First time smoking salmon and I used my 20yr old webber BQ – a little more attention required but the results are amazing – I feel like a pro! ? tastes anazing
How would you do the smoked salmon that you can thinly slice where you can see through it. Ty
Rob: That’s cold smoked, and you need to salt cure the salmon first, then smoke it no hotter than about 80F. I’ll post a recipe for that this fall.
I made this again today. Well, we ate it today. I’ve been grillin my whole life. I’m 62. This is the best salmon ever to cross my grill. Even my brother liked it and he’s one of them” Not as good as mine”, guys. It’s all in the details. Good sh$#. I will do this many more times. Thank ya !!
Hank,
I am currently trying your recipe and method for a couple planks of salmon, that I got from my local Kroger’s store.
I have a Pit Boss pellet smoker/grill. It did not come with a water tray or pan. I see in the smoking directions, you recommend using one to keep the heat down.
My Pit Boss has a “smoke” setting. Would I still need a water/ice pan?
Thanks for any information.
Sincerely,
Dan O
Best smoked salmon by far.
I prefer Kimchi salt over kosher. Traditional Kimchi salt is made from sea water and imparts a bit of marine flavor. Also, you can get a 10 lbs bag for like 3 or 4 bucks in any Asian market.
Ross: Interesting! Good tip.
Details were very helpful. Everyone loved it
I love your clear instructions and suggestions. Made my first batch using 2 cups brown sugar, 3/4 cup kosher salt and 2 table spoon black pepper. Co reed well. Overnight in refrigerator. Let it set out for pellicle. Then on my Traeger. Low heat. Basted with honey. Everyone loves it. So today doing my second batch. Thanks
My first time and the results couldn’t have been better. I struggled to keep the temperature of my Pit Boss pellet smoker down. So, per your suggestion, I used water and some ice in my drip tray. I also put a layer of foil between the fire bowl and the rack to reduce the radiant heat. I was able to maintain around 140 degrees around the fish while the smoker temp read much higher. Almost zero bleed and the taste, texture, appearance and moisture level were fantastic.
Hi Hank,
Tim Garrison here from Nova Scotia, Canada.
Back in the day in my community, the older folks use to place a potato in fresh water and added salt until the potato floated. Then it was just a matter of how long to leave your fish or meat in the brine.
I used your recipe for smoking some Atlantic Salmon and it was delicious. I’ve purchased a cold smoker from Amazon and is the 2nd best purchase next to my electric smoker. Live that I can adjust the teemo and walk away, plus can remotely measure the temperature in the smoker as well as the internal temperature of the product.
Thank you for the recipe.
Enjoying you website, Thanks.
Tim Garrison
Nova Scotia
Canada
I love your recipe and clear instructions
As an experiment I tried basting a rack with agave syrup
It came out really great
I kept my temperature around 140 the whole time but still got a ton of bleed. I used about 1 cup of chips. Too much smoke?
Mike: Hard to say, but most of that bleed will come off when you paint it with honey or whatever. Also, pre-frozen fish will bleed more than fresh.
One of the simplest and best tasting recipe for smoked salmon. Did Chinook and sockeye. Even tried black cod (sable fish). Absolutely brilliant. Added black pepper med grind to a couple pieces after brining. Also a winner. Alder pellets used on my Louisiana grill Thanks ever so much! Going to do another batch
Fantastic is all I can say. I went Kokanee fishing and my wife and we limited for two days and I frankly did not know what to do with 20 fish, I found the answer.
Thanks
When using a vertical smoker is there a best practice for preventing the top pieces from dripping oil on to the lower pieces? Would tin foil under the racks help or would that prevent smoke circulation?
Thank you for your knowledge and tips. It was difficult to find temperature settings for hot smoking, and I now realize that Temperature is key!
I set my net in Bristol Bay waters, waited for tide, and pulled my net of 6 Chinook, and 12 sockeye. I will be happy to follow your recipe.
howdy, again ! So I smoked my salmon today. Using your instructions. I did 3 lbs ’cause I’m on a budget. That was the best salmon I’ve ever eat. Nary a morsel left over.
All my wood was wet, so I had plenty of smoke. Thanks Hank. Made my womans’ birthday dinner a hit.
Howdy. I’ve smoked alot of meat in my time. ( I’ve smoked alot of other stuff too.) Good times sittin in the yard drinkin beer and tending the fire. Never tried the brine method before, but I’m fixin to do it tomorrow. Just put my fish in the brine today. Sounds like you know what you’re doin, so I’m gonna follow your instructions. Happy smoking !
Hi there! I smoked my first salmon using your recipe and it turned pretty darn good! One question, I have an electric charbroil smoker and I couldn’t get the chips to burn/smoke at the low 140 degree temperature. Can I smoke for a shorter time at a higher temp so I get it smoking?
Frank: You bet. Set it as low as you can for your smoker.
Hank this is the best recipe for smoking salmon. Catch a lot of coho and rainbow on Lake Michigan and use your recipe. I use honey for basting and it turns out great. You are right you start with a low temp and work your way up. Everyone who has tried it tell me to not change a thing its dialed in. I like using the alder wood for smoke also. Thanks for sharing.
Used this recipe today to smoke some Salmon for my dad for Father’s Day. Hands down the best! I love all the pointers and tips, very well described.
Thanks Hank – smoked a whole local caught salmon yesterday in my barrel smoker, your instructions on forming the pellicle and regulating temp carefully (I did an offset fire with wet applewood chips and laser temped it every 20m or so) made it come out perfect, first time I haven’t had one bleed white. I appreciate your careful attention to those details in your recipes.
Bought a smoker for my honey for Fathers Day and it will be here today! Got the salmon in the fridge and can’t wait to try this recipe out!??
What type of wood should I use to smoke with?
Nick: Alder.
Ive got an electric smoker…. I can keep it right at 130 the whole time or even keep it at 120 till the end and then raise it up…. you don’t really mention times except in the beginning heading, 4 hours. Can you do longer at lower temps? Ideally it sounds like you suggest 3 hours at 145 then 175 for the last hour?
Benjamin: Yes, That’s about right. You do want the internal temperature of 130 to 140F.
I followed recipe to the letter and it turned out excellent. Thank you so much. My best smoked (actually rainbow trout) ever.
Love this recipe but this time I am also smoking a brisket which takes quite a bit longer of course. Any issues if I smoke the salmon at 200 degrees the whole time besides the cooking time being less
David: Yes, that should work. You might need to paint it a bit more often with honey or syrup to remove any albumin that develops.
I researched a lot of recipes trying to find a good one for my first attempt at smoking fish … this by far has been the absolute best! Thank you so much!!!
I just used this recipe in a Masterbuilt electric smoker for some wild Pacific salmon. I used maple syrup for basting. This was my first try at smoking fish, and I couldn’t be happier with the results! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
This is a great recipe. Used it a month or so ago for some salmon, using it for some trout now. I brined overnight and set the fish on a grill grate with a box fan pointed at it for four hours – ended up with a really nice pellicle even though I live in a pretty hot environment. Wasn’t able to avoid albumin the first time thanks to a cheapo smoker, but basted it right off and it tasted great regardless. Maybe next time. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My husband loves salmon. Followed the directions exactly. It came out perfect. Because I could not leave outside or on a counter. Place on a large platter in the fridge to dry after brining, used a small battery operated fan to keep the air inside moving. Used an electric smoker. Thanks again
Just made this recipe today and it turned out great. Dried in the fridge overnight after a 30 hour brine for some kings and a brown, but still not sure it was dry enough. Had some decent albumin even at 150. internal temps reached 140 a few hours in and while the color wasn’t as dark as some pictures it tasted absolutely wonderful. So not sure what I may have done wrong, but I loved how it turned out.
We are hoping to smoke salmon ahead of time and then reheat it and serve as a main course. Do you have a method for reheating your recipe without drying out or over cooking the salmon? Thanks!
Alissa: I normally serve it chilled or at room temperature. If I had to reheat it, I would put it in a 300F oven on a rack. Under this rack I’d put a pan of boiling water, so the fish is bathed in gentle steam.
Total cook time says 4:15, but after the minimum basting of 4 hours, the smoking instructions say baste Fish every hour… how many hours should I smoke the fish? How many times do I baste the fish?
Jeremy: I wait an hour before basting and do my first basting at the 1 hour mark, so about 3 times, then once when they are out of the smoker on the cooling rack.
I was literally shocked on how good this turned out. It is the best smoked Salmon I’ve ever had and this was my first attempt at making myself. Followed the recipe exactly. I wouldn’t change a thing. I pulled the salmon at internal temp 135
Hank, I’ve used your recipe for years. Don’t change your picture or I might not find it, lol. Anyway, I have a question. Do you set your fish right on the grill? I have cooked it with the skin and without the skin.. But, I find it falls apart sometimes despite the brinining and forming the pellicle. Thanks for your answer in advance!
Karen: Yep, right on the grill. One trick is to slick up the bottom of the fish (I always do skin on) with oil. That helps a lot.
Hi Hank this is by far the best recipe i’ve tried. Salmon came out just like your pictures nice color, stayed moist. Everyone loves it just need to catch more. I’ve got brown trout soaking as I’m sending this to you hope it turns out as well. Thanks Jay
I went searching for instructions on how to smoke salmon and found your site. I love the clear instructions! This is the first time I’ve ever smoked salmon mostly because I just figured out that I like salmon when it isn’t in my late mother’s salmon patties.
I used honey instead of brown sugar because I’m out of brown sugar and didn’t want to make a late night trip to the store. I hope it works as well as the brown sugar. We shall see.
I am using my Masterbuilt 40″ smoker, so I am hoping that temperature control will be pretty easy.
Hank, editing my previous comment slightly. I’m recording temperatures up to 160, but attempting to maintain 140-150. Up to 6 hours, It is usually off the smoker in 4.5 hours. One of these days I’ll come across a smoker that allows more precise temperature controls. But for now I’m enjoying the old school approach.
Hank, I’m happy to have found your web site and have used your recipe. This is the best blend of sugar and salt I’ve found. It leaves the salmon moist enough to be smoked and not dry out. It comes off the smoker firm and rich in flavor. I’ve stored in the freezer for a month or three and when I need a chunk for a hike or appetizer it always pleases whoever is fortunate enough to enjoy it. I use an Old Brinkman smoker with charcoal and generally soaked applewood. Slow warm up and sustained about 140 F heat for at about 5 hours.
Great advice and directions. Thanks!!
10 out of 10. As Hank says, smoking is an art so don’t be afraid to adjust for your smoker and ambient air temp. Follow brining protocols strictly and you can miss.
Dear Hank,
I own an Old Hickory and am still exploring it’s secrets. I’ve salivated over folks carting large Salmon sides out of stores for years and eventually got the best of me. Last week an international grocer in my area advertised sides at a reasonable price so I asked my wife to pick one up. Being the frugal homemaker she is asked what are you gonna do with it. Originally I wanted to try cold smoked but in order to assure a short term payoff I, I showed her your recipe.
I followed it to the smallest detail.
I don’t need to post photos cause mine look just like yours. The only minor differences were that I skinned the fillet, cut away the belly meat (so I could control them individually) and started at a lower temp.
Since my smoker is really precise I started at 90 degrees. At 1 hour I basted both sides with the maple sauce in the recipe. I then upped the temp to 110 for another hour.
Long story short we did this for 5.5 hours before turning the stat to 175 and pulled it off when the large slabs were at 140 degrees. We rested it for an hour and then proceeded to supper.
At this point I recommend all those hopeless skeptics and those of faint heart to glance aside.
The slender pieces of belly meat had turned into candy, no darn it, I mean actual candy! We cut the piece from just behind the jowl and proceeded to indulge.
I sniffed and said wow I made sure to clear my palate and then took the piece in my mouth. I went from: wow to—–wow to woowww and beyond.
The flavor seems to rise in intensity with every bite. It take me a long time to eat it because I want the flavor of the dish as it tops out minutes later.
I just want to say, Nicely Done! And thank you very much!
Nobel prize for sure!
excellent recipe…. thanks for sharing
I followed this recipe as it is written and my fish came out perfect. Best I have had. I did finish the fish up in the oven as I needed to get ribs on the smoker for dinner, but the fish had plenty of smoke and a nice sweet balance. Thanks, this recipe is great!
Will it be effected negatively if I brine it for 12 hours (approx) and refrigerate for another 12 -14 hours before smoking? I have cats so putting it anywhere other than the fridge is asking for trouble 😛
I have to do 12-14 hours in the fridge because of my work schedule.
Also, if I do it this way, should I do the drying in a cool breezy place step the day I intend to cook it?
Thanks!
Tried this and turned out excellent. Will make this again
I’ll be trying this tomorrow, I’m going to brine it tonight, then dry and smoke it tomorrow. I’ll post a follow-up comment after I try it.
Was nothing short of amazing!!! Take you time, let each stage develop and you will not be disappointed. So many different variations of this base idea for fantastic flavors. Can’t wait to do it again.
I have used your hot smoked salmon recipe many times now. I use my tincansmoker that I invented and patented . It is designed to work on LP Gas and charcoal grills as I do not have a large smoker but the heat created by my smoker is right for this recipe with no additional heat source I have used it on both gas and charcoal grills. It’s small and portable and produces as much smoke as any large smoker. I live in the UAE And really I can only find Weber Kilm dried wood chips and frankly I prefer nice wood chunks but overcome and adapt.
You might like to check out my device it’s very portable and would be great to take along on wilderness trips.
Thanks for the great recipe I love it and it’s a family favorite
Check out http://www.tincansmokers.com
Found this recipe/article last night and gave it a try, great info on how long to do the separate parts, the brine, the drying, the smoking and keeping the temp down. Turned out great, going to do more soon. Thanks.
Great recipe. It is important to follow the timing of the recipe ( i.e., brining and drying), which is critical. The only additions I made were adding red pepper and orange marmalade to the brine along with adding orange marmalade to the maple syrup baste. I smoked at under 200 oF until brown and firm. De-lightful!
Gregg… I used my masterbuilt electric also. Fired it up to get the smoke going before I put the fish in. Opened the door and let temp drop and reset the temp. Smoked, raised the temp per instructions, basted and it worked out perfect.
Hank, thanks so much for publishing clear, intelligent instructions on how to smoke salmon. I’ve tried for years using recipes off the web, and have not been happy with the results. Your instruction about the importance of allowing the pellicle to form, and how to avoid the albumin from coming to the surface made sense given my other failed efforts.
My first batch turned out great even though my Masterbuilt digital electric smoker doesn’t produce any smoke under 220 degrees. I filled the water pan with ice to keep the temperature down, and that seemed to work. For my next batch, I plan to use my new LIZZQ pellet smoker tube to generate the smoke, and will control the temperature using the smoker’s digital control. I can’t wait .
Enjoy this recipe very much hit for everyone
Made this once and it was terrific, have my second batch ready to go today. Well-written recipe, easy to follow.
Great information!! We are new to smoking and I like how you explain in detail WHY to do certain steps!
Love the detailed instruction and the science of what happens. Extremely helpful for this first timer.
Hank, This is definitely a keeper for me! As someone who has been exposed to only more traditional smoked salmon, this was an eye opening experience. The sweet and smoke together creates a powerful flavor combination. The basting with maple syrup is the absolute kicker. Thanks again for sharing.
Hank this is the same recipe i use i call it fish candy friends and family bug me all the time to make it did 5 lbs for super bowl day it was devoured all of it and believe it or not i do it on my weber charcoal grill which is challenging but i have it down just have to monitor it plan to get a real smoker soon so i dont have to babysit it while smoking thanks buddy good job spreading the word it intimidates alot of folks!
Thank you Hank for this… I’ve been hesitant to smoke fish until now. Smoked Salmon Sunday before the big game and turned out fantastic with your tips. I always use some bourbon in my chips but this time I also used some Gran Marnier. Basted fish with honey thinned with bourbon and GM also. Fish was out excellent. My thanks to you for the encouragement by way of this recipe.
Thanks for the quick response! I’ve been using my smoker for about a year now, and I’m starting to realize that, you’re right! It’s more of an art than a science, so I’m just trying to have fun with it and not over-think it and just have fun playing around with different recipes and routines.
Thanks!
what type of wood do you like to use?
Eric: Alder.
What brand of Birch syrup? Never seen birch syrup… I guess you have to shop on Amazon.
Foghat: I use birch syrup from Talkeetna in Alaska, but you can use any you like, or maple syrup, or sorghum syrup, honey, etc.
I’ve been using Himalayan salt as well, and it seems to work fine, but I do notice some grit here and there due to the coarseness. It doesn’t dissolve as well as the Kosher salt.
CAn you use Himalayan salt in place of kosher
Olive: only if you weigh it. Himalayan salt is usually very coarse.
Been using your recipe for a long time Hank…”smoking is more an art than a science”, totally! You’re awesome thanks for sharing this. For every pound I’ve eaten I’ve given 20 away and always been told this is the best smoked salmon ever!
I have my salmon in the brine; very excited to try this recipe. We have an electric smoker that uses pellets. It smokes awesome pork butt for pulled pork so I know your recipe will be amazing! Thanks for an easy recipe!
Awesome recipe! Best smoked salmon I have ever had. Thanks for the info
I tried this recipe over Xmas this year and it was a huge hit. The texture reminds me of the stuff I pay $25 a lb for in a fancy smoke shop. Doing another batch this weekend! Having a pellet grill makes it pretty easy to do.
Hands down the best salmon I’ve ever had. Amazing flavor. Easy recipe to follow. I left it in the brine for 4–hrs and then set in fridge over night to dry. I used honey to baste then a little syrup on top at the end when it comes out to cool.
Simplest recipe I’ve ever tried, best results I’ve ever had.
Smoking another batch in the morning. Thanks Hank
Simplest recipe I’ve ever tried, best results I’ve ever had. Smoking another batch in the morning. Thanks Hank
I noticed some recipes call for the fish to be smoked on a cookie sheet. However you do not mention this in your article. Does this mean I should put the fish on the wire rack and smoke it or put it on a cookie sheet.
Mark: I never put my fish on a cookie sheet. It’s always fine on a clean grill grate. If you are worried, coat the side of the salmon that will be touching the grates with some oil.
Super helpful tips and advice, and very simple. Am brining now!
Hank- if I have an electric smoker that needs to get to a certain temp before the smoke starts rolling is it fine that the tenp gets high for a while? Or what do you recommend I do to get sufficient smoke?
Tyler: Yep, that’s OK.
I am getting ready to use my new Little Chief smoker and there is no temperature gauge on it. It has great reviews so I assume it is built to control the correct amount of heat. What do you think about that?
Thanks.
Tim: No idea. I have never smoked with a Little Chief. Sorry.
I noticed in your directions that after you pull the salmon out of the brine, you just pat it dry. So don’t rinse the brine off the fish, right?
Keith: Rarely. Sometimes the brine gets slimy, in which case I do rinse.
Excellent directions. I made it for my families Christmas and it turned out perfect. I had never smoked salmon before so I was glad I didn’t ruin it.
What temp do you cook the salmon to
Tanker: I don’t measure. But if I had to, about 140F.
Would I halve the brine if I have half the amount of salmon?
Tim: You can, but it’s just salt and water…
I have tried several recipes and sets of instructions
Yours was the best and ended up with great salmon
Thanks
I used your recipe and it was awsome . My family devored it in a couple of days. I am going to make a larger batch this December and give as Christmas presents. The cooler temperatur outside helps me control the temperature and get more smokeTim from my wood chips.
I have this on my Rec-Tec pellet smoker now. Basting with habanero infused honey instead of maple syrup. Can’t wait to eat it!
Followed this recipe and had an awesome result. We served it at our holiday party and I got several compliments. The biggest being an empty plate when the party was over. Looking forward to experimenting with it. Thanks for putting it on the web for us to use!
This recipe is absolutely the way to go. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, thanks! I think I created my pelletine coating properly, sure looked like it. I brined whole fillets then cut them before smoking. Now I’m trying to figure out if I’m getting any smoke at a low temp like 135, which is in the range you mentioned for the first hour. I’ve read my particular smoker tends to run 20-25 degrees lower than what’s on the display, so I bumped it up to 155 degrees, still no smoke, but I can definitely smell it so I’m leaving it alone for this first hour. This makes sense since the thermometer is in the back, just above the element. I know heat rises, but I doubt the internal temp of my unit is running at what the display reports. When I up the temp for the next 1-2 hours I suspect smoke will be generated. I’ve read just because you don’t see smoke doesn’t mean it isn’t “smoking” your dish. At roughly what temp can you rely on getting “smoke” without seeing it bellowing out? Or are there any other indicators? Thanks again! Enjoying trying this, looking for ward to eating it! 🙂
I notice you don’t rinse the salt off your salmon brine recipe did you miss a step ?
Mike: Nope. I don’t rinse.
Do you cut the salmon into quarter or half pound pieces before you brine it or after you smoke i? I’m trying this tomorrow so if you could reply immediately that would be awesome. Kidding of course, but I didn’t see that mentioned in your article otherwise I’m looking forward to giving this a shot
242: I cut it into the pieces I will later eat or store first. I don’t cut it once it’s smoked.
So easy and soooo good, thank you!
Four filets in the brine till tomorrow. I have a Traeger…. where do you put the pan of water/ice? On top of the grates with the fish or on the slanted drip pan?
Mary Ann: My Traeger has tiered racks, so I put the salmon on top and the ice tray below it.
WOW! I got my first smoker a month ago; and I used this recipe to smoke my first salmon. Unbelievable taste!!!! I brought some into work; and there was no shortage of positive comments.
I started out for 45 minutes on 110 degrees, went to 170 degrees for one hour, then basted with pure maple syrup from my brother-in-law.
THANKS!!!!
I made this last year for our neighborhood X’mas party. It was gone before everyone showed up! (20 minutes.) This year I’m tripling the amount.
You explain the process so well that you can’t mess up. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! This is the best ever recipe. Have previously been smoking hotter giving dryer more smoky results. It was good, but didn’t want to eat much alone. Your method lets the salmon shine. Its moist, tender and luscious! A completely different thing. Can’t stop devouring. Brining more as I write this. Can’t wait. Happy salmony Thanksgiving!
Really, really, really great recipe!!! Made this a 4 day process – 48 hours brine, 24 hour dry in fridge and the final smoking day. Everyone in my family loved it!! Smoked this on my smoker that idled between 175 and 200 degrees (will use smaller fire stack next time) but it still turned out to be fantastic. I smoked using Hickory and I even had one comment that it had a sort of bacon taste (Hickory smoke and Maple syrup). Everyone loves the taste of bacon so it was even better!! 🙂
I followed recipe for smoking salmon to a t has good flavor but it’s mushy what did I do wrong smoked at 150 for 3+ hours meat was 138 when I removed it let rest for 1 + hours any advice
Dennis: It should be moist and while not mushy, not hard at all. If you want a harder smoke, up the temperature to 175F.
Just tried this on a Weber 22″. It was a challenge keeping the low temp. Only used 4-5 briquets. Maintained 150 deg the whole time with pecan chips. DELICIOUS! Mild smoke and the maple syrup was just the right amount of sweetness. Will be making this one again, again, again and mote.!
I’m a newbie at smoking! Once you dry the fish, do you put them in a pan or directly on the racks in the smoker? This is my first time smoking anything! Found your recipe and it sounds delicious! Thanks
Annette: Directly on the racks, skin side down. Ideally you still have skin on your fish, but if not, the side the skin was on.
What an awesome recipe Hank! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 will be using my Bradley like you used to
Tried it and now this is the way I smoke my fish. Excellent.
Making this again — for the 3rd time.
BEST SMOKED SALMON EVER!!! and so easy to make! Thank you
I have used your instructions four times now, with increasingly good results. I don’t have a smoker, so I do it in a Weber grill. Getting the right temperature in the grill is tricky; I’m sure the temperature in my Weber is hotter than in your smoker, but the salmon comes out SO much better than the hot-smoked salmon I can buy, that even if it’s not perfect, it’s mighty good.
I have to start coals three separate times, a little less than once an hour. I use a chimney to heat them up; only 6 to 8 coals each time. If I heat up more, of course by the time the ones in the grill are spent, the ones in the chimney are also spent. I don’t mind the extra effort; the outcome is worth it.
I have bought smoked salmon from a guy who fishes in Alaska, smokes the fish himself, and sells it in our farmers’ market. Ours is WAY better than his: softer and moister, more flavorful.
Anyway, just wanted to let you and your other readers know that smoking it in a Weber works fine, even if I can’t get the temp down as low as you reccommend. Good stuff. Thank you.
The rillettes are good too.
This works!!I’m far from a seasoned smoker.Thanks for the good info.
Awesome recipe! Im not a big Salmon guy but this turns out great every time. I see you’re a Traeger guy now, huh? Thats what I use and everyone loves the results even non Salmon people! Thanks!
Do you rinse off the brine after brining /prior to drying (pellicle forming) ??
Clem: Yes, typically.
awesome recipe! thanks, Hank!
Beginner’s Luck!..first time I I’ve used this old Brinkmann Gourmet I grabbed off Craigslist for 50.00..modded with Weber vents, accurate temp gauge, gaskets, custom racks, etc. I used the Minion method and went from 125 for an hour to 175 for two..tried basting every half hour the final two hours (small batch, lid off for just a few seconds), and this salmon is incredible!
Thanks I’m going to try it today. Just caught a bunch Salmon over the past few weekends.
Fantastic recipe!! I tried it for the 1st time, and it turned out awesome! I do have 1 question though, nothing is mentioned about rinsing the fish after taking out of the brine, so I didn’t. I just patted dry as the instructions say, but I thought I may have noticed a little grit here and there from the salt. I used Himalayan pink salt, so it doesn’t seem to want to dissolve as well as typical table salt due to the larger granules. I still prefer to use this salt, so I’m just wondering if I should rinse the fish when taking out of the brine, or if that would ruin it or have some negative effect. Thanks in advance for any input!
Mike: Yep, I’d rinse it.
Got to say I smoked the best tasting salmon ever using this recipe. I have people wanting me to smoke theirs now. Totaly awesome, thanks.
Hi there – I’m so glad I found this page but I’ve never smoked anything other than pork on my WSM, but I’m going to give this a try! I have a question about step 1 (ugh) – you say to mix the brine ingredients and place your fish into a container – does that mean it’s sitting in the brine, or at that point, have I basted the fish with the brine mix? Does excess brine mix stay in the container along with the fish for 4 hours?
Paul: You submerge the fish in the brine.
Used your guide several times with awesome results. Just an fyi you dont have to use Traegars pellets… we use a competition blend we get at a smoker shop and have much better results. The traegar pellets never would smoke right in our Traegar.
How long do you put a smoke on this recipe?
Sammy: Personally I like about 3 hours. Some people like it smokier though.
This is a fantastic recipe. We tried it and loved it. Three of the four people that ate it did not particularly care for salmon, but we all loved it. One person compared it to bacon but with salmon. The smoked flavor was delicious and doesn’t overpower the fish but creates a balance of flavor that even a none salmon lover with love. We will be making this more.
Mmm good… fish turned out perfect. Seriously, Out rated up three with some off the best I’ve had. Beautiful texture and taste.
Thanks
Thank you, very good recipe!
Thanks for a tasty recipe. I tried this with a 6 pound whole salmon, head and tail on. Kept temp in the low part of ‘Ideal’ on my smoker. Took about 3 hours, tiny bit of albumin through the hole where top fin was cut off, not enough to be unsightly though, and only after raising heat a bit after first 2 hours.
Salmon rested upright with belly spread a bit to create a sort of ‘stand’, cooked to about 130 degrees measured through the fin hole.
End result was a perfectly cooked fish, moist and flaky, with good flavor but practically no smokiness in the meat. Used water-soaked apple wood on top of regular charcoal. Added wood at the beginning and several times throughout. My smoker is a basic Brinkmann with water pan and fish was on the low grate just above water pan. The skin absorbed all the smoke, none in the meat. What can I do the next time to get smoke into the meat?
I love this recipe I just put a batch of sockeye salmon in the smoker as we speak. This batch I am going to baste every hour with teriyaki it is just as good as basting with maple syrup.
I found this recipe a few years ago . I use a Bradley and this recipe works well. thanks hank
What type of pellets do you use?
Bobby: Mostly alder.
The salmon fillets have so much slime on them when pulled out of the brine. This is the first recipe I have tried that doesn’t require rinsing the salmon as part of the prep. My fish turned out fine but how do you deal with the slime? Just leave it?
Krista: I have never ever had slime on my salmon doing this. Ever. I have no idea what’s going on in your case. But yeah, if I did have slime, I’d rinse it.
Thank you for this. My brine wasn’t the same because I didn’t have maple syrup…nor brown sugar. Used palm sugar instead. Next time I need something a bit sweeter.
My fish smells while it is drying. is this normal?
Leslie: Not at all. That’s not a good sign.
I can tell you that if salmon sits in melted ice water 4 too long of a Time that will definitely cause mushy salmon….anybody who stores salmon after being caught…on Ice,should have a drain plug release open at all times.
Al: This is only true with fresh water. Saltwater slush is the top way to store saltwater caught salmon, which is what I mostly deal with.
I definitely would not smoke salmon for less than 5 hours…I like mine smoked between 6 and 7 hours and people can’t seem to get enough of it
Al: Then you must have a very cool smoke going, and a slow smoke release. I found 6-7 hours got way too smoky with a Traeger, a Bradley or a Brinkmann.
You should put the cure time in the recipe.
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it on my traeger! Great article!
Hank…that was an excellent read. Very informative!!! I’m new to the smoking world and your presentation in this article was spot on. I’ve smoked jerky, pork, chicken and even beef but this will be my first attempt at fish (salmon). I will try to duplicate your rendition…lol. thanks again for all your tips!!!
Have you ever tested the water phase salt in the final product?
Is it 1/3 cup of salt plus 2 oz?
Is the quart of water proportional to the salt & sugar?
Thank you, this is a great recipe that worked from the first time I tried it. I have been using a Weber kettle with a single-briquette charcoal snake topped with small pieces of wood around the outer edge opposite the fish, and the vents closed most of the way down. Holds temps 125-130 really well once it’s started from one end with a few white coals, and the temp gradually rises to 150 as more charcoal in the snake burns. Then some fiddling with the vents to get to 175 for a bit and it’s salmon eating time!
Now to see if I can pull it off in my stick burner, with a very very small fire…
As low as I can get mine is 200 degrees. Master built propane smoker…is this too much heat?
Dave: Not ideal, but you can rig up a thing where you have a tin tray of ice under the fish. Keep refilling it when the ice melts. You should be good.
Hank – This link is the same link address I have but the copy I have is an older version of the recipe….. minus syrup in the brine and the cooking times differ. Older version calls for 120 degrees 2 hours, 140 for 2 hours, 175 for 2 hours – works out great! Did you change things up?
I tried 2 different Traegers and no way they will hold 120 degrees without constantly opening the lid or shutting it off, also temp fluctuates too much for my liking.
Kelley: Yes, I changed it. The procedure I have now is how I smoke salmon in my Timberline. As you can see from the photo of all the salmon on the rack, it works great.
I’ve smoked a lot of salmon and use a similar recipe – turns out great!
But you need lower temps to start out 120 degrees – that Traeger will flat out not cut it. I Tried the Traeger a dozen times and nearly took a bat to it the last and final time I used it. Fought the heat every minute of it’s use to where I was exhausted after my 6 hour smoke.
Bought a Bradley the next day and have been in smoking heaven since. Great heat control especially at lower temps, makes smoking enjoyable again. Traegers are good for cooking meat but your fooling everybody if you think it is a fish smoker.
Kelley: I’ve smoked hundreds of pounds of salmon on both the Bradley and the Traeger, and they’re both good. I have absolutely no problem smoking salmon at 175F. But I would never, ever smoked salmon for six hours, either. Salmon really doesn’t need more than 2 hours, 3 tops.
Hi Hank,
Its August here in Kansas. I was wondering if I could fan dry the brined Salmon indoors for several hours to get the pellicle and not have any bacteria issues. Temperature in the house is about 74 degrees.
Rick: You should be OK, but I really prefer letting the fish sit on a rack in the fridge overnight.
I’m going to try smoking salmon for the first time and your recipe looks excellent! Wild salmon is currently on sale in my region. I was thinking of buying quite a bit and freezing it, to smoke later in the summer. Do you have any input on using fresh vs previously frozen salmon for smoking? Thanks!
Mary Jane: Don’t do that. Do the opposite. Buy and smoke now, then freeze the smoked product. It tastes a lot better thawed than the other way around. Also, if your salmon was pre-frozen, it will suffer greatly if you freeze it again and thaw it before it has been cooked.
I’ve used this resepe several times with great results. One of my favorites is to add a garlic/ginger paste to the filets after the first maple syrup baste. I simply add 4-5 cloves of garlic to a small root of ginger in a food processer with a little water to make the paste. Also finely chopped rosemary works well instead of the garlic/ginger.
I have been smoking on a traeger for 2 years and have a hugh high temperature problem. Im going to try this recipe with silvers we just caught. Question: on the smoke setting my temps range from 140 to 285. Is this normal? It definately isnt fixed at 175
Lon: Bummer. I can hold my Traeger at 175F no problem. One way to help is to put a roasting pan, the cheap tin ones, full of ice in the smoker below your fish. That should help a lot.
Hi Hank,
Question – I’ve been hot smoking salmon for years and my recipe is pretty close to yours but I could never get the fish color as on this page images. Mine is much lighter, kind of as pink as fresh one. Tastes great but wondering how to get this dark orange…
Elmar: It will have to do with the type of salmon you use. What are you using?
Great meeting you in SF a few months ago! I look forward to using your new cookbook but I cant to the dozen or so quail left, bc they’re buried under 50 lbs of salmon. Ran into RJ there, and the next thing I new I was halibut fishing. LOL! Hopefully you got on these last few weeks as its been nuts.
question: I tried a recipe where the salmon fillets were packed in 4:1 brown sugar: salt, which I left for 2+ days in the fridge, rotating occasionally. I smoked em for << 2 hours at 195F per masterbuilt website, and while the fish came out cooked correctly, waaaaay too sweet for my taste. I will try your recipe, but want to avoid over sweetening.
Great recipe. I won’t use any other way. Fish is fantastic.
How do I make sure the salmon doesn’t stick to the rack on my electric smoker?
Hilarie: Grease the skin with a little vegetable oil. And make sure your grill grates are clean.
How do you get your traegger to 120?
Teresa: I kinda fudge it by placing a foil tray of ice in the chamber for a while. Mine will hold at 165F though, for later in the process.
Great recipe. Worked out great first time. Thanks
Hank as a beginner (well, two-years in now with a Weber Kettle my pops gave me as the best Christmas gift ever) smoke and fire cooker, I find this recipe extremely well written and comprehensive. Thank you! I’m headed out in the Georgia summertime to smoke some sockeye this afternoon. Happy Sunday!
I have smoked many large chinook over the years. Moist alder smoked. Yum.
Good recipe. But to keep “fresh” —-Vacuum pack it!!!
I was wondering about the vent on the top of the smoker. Should it be left side open half shut or fully closed during the smoking of the salmon?
Daniel: I usually close it
Great recipe. I had two pieces of wild caught sockeye and one piece of farm raised Atlantic. As the author stated no comparison the sockeye is much better.
Thank you for the recipe
Good recipe, I was short on time and brined a thin fillet for 2hrs, dried for an hour and smoked it in the BBQ for 1.5hrs @ 150 with applewood chips refilling the smoking tray and basting it with maple syrup every 30min. It was still quite raw so I finished it on high heat for 5-10min. Very tender, juicy and great tasting fish, not too smoky. Would do it again!
How do you get your Traeger to run at 120 degs? Are you running a aftermarket controller? Smoke on the Traeger is about 160 deg F. I’m truly excited to try your recipe.
Brad: I set it at 175F on a cool day and let it rise slowly. If it gets too hot I open the lid a bit. Another option is to set a tray of ice in the smoker.
Do you place the fish directly on the grill? Or on a tray on the grill?
Patrick: Directly on the grill grates. Make sure the skin is slicked with oil and the grates are clean.
A Traeger heat will not go as low as 120F. The lowest it will go is about 170F. I prefer to use my Bradley for smoking Salmon with this recipe. I have both smokers and the Bradley is by far superior for this.
First time smoking used garlic in brine without maple syrup in process of drying with a fan gonna smoke in electric smoker hope to enjoy later
Do you rinse your fish after taking it out of this brine
Michael: I do not, but some people, who are sensitive to salt, do this.
Just bought an electric smoker, experimenting with it, about 3rd time using salmon. This is the best recipe I’ve tried so far. The pellicle is very important, as you point out. It turned out a little too salty, next time less time in the brine. Other than that it looked like your photos and was delicious. Do you save the leftover brine in the fridge for your next batch?
Dave: I do not save my brine. I always make a new one.
Smoked salmon for the first time today and it came out great. I used your recipe as a guide. It was very informative helped me get it right the first time. I used a salt and brown sugar brine, and i sprinkled a little Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon rub on them before putting them in the smoker to add a little more flavor. I melted down apple jelly in the microwave and added a little water for the basting glaze.
This was our first time smoking salmon and it was absolutely delicious!! The recipe worked perfect for us! We followed both the brine and smoking instructions and loved how the salmon turned out; we cant wait to make a smoked salmon cheese ball to enjoy with our friends at our BBQ tomorrow!! Thank you for the recipe and thorough instructions! 🙂
Hi, I am a little confused about the smoking temperature, at the beginning, you mentioned that you use a Traeger, this is what I have as well. But, it smokes around 175 degrees. Then your instructions indicate to use lower heat, starting at 120, and that you use a Bradley. How do I keep the Traeger lower than 175? I can’t put water in the drip pan, since it is angled to drain. Thanks in advance for your help!!
Do you put the fish directly on the rack or in a pan or board?
Jim: On the rack.
First time using this recipe. Used the atlantic farm raised salmon because that’s what my grocery store had on stock, along with Honey, and it still turned out AWESOME. Can’t imagine how good fresh caught salmon would be with this. If you want to fancy it up you can throw some herbs on it but like Hank says this is such a clean, subtle smoke taste with that hint of sweetness from the honey. Thanks for the recipe good sir!!
What my question is at 120 to 140 degrees how do you get an electric smoker to smoke jusaain
Bill: Easy: Electric burner itself is far hotter than the chamber.
Loved this recipe. And your explanations of the process really helped jump start my salmon smoking. Thanks much Hank!
Hands down the best salmon smoking recipe on the net. Great taste and no albumin buildup.
I was never big on salmon, but made it because my wife loves it. Since I started using this recipe I can’t get enough.
I’ve never bothered to check the internal temp, just cooked it to recommended time and it has turned out perfect every time.
I noticed you don’t mentioned when to apply the wood chips into the smoker?
Victor: They’re always in there.
How do you know when it’s done? Internal temp of??? The last direction I have is smoke at 175 until it’s done…
.
Nancy: Until it flakes. I never check internal temperature on fish, but maybe 140F?
Just cooked some Sockeye Salmon on my new Traeger Junior. It came out wonderful but had a few issues: 1. The junior has a smoke setting but the first heat setting is 185. I just left it on smoke which varied from 120-140. 2. Basted with pure maple syrup after the 1st hour and the 2nd. We don’t like too much sweet so didn’t baste it further. At the end, the sweetness was fine but it was very sticky due to the syrup. I am not sure if I put it on too thick or that I needed to thin it out a bit before basting. What other basting sauces would be good?
Pete: If you don’t want it slightly sweet, you can skip the basting. Or baste just with the brush to remove any albumin that accumulates.
Oh. My. Gosh! The best thing I’ve ever eaten in my whole life! Thanks for sharing! Second thing I’ve made in the smoker I just got, and it made the purchase well worth it. Thank you thank you thank you!
Great recipe and explanation. I have used it several time with great success. I use a Char-Griller Akorn smoker, but I’m buying an electric pellet feed smoker in a few weeks so I can really regulate the low temps. Thanks for posting this!
How long do you soak your wood chips?
Is it really necessary to brine your salmon?
Sharon: yes.
I printed out this recipe for smoked salmon in October of 2014 and the paper was pretty beat up, so I came back to this site to see that you changed the brine formula. Previously you included 1/2 cup of Birch or Maple syrup to the brine.
Was there a reason for the change?
Rick: Because I wasn’t getting much maple flavor on the fish with this. You get is all in the glaze you paint on while smoking the fish. Just made the recipe simpler.
Just tried it in my MB XL. Didn’t get any smoke off the wood at that low of temperature. Checked it with a thermometer and pulled it off with internal temp of 136F. Letting it rest now.
Have used this recipe several times with great success.
Hey Hank, just wanted to let you know this recipe is spot-on! The step by step instructions we’re very accurate and this salmon came out perfect. Definitely just made my dad’s Christmas, thanks a lot bro…
I used this recipe for smoking my first salmon and it worked beautifully! Thanks so much for sharing!
I am new to smoking so I am a bit nervous about doing it right. I brined my fish last night and it is now drying on my counter. It is about 69 degrees in my house. Is that a problem? Also, do you soak the wood? My smoker directions say it isn’t necessary but I just want to be sure. Also, how do you know if the fish is smoked enough? Mine is of varying thicknesses. Thanks for your help!
Kris, l use a MES 30. I bring the smomer up to temp and then crack the door. It forces the heating element to stay on more to keep the wood burning.
Do you leave the skin on the salmon even when it’s finished?
Matt: I do. It holds the fillet together. Some people like to eat it.
I tried this recipe this past weekend, and it turned out fantastic. The only thing different I tried was adding a little garlic powder mixed in well with the brine. Everyone in my family devoured it. Thank you!
Hank how do you get your smoker to actually smoke at such low temperatures? I am trying your recipe right now and I am not achieving any smoke with my smoker at such a low temperature.
Kris: it’s a Bradley. Works well. If you are having trouble with it, keep it as cool as you can, and paint the salmon more often with the syrup to remove any albumen that seeps out.
Is it ok to let stand at room temp for 2 to 4 hours not in the fridge prior to smoking it? The,meat won’t spoil?
Nick: If it is cool out, and you have a fan blowing in it.
Used this recipe for the first time it was great and very easy in my Masterbuilt digital smoker . Perfect Salmon
Thanks
Candy Salmon next !
Can you “over dry” the fish? Didn’t get my timing right and am considering 20 hours for the drying process via fridge.
Andrew: That’s pushing it, but not crazy. The salt protects it, but you’re essentially curing it in the fridge before smoking. You should be fine.
Can you point out the brine ingredients? I didn’t see it in the recipe? Thanks!
Thanks for a great recipe. I’ve been using it for several years. At every family holiday gathering, it’s expected that I bring some of this salmon, as it has become everyone’s favorite.
I live in CO and have smoked about everything that you can find in the forest.
My family would not eat salmon unless its raw until now.
I followed, Precisely, your recipe . My family ate it up.
10 lbs. of fresh salmon 1inch thick (on average) slabs with no skin.
I would like to see how you smoke the things I normally smoke.
Will be searching for your recipes, And thank you!
I’m here to tell you brother….
Good stuff!
My fresh Oregon Chinook salmon was in about 1/2 pound steaks and I pulled them at 160 degrees (not 170).
Perfect!!!
My new go to recipe.
Thanks!!
Great recipe… simple and tasty
Do you have some more specific guidelines as to how long to brine? I have some king salmon fillets that are one inch thick, while others are over two inches thick. How do you know if you have over or under brined? Also, should I rinse the pieces with plain water before setting them to dry? Thanks for your knowledge!
Clarissa: I don’t rinse. And there is no perfect timing for brine. It’s an art, and up to your personal taste. I’d definitely pull the inch thick pieces before the two inch thick ones.
This recipe has come out great every single time! Thank you so much for helping me make a good impression on my new Alaskan in-laws 😉 I hope you don’t mind, I included this recipe on a list of my favorite salmon recipes over on my blog.
http://www.tylerrosecounts.com/salmon-recipe-round-up/
I just finished this recipe
And it is delicious, thanks for sharing!
I’m in the process of trying this. We got 11 king salmon so I’m doing it in 2 batches. I’m only at the drying process at themoment. I had to multiply the recipe by 20. I’m liking the results so far. I will be smoking it using mulberry. I use mulberry for everything. It sticks to the meat quite well. I built my smokehouse to do bacon when I butchered my pig. It came out amazing so I’m super excited to see how the salmon comes out.
Effing brilliant recipe, once again!!! Thanks Hank!
I made smoked salmon today using this recipe. It came out great. Love the taste and texture. My son caught some salmon and wanted to see how it would come out if we smoked it. Very happy with the results. I was a little skeptical about basting it with maple syrup but did it any way. It works.
I’ve used this recipe and method for salmon, whitefish, and trout…and we never get to step 7. No matter how much gets made it is eaten before I can store any away. I also like to slice through the meat but not the skin and section the pieces of fish into attached squares. This gets you little square bites of salmon with more candied surface area. Great recipe, thanks for this.
After following the instructions to the letter, my salmon was way too mushy inside, even though the internal temp was 160. What did I do wrong?
John: Mushy? At 160?! Weird. Only thing I can think of is that maybe the fish was dark, i.e., caught far up a river? Or maybe it was thawed and frozen more than once? Huh…
I have been using your recipe for a few years and reference the website every time, however, I remember maple syrup always being in the brine. Why did you take it out?
Tyler: Because I found it did not add enough flavor to be worth the expense. You get most of the maple flavor in the basting.
I have used this recipe many times for salmon and absolutely love it. Like you I was smoking on the Traeger and had to watch the temps every single second. The Traeger is NOT a smoker for fish. The temps will soar variedly, just about ruined the last batch and finally ordered a Bradley as the author suggests but also after many hours of research. I am looking forward to tweaking the recipe a bit and trying some others but am pretty confident that this recipe will be my go-to salmon recipe.
Thanks for sharing.
Kelley Roy
Okay, mission accomplished. I smoked about 1/4 of a 26-inch King Salmon. Brined 24 hours, dried outdoors under a “fly tent” for three hours, and then smoked for about 3 hours.
I have a Traeger Jr which is thermostatically controlled. The lowest temp setting is 180°. I tried keeping the temp below that by cracking open the lid. Later, I discovered that the “smoke” setting keeps a low temperature once the grill has already heated up. I basted with maple syrup.
In the end, it came out okay. I did get some of the albumin in cracks that formed on the fish. It wasn’t awful, but it probably wasn’t “acceptable” for good smoking. I ate half of it while still warm and will likely have the other half with a salad for dinner. It was a bit saltier than I like; I have high blood pressure and tend to use less salt than the average person. Next time, I’ll brine for a shorter period of time.
I’m kind of disappointed, knowing that my smoker, which does an amazing job on smoked pork ribs, etc., can’t get temperatures low enough to properly smoke fish. I will, however, try again the next time I get a salmon on my line.
Thanks for the very clear instructions
I’m giving this a try today with some king salmon I caught off San Juan Island (WA) on Thursday. Will let you know how I do. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and all your tips are so helpful. Delicious every time!
I’m going to try this in my new Bradley smoker Sunday I’ll keep you posted . This unit is great in controlling temperatures..
I am making this tonight but it has been hot here and do not want to leave it out to dry. Can I leave it in the fridge on a cooling rack to dry? Also, if I am able to do this, how many hours do you recommend and what is the maximum?
Angie: Yes you can. I do overnight uncovered.
Will the peticille format in the fridge
Keith: Yes. I do that all the time.
I’ve used this recipe twice now and I have to say that it’s amazing.
Hey Hank,
Some real good pointers there. I have been smoking salmon here in the great Pacific Northwest for many years. The thing I have always struggled with is leaving the fish in the smoker too long and ending up with a dry product. I have learned a meat thermometer is a handy tool to use. once the internal temp hits 145 I pull the fish from the smoker. It will actually continue to cook as it cools and turns out moist and delicious. If you ever want to go crazy and try a new recipe, here is mine.
3 cups Yoshitas original marinade
1 cup water
1 cup kosher salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
It says see below for the brine I’m finding nothing unless it is the onion garlic bay leaves thyme chiles
Nathan: Not exactly. It says this:
BRINE (ingredients below)
1 quart cool water
1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, about 2 ounces of any kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
Hank, you are right on regarding the most important parts to make the fish turn out excellent. In particular, the drying and smoking temperature parts are,without question most important to the success of the finished product. I have been curing and smoking all manner of fish, game and meats for about 45 yrs. so I am a little conversant about what you have published about this recipe. I happen to use a different brine, but that is a matter of personal taste. Important thing is to have enough salt in the brine to prevent spoilage. If you don’t, then make sure you add a teaspoon of cure to prevent the spoilage.all in all a wonderful recipe for all the neophytes that want to learn to do this.
Can I smoke salmon without brining!
Bev: Yes. It’s called barbecue. 😉
Tried this today, came out perfect. Tastes excellent . Thanks for the receipt.
I assume the recipe for the brine is:
1 quart cool water
1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt, about 2 ounces of any kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
Tom: You assume correctly.
I made this with some Salmon Fillets I got from a frozen home delivery service, that I mistakenly bought (Chum Salmon) and it was Fantastic!! Thank you for sharing the recipe. We enjoyed the fish so much I ordered five more pounds of fillets. Great to pull out of the freezer( vacuum sealing is a must) for dinner or for guests.
Hank,
I love your siteand this is a wonderful recipe. I have followed it to a T on several occasions with great results. However, today I was pressed for time and tried a very rapid version of your recipe. I dry brined the ocean caught chum for 3 hours only, patted it dry, didn’t wait for a pedicle and smoked it for 2 hours at 180. I was a little nervous but it came out fabulous, Can’t really tell the difference from those done the longer version.
Karl: I too will sometimes “dry brine” for a shorter period. But the pellicle development will make a difference. If you didn’t notice one, I am betting you smoked the fish very gently.
Is it 1/3 cup DC kosher salt and 2oz any kosher salt….or is use one of these..not both?
Joe: One or the other.
Giving IT a shot on my trauger smoker….. Hope it turns out well
How can you tell of it has curd long enough?
Billy: The fish gets firmer.
We smoke several hundred sockeye each summer in Alaska but cut the fish down the backbone and right through the head, not the stomach, so as not to lose the oil that resides in the belly and is where the taste is. Also, add a little bourbon or rum to the basting..
William: That’s called kiting, and it’s what I did with that smoked trout in the picture above. A good way to smoke a fish!
I don’t see the recipe for the brine, am I missing it?
Wendy: Yes, you are missing it. It is right there in the ingredient list. Water, salt, sugar.
I just made this in my Weber Kettle, set up to smoke. The temperature was a little tricky, though, and I ended up smoking my king salmon for 4-1/2 hours at about 180, internal temperature of 135. I basted it with maple syrup more frequently than you, and added a little salt into the syrup the last few times. I used applewood chips. I can’t tell you how fabulous this is. Wish I could send a picture!
Is the 1/2 C. syrup just for the basting? Or does some go in the brine as well?
Rich: Just for the basting.
Use the recipe all the time. It’s awesome
Do you use wood chips or chunks?
Jenn- If I plan to can smoked salmon I don’t keep it so long in the smoker. You want to smoke it well but you don’t need to cook the meat so much as it will get plenty well cooked in the canning process. Your finished product should be a bit moister this way
For a nice peppery kick, I like to sprinkle black pepper on the salmon while the pellicle is still sticky. Great recipe!
Long time dip netter first time smoker. I’m thinking of canning some of my fish this year. I have a cooler full of kenai reds to process. Any advice on canning fish? Smoked fish in particular.
I Just finished smoking some fresh sockeye. This is the 2nd time I used your recipe. Also bought a vacuum sealer for storing my salmon. Any advice on shipping some pieces(frozen & vacuum paced to friends and best way to reheat frozen smoked salmon?
Thanks ,
Marc from PNW
For brine. I put the salmon skin side up. Thought it was a good idea. What do you think?
Any tips on smoking skinless salmon? I have a 4.5lb piece to do up… ?
D: Yes. Smoke on the side where the skin was, and oil it and the smoker grates well so it does not stick.
Very good and easy
Thank you! I’ve got 2 coho to smoke this week in my Bradley smoker. I’ve never been happy with my results, so I appreciate your detailed information. Now I’m going to look at your foraging recipes! I’ve been busy gathering fir tips. I’ll have to come back to rate the salmon recipe later.
I tried this recipe during my first shot at smoking salmon, then my second, and now it’s my ‘go-to’ recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Of the hop recipe. Excellent hit smoke salmon. I did not add maple strop to the brine, just used it for glaze.
How many people does this serve?
Emily: Uh, the recipe is meant to help you make a stash of smoked salmon for later. It’s several pounds, so if you wanted to serve it as a meal, I’d guess lots — like 10 people.
Used this recipe on my first attempt to smoke salmon. It was absolutely fantastic! Everyone (super bowl party) raved about it, even those that said they didn’t like salmon because it’s to “dry”. Some of those that claimed to not like salmon asked to take some home. This is the one and only recipe I will ever use for salmon. With my Masterbuilt smoker I was able to follow the temps easily. Mine actually reached 140° within the first hour when I set the temp at 175°. I can’t say enough about how great this worked!!
If a dry the salmon in the fridge overnight, do I leave it uncovered?
Thanks
Kirk: Yes, you do leave it uncovered.
The best recipe for smoked salmon…. you make me look like a star! Mahalo! The Duke
I made this smoked salmon for our Easter brunch. I recently bought a small electric smoker and have never smoked anything before. I started with some really nice Copper River salmon that I had in the freezer and followed the instructions exactly. The results were perfect, it was a huge hit with our family! I can’t wait to do it again.
I am confused about the brine. It looks like maple syrup is in the brine and you brush it on the fish also?
January: Yes, it is in the brine and you use more to baste the fish with.
what if you only smoke 1 pound; would it still take 4 hrs?
Pamela: Smoke time is not dependent on the amount of fish you are smoking. It is also a very personal decision, one related to the heat of your smoker and how how smoky you want your fish. I would still smoke for 4 hours with a pound, but my smoker heats up very slowly and I like smoky fish.
Hank, the first time I made this was in Saint Aubin sur Mer, Normandie. I use a smoker often so I understood your technique. The people we were staying with had just purchased a Brinkman smoke and insisted I show them how to use it. Ha! No pressure!!! I gathered the ingredients…they purchased the 10lbs of salmon. After reading your instructions several time…we were off for the adventure! In the end it was a hit! The next time I smoked salmon was about a year later in Texas…in the summer time. I had to figure out how to cool the smoker to 120deg F without a fire even lit! But we too figured this out and once again it was the rave of the picnic! Now, I’m back in Normandie with the same family and guess what the request is! You got it!!! “You will smoke salmon again!!! Ok?” I guess they really liked it!(lol) I’m looking forward to using your technique again…this time with confidence and enjoying a few beers while “WE” smoke the salmon!!! Cheers!!!
Very nice recipe!
Hank have made these 3 times in the last 3 weeks since I bought my Bradley. Everyone says it’s the best smoked salmon they have ever eaten. The best !!!
I’m trying it now. Brined the salmon for 4+ hours… it is a fillet 3/4″ thick at the largest section. Floated in the brine though. I read a bunch of recipes and never saw that mentioned. Working on the pellicle now and am 2 hrs into it.
Hot damn! That is tasty
Thank you, appreciate the time you took to make this available.
Todd
Hi Hank,
I gave this a try recently, using a Masterbilt electric smoker. It was outstanding. The salmon came out flaky, moist, nicely smoky with a very nice color and the flavor from brine was just perfect. I served it at a party in my home and, sad to say, there was none left to save. Great recipe and metho!
what is the sugar for? brine or baste?
Peter: It goes in the brine.
Where can I buy the birch syrup
Thanks for the awesome directions my friend. Everything went very well and the salmon is absolutely spectacular. I will be doing this more often.
I am new to smoking so I’ve been practicing getting use to my smoker. I finally decided to try my hand at smoked salmon. I found your recipe and love the way you broke everything down. It came out amazing!
Thank you.
I’m a little pressed for time — can you place the fish in the brine semi-frozen? I figure the salt is going to help thaw it and if necessary I can extend brining time (this is coho fillets, pretty thick). Or should I just quick thaw (cold water)?
John: Yes, you can put them in the brine semi-frozen.
Couple question here, 1; do you soak your chips? 2; I’m not producing smoke at 150 degrees(with dry chips) will that effect how I smoke at the first two steps from 120 to 140? I have an electric bullet smoker. Also already have the salmon in the brine
Justin: Yes, I soak my chips.
What is your favorite way to serve this? Going to give it a try for a fancy NYE dinner that I have to bring an app to. Any sauces or anything else you would reccomend?
Hey Hank,
Great information thanks – Quick question for you – I live on the West Coast of BC and love fishing, I normally always have a freezer full of fish. I smoke a lot of that salmon and I was wondering do you ever use your liquid brine more then once? I’ll smoke over 150 Lbs of fish over a short period of time and I’ve always made new brine for each batch even though both batches are prepared within a 24 hour period. Maple syrup is very expensive and it would be great if I could use the same brine for two different batches. I do realize that after using the brine initially that it would be somewhat watered down but was wondering have you ever tried adding more salt/sugar to that used brine to bring it’s original brining strength back to life.
Tight rods – Mario
Mario: No, I never reuse a brine.
Brad
Great article. I wish to comment on the build up of fatty scum on the fish. Your drying suggested is absolutely necessary. I have to smoke farm raised Atlantic salmon. Ya just cannot avoid the fat, so after a good drying , I smoke my product for 3 hrs then with a paint brush and warm water, clean the fat off my fish. Works the very best, back into the smoker and finish as you prescribed
Looks real good and clean. Worth a try for anyone suffering from the fatty build up.
Regards
Ger
I can’t have anything with sugar will this process still be good without the maple syrup and others?
Brad: Yep. It should be fine.
I had smoked Chum and sockeye . The sockeye is okay but the chum is dry – Any uses for dry salmon?
Brendan: Salmon salad sandwiches!
Hi – I followed the standard recipe and soaked my salmon for 24 hours. Smoked for 5 hours but all I get is dry, cooked salmon. What am I doing wrong?
Brendan: Smoking is an art, not a science. You smoked the fish too long. You need to check it after an hour and keep checking it every 30 minutes to an hour after that. Everyone’s smoker works differently, so it is impossible to give you an exact time/temp with this. Sorry it came out dry!
Hank,
What is the mistake adding the syrup to the brine? Recipe says 1/2 cup and “more birch or maple syrup for basting.” What else do you do with the 1/2 cup?
Matt: Thought you used it all in the brine, so none for basting. Carry on…
I added the syrup to the brine mix. Hope that wasn’t to big of a mistake?
Dean: That was a mistake. Won’t hurt it, but it’s not what you do with the syrup.
Sounds awesome do you have a dry brine recipe?
Hi
I’ve done this recipe multiple times with lake trout and it’s absolutly delicious, i get a little of the white stuff but i just brush it off when i apply the maple syrup, everyone that tasted this fish just love it, I usually make half whith the original recipe and the other half whith a bit of fennel seed that i add on top before the drying process it’s yummy !!!
You mentioned honey. If I use that I substitute it for the birch or maple syrup correct?
Brad: Yep.
I have made this multiple times and I have some in the brine/fridge right now. My wife does not eat any seafood but she will eat this.
Once I messed up and started with the heat to high, believe me it was not as good. Follow this recipe and heat settings and you will not be disappointed.
What is your opinion on a dry cure vs. the brine? Sometimes I use a slurry of salt and sugar, then wrapping in plastic and foil overnite with a weight on it. Can you give pros/cons of each?
Can I save the marinade for the next batch or should I always start with fresh marinade?
I tried this on the weekend. It was a complete success. Everyone that tried it loved it. Thanks for the tips
Great article, exactly what I needed to remind me what I learned last year, I love the facts and follow the key points close. Thank you
Similar recipes call for a cure (sodium nitrate?) in the brine. What is the reasoning of cure vs. no cure?
Thanks
John: Very few smoked salmon recipes use a cure. It is not really needed for fish.
Can you substitute salt & sugar ingredients for Himalayan Punk Salt and Coconut Sugar?
Jessica: Might taste odd, but it should work.
I agree with everything you said. I have been preaching the virtues of drying your fish before smoking it for years. You have written a very good article that anyone attempting to smoke salmon should read first.
Thanks to you, our first-ever attempt was a rousing success! It’s very nerve-racking when $75 of beautiful fish is on the line. Whew! 🙂
How do you cook slow enough to keep albumin in check, but still hot enough to create smoke? Chips don’t burn at 140F.
Hank,
Great article, best one I have read. Been cooking outdoors for over 50 years got my first BBQ with Blue Chip Stamps 12 years old. My wife was a chef for years and I have cooked forever but just started smoking. Controlling heat is an art form, I use several sizes of almond and cherry to up the heat just a little.
Steve
In the smoker, is your fish skin side down on rack or sitting on alum foil on the rack?
DH: Skin side down on the rack.
if i wanted to add steak spice or peppercorn at which stage would i add it? after the drying?
Daniel: Before, so the spices dry onto the meat.
Lol. Just flake it out and make salmon salad.
The wife would love that.
Like hell I would.
Great recipe. I’ve done two batches of sockeye in the bradley.
Bacteria grows on food while cooking at a temperature below 60-70 Celsius, so it’s best to cook above 70 degrees Celsius for say 4 hours i think.