How to Smoke Salmon

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finished smoked salmon recipe, with fish on cooling rack
Photo by Hank Shaw

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.

finished smoked salmon recipe, with fish on cooling rack
4.94 from 609 votes

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.
Course: Cured Meat
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5 pounds
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

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, rinse it briefly under cold running water, 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

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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1,192 Comments

  1. 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?

  2. 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

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

  3. 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.

    1. 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.

      1. 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.

      2. 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.

      3. I have never found it too salty using kosher salt. It would definitely be too salty if you used table salt.

  4. 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

    1. 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!

      1. 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.

  5. 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!!!!

    1. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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!

  8. 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!

    1. 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.

  9. 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.

    1. Crystal: Then this is not your recipe. I have no idea how to make fish shelf stable other than canning it. Sorry.

    2. 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!!!

    3. 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.

  10. 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.

      1. 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.

  11. 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?

    1. 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.

  12. 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!

  13. 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

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.