Salmon candy has become my new favorite road food. And while it looks like regular smoked salmon, it’s not.
What on earth is salmon candy?
Well, I first heard about it years ago, when it was called squaw candy, but it’s no longer called that for obvious reasons. Salmon candy is basically heavily smoked strips of salmon, originally smoked so long they were basically jerky. Nowadays it’s usually lacquered with something sweet, such as brown sugar, maple or birch syrup, or even molasses. The idea is to combine fatty-savory-smoky-sweet in one bite.
Strips from the belly of the salmon are best.
Don’t get me wrong: I love my recipe for smoked salmon. I really do. But it’s for large pieces of salmon, meant to be eaten as a meal, or crumbled into salads or whatever. It isn’t something you can wrap in a paper towel, stick in your pocket and carry with you when you are foraging or wandering around, or maybe fishing for more salmon.
For that you need to change things up a bit. First is the dry cure. My regular smoked salmon uses a brine cure, which keeps the fish supple and moist. Salmon candy needs to be heavily cured and heavily smoked to keep in less-than-ideal conditions.
While it isn’t strictly jerky, although I might make a true salmon jerky one of these days, the heavy cure and smoke has let me carry salmon candy on multi-day road trips and on fishing boats with a minimal amount of refrigeration.
How minimal? I’ve eaten it at room temperature after it had been in my pack while fishing all day, or in the late afternoon on a long drive. But I fish in cool places, so the salmon probably never got about 65°F. I wouldn’t let it get hot and eat it.
Remember, this is an Alaskan invention and it rarely gets hot in Alaska.
If you want something truly hardy, you will need to cut the strips thinner and smoke them harder to get them jerky-like.
What salmon to use? Well, any, really. Belly strips are best, but you can make a good salmon candy from fillets, too. This is a great use of chum or pink salmon, and it is also excellent with large trout or char. If you want to order salmon from Alaska, try Taku River Reds — I have fished commercially with them and can highly recommend their fish.
Consider my recipe a hybrid, hardier than regular smoked salmon, and not quite as austere as the traditional salmon candy made by the native Alaskans. Whatever you call it, it’s damn good.
Smoked Salmon Candy
Ingredients
- 5 pounds skin-on salmon collars, bellies or fillets cut into 2-inch thick strips
- 1 pound kosher salt
- 1 pound brown sugar
- 1 cup maple syrup or birch syrup
Instructions
- Mix the salt and brown sugar together. Find a lidded container large enough to hold the salmon; a big tupperware works well. Lay down a layer of the salt/sugar mixture about 1/4 inch deep. Put a layer of salmon down on this, skin side up. Cover the salmon with more salt/sugar mixture. If you need a second layer of salmon, make sure the layer of salt and sugar between them is thick enough so that the pieces of salmon are not touching. Basically you are burying the salmon in salt and sugar. Cover and let cure in the fridge at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours. The longer the cure the saltier it will be; I cure for 2 hours.
- Remove the salmon from the cure, which will get wet, and briefly rinse the fish under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and set the salmon on a drying rack skin side down. Let this dry in a breezy place for 2 hours, or in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. I put the racks under a ceiling fan near an open window with another fan blowing at the fish from the side. You are doing this to form a pellicle on the salmon, which helps it smoke properly. Don't skip this step!
- Traditionally salmon candy is cold smoked for several days. If you can do this, go for it. I use a Bradley digital 4-rack smoker, which takes a while to get hot. Regardless, you want to bring the temperature up gradually over the course of an hour or so and let it sit at around 180°F to 225°F for at least 3 hours, and up to 8 hours if you like your salmon candy harder and smokier.
- Every 90 minutes to 2 hours, paint the salmon with the maple syrup. This also helps to remove any albumen -- the icky white stuff -- that can form between the fish flakes if your smoker gets a little too hot too fast.
- When the salmon looks good and lacquered, typically about 4 hours, remove it to the drying racks again and paint it one last time with the maple syrup. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing. Salmon candy will last a week in the fridge, longer if vacuum sealed. It freezes well, too.
I was wondering if you could mix the maple syrup with honey? I used to buy salmon candy from Whole Paycheck @ $25 a lb, and my smoked salmon from a family owned butcher shop that recently went out of business, leaving me bereft. I have been smoking lots of salmon on my Traeger this summer, since I’m semi quarantined with nothing else to do. I am not thrilled with the Traeger since I can’t get the temp low enough to keep from getting the white gunk on it, but it still tastes really good. This batch I’m gonna try and prop the cover open a little to maybe help keep the temp a tad lower. I smoked two salmon halves last night, one with honey and one with maple syrup. I liked the honey one better, which is why I’m asking if it would be ok to mix the two. Thanks in advance.
Maxine: absolutely.
Hello.
Do you know if this will work with low carb substitutes, such as Swerve brown sugar alternative and a syrup made with liquid allulose and maple extract?
Illume: I have no idea. I am not even sure what those are.
Thanks for the tips on this recipe! I referred to it for guidance after a long break from smoking salmon. I however, even as an Alaskan, can’t find chipped Alder. I sure as heck don’t want to buy a chipper for the alders I see. Where do you find yours? In the mean time, I just buy wood chips that recommend use with fish. Has always done well in the past.
Hank, absolutely the best recipe for salmon candy out there.
I do 2 to 1 brown sugar to kosher salt. Brine for 30 min, dry for 2hrs and smoke for 3 to 4 hours In the traeger. Best ever. Thanks Roger
Hi
Trying the recipie for the first time! I love spicy and sweet candied salmon, when would be the best time to add chilli flakes…. at the brine stage or the glazing stage?
thanks
Erin
Erin: Glazing stage. Heat the maple syrup with some chile and use that.
My first time doing this.
What is a good brine recipe.
Do you brush with maple syrup before you place fish in smoker? Or only start 90 minutes into the process?
Andrew: You wait 90 minutes first.
This is my go to recipe. Only thing I do differently since I’m using little Kokanee fillets is 2:1 sugar salt and then add a little bit of bourbon to the maple glaze.
I could never get the bourbon taste to stick. Do you get a strong flavor using this method?
Cheski: Bourbon? I have never tried that. This recipe highlights the salmon, and the glaze is just pleasant a side note.
Thank you for this simple Brine & the means of Pelice & Albumen .
If the oil that comes out of the salmon belly is pink and so is the fat, does this mean that it is farmed and not wild caught?
Hinda: Nope. Wild salmon fat is orangish-pink.
Today will be my 5th time using this recipe. I dont have much access to good fresh salmon where I live (driftless area of WI) but I’ve been using fresh caught rainbows and it works great! One whole fillet is about the equivalent of a 2″ strip from the recipe so it takes a good day of fishing to get 4 or 5 lbs together (oh darn!) but free sure beats the $28 per lb “fresh” salmon at the local grocery store.
Most thorough advice I found on internet, thanks question do you have any more thorough advice on cold smoking, and just an idea cold smoking then a short hot smoke to finish at end?
Stew: Cold smoking is a very different process. It’s salt curing, then smoking at very low temps, below 80F, for a very long time.
Smoking some sockeye salmon and some halibut with your recipe but coating the fish every 50 instead of 90 with birch syrup. Just trying it out.
Maybe I missed it but what wood do you recommend for wood smokers like the green egg?
Bret: Alder all the way for salmon. Oak or maple are decent alternatives.
Just tried your recipe and it’s fantastic !
Took 3 1/2 hours at 175-200 degrees in a small Kamodo over alder wood .I would post a photo if I could!
Hi there, do you smoke on the rack or on a plank like cedar for example?
Thanks!
Jimmy: on the rack.
Too salty for my taste. I’m going to try again using less salt, more sugar and less than 2 hours brine time.
Like the look of your recipe and going to try. Do you use wood chips and if you do what kind and how much. Thanks
Al: I always smoke fish over alder wood.
Can I use a pellet smoker?
John: Yes, I do.
Amazing recipe! Cured mine for 2 hours but it wasn’t salty enough as I would have liked it so I’ll try three next time. I added a dash of molasses and whiskey to maple syrup and brushed it on the salmon once an hour over the course of 5 hours and it was like eating a piece of candy.
Went subsistence fishing for copper river salmon on Saturday…bellies are brining as we speak! Can’t wait to try the finished product!
Back again. I believe it’s my 6th time doing a batch. Should just save this recipe. Great recipe. Slow warm up of the fillets certainly helps. I’ts spreading through my network of friends.
I don’t care for maple either, but it pairs excellent with this process. I won’t eat maple any other way. I like to low smoke it until it gets a good hard shell basting every hour, that’s what makes it “candy”. I bought 5.5 lbs. of salmon yesterday and let it marinate overnight in the salt/brown sugar, but while I was at Kroger I noticed the same packaged smoked salmon was going for $1.75 an ounce ($28 lb.), so my $50 purchase turned into over $154 market value. I vacuum seal about half of it, eat it as a late night snack…
Heidi, try birch syrup its got more of a light molasses/mineral type taste but no maple flavor. It glazes up beautifully on smoked fish. You might like it, I was impressed.
Anyone know how this is without the syrup? I’m not a huge fan of that flavor.
Heidi: Perfectly fine. Just skip the syrup.
I was in Alaska once and ate some salmon candy that had been canned!! It was amazing! Any idea on the process? I can a lot
Hello. When you say cold smoke you are meaning no heat correct?
John: Not exactly. A cold smoke is technically anything less than about 80F.
I’m going to try this tomorrow
Hopefully it works the way I think it might.
I have I pitboss, similar to a traeger. But I’m going to use a smoke tube at the same time to add more smoke. My plan is to try to smoke for about 5 -6 hrs maybe.
We’ll see how it turns out.
Thanks Hank ..much appreciated
How long can it be stored in the Fridge on the drying racks prior to smoking it?
Scott: Up to about a day.
Can’t wait to try out both your recipes for smoked salmon and smoked candy salmon. I am an avid hunter/angler and my family loves to do holiday assorted wild game meat trays that we share with friends and family. It just so happens that I have an abundance of trout filets and will be using your recipes on those as well. However, I may modify the brine slightly. As a family tradition we use orange juice for brining fish as it tends to soften the fishy flavor a bit. Thanks for all the detailed instructions. I look forward to the end product!
So like he mentioned. Forming the pellicle is very important. If you rush those steps it turns out mushy. Don’t rush.
Hi Hank,
Fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing and answering all of these questions. Do you recall if you used diamond or Morton kosher salt in this recipe? I have heard that using one over the other may produce a saltier finished product. Thanks
John: I use Diamond Crystal.
Hank, do you have a target internal temperature for your salmon candy? I did one batch, pulled at 140, and it was good but i didn’t get the smoke I like. Used Alder pellets, Pit Boss pellet grill.
This batch, I’ve cold smoked for two hours with alder, will finish tomorrow.
Thank you!
Thanks! Made my candied salmon this way many times! Just awesome.
I love the recipe and thought your explanation was complete, detailed, and awesome. F the haters!
Hank: Thanks for posting this, I made some over the weekend. I am wondering if the maple syrup juices that are floating around in my ziplock bag are going to make the salmon candy go bad more quickly? Is there a way you get around that?
CJ: Should be fine. Maple syrup is pretty durable.
Just bought a pellet smoker, this is the first thing I’m making!
Hi Hank, can you use previously frozen Spring salmon for this recipe? Another question: do you can salmon? There doesn’t appear to be a recipe for canned fish on your website.
Christine: Yes on pre-frozen salmon, no on canned salmon. Not a huge fan.
Susie Olsen,
The word “squaw” caught my attention and I squirmed a bit. I believe it is a really harsh racist word. I actually believe it might still be used in some parts of Canada. I think it is totally reasonable to ask for the word to be removed. Indigenous folks in Canada have been dealing with racism and stereotypes for over a century and they continue to have to face it. This is not about political correctness, it is being kind and trying to undo some of the painful culture that persists.
Written by a white woman of European decent.
Also- i’m Looking forward to trying this recipe. It sounds Great!!
The author of this recipe simply said “squaw” candy because it used to be called that, and even mentioned that going forward it is referred to as “salmon candy for obvious reasons”. People may have had it back in the day and might want to make it. If you simply said “salmon candy” they might not know if this recipe is what they are looking for. Get a hold of yourself and quit acting like the police for political correctness. Nobody would think a thing about it, had you not mentioned it. There are lots of items that may have reference to American Indians because that was history. Do you have a problem with someone referring to “white” bread?
I came on this site to find a recipe. It looks like an awesome recipe. It sounds delicious.
One thing that got me was the original name of the recipe. It is unnecessary, uncalled for and very rude and disrespectful. Its the intention and it is better to be nice. I could never understand the word “squaw” and why anyone would use it. Why mention the name that it was (like we’d know that) when you know it isn’t nice for “obvious reasons”?
Please take it down.
I just came back from the Feather River & learned of an invasive species known as squaw fish, or northern pike minnow. I heard from a couple people that they are only good smoked. This might be where the name comes from? The author is clearly not being racist, & clearly prefaced the former name with an explanation. I enjoyed learning a bit of the history, and that this is a old style of preparation enjoyed by indigenous people, not just a new foodie thing. Lighten up folks. The recipe is called salmon candy. Turning a blind eye does not erase the past. Trying this tonight. I’ve bought it before in Gold Beach, OR & it was unbelievable!
Marko: Just so you know, the pikeminnow is not invasive. It is the native in the Feather. But thanks for coming to my defense.
If you live in Hawaii-use Ahi bellies for this recipe, they will be great. I’ve smoked them many times this exact way and it turned out awesome.
If my smoker can hold 100* how long should I pl an on smoking the fish?
Brian: This is a hot smoked product, so you’ll want the smoker up to at least 150F to cook the salmon through. As for time, go as long as you want. I like only a few hours — more makes it too smoky for me.
i just got a two-door propane smoker, and no way it’ll hold a low temperature. however, you mention cold smoking. i assume that after the dry brine the salmon would not be likely to spoil at room temperature. what do you think of putting it in the smoke *without* a flame, and using a perforated tube smoker in the closed smoker cabinet? in your experience, does cole smoking take longer than hot smoking?
thanks!
Flash: Yes, cold smoking takes a lot longer than hot smoking. Days, even. You gently smoke the fish at low temps (below 90F) for several hours each day for several days.
My husband just bought a smoker yesterday and am gathering some recipes to try. We live in Hawaii and he and his buddy’s fish a lot but no salmon here. We will have to get at Costco. I am assuming this is only good for fatty fish?
Anne: Actually, no. It’s damn good on lean fish, too. But if you do this with, say, a snapper, cut the fish thinner and shoot for more of a chewy jerky product.
Do you have to leave the skin on or will it work just as well with the skin off?
Christina: Skin needs to stay on. It holds the salmon together. You can discard it when you eat it, though.
This is a great recipe. It comes from a Trager grill cookbook.
I make it all the time
Kate: Sorry, but it most definitely DOES NOT. An intern at Traeger stole my recipe and never told his boss about it. When I found out and told Traeger, they were mortified and told me the intern had done this several times and was fired.
Like you we salmon fish past the gate. I’ve been using your recipes for regular smoked and now salmon candy. I like both. Real reliable recipes. The candy was awesome. I added some pepper flakes as well. I’ve got salmon in the freezer and am always looking for new ways to prepare.
What about the skin? How does this come into play when eating? can you do this without the skin on the fish?h
Dan: You need the skin to hold things together. You can eat it or not.
This recipe is identical to traeger website salmon candy recipe.
Dan: Interesting. They copied me, as this recipe has been up for about 8 years.
Can this be done in a dehydrator? If so, at what temp and how long would you suggest?
I make salmon candy whenever I can get a nice salmon fillet. I wash the pieces after the dry cure and that helps to keep the salt from overwhelming. I do not have a smoker so I put the salmon in my convection oven on dehydrate at 120 degrees for a good eight hours. This recipe is easy to prepare and oh so tasty.
Happy New Year
Have you every tried this on trout? I’m sure I would have to adjust my cure & smoke times but this sounds amazing. Any suggestions?
Gregg: I haven’t tried it on trout. But you’re right, it should work.
I followed this and am disappointed. For me it’s too salty I would use 1cup of salt pr pound of BS. I have done this before but it had been a couple years so I looked it up and got this recipe. Waste of two kings.
H ank,
Finished the smoking and maple syrup coating. It went great.
Picture available to post.
I am smoking. With maple chips , since you paint with mapl e syrup.
What do you use?
Thanks, Hank.
The membrane on the belly, do you remove or ignore it?
I have tried to pull it off but not very successful.
Bob
Bob: I ignore it. It peels off fine afterwards, or you can eat it.
Hank,
Do you cut the bellies across or length wise? Ready to go with some bellies.
Bob: Lengthwise.
Hank,
Do you strip the skin off before eating it? Sounds silly, but just asking.
Bob
Bob: I typically do, but a lot of people eat it.
Hank
Do leave the skin on the salmon belly strips when you smoke them?
Bob: yes I do.
Well Hank you were right. This works great on tuna belly. I used longfin tuna bellies that have some rib bones and are not generally taken home by the crew. This method (dry brining) works well on the dense belly meat. Smoked with skin on and a little less salt than sugar. Painted with Maple syrup and added some apple wood to the cook. People are freaking out around here!
Hey Hank,
What are your thoughts on preserving a less fatty fish (like the mess of cutthroat and rainbow trout I have on my hands right now) like this? Will a little heat in the smoker just turn trout into a dried out, salty brick?
Thanks
Jesse: I’ve done this with trout before and it works. Just keep an eye on it so it smokes and dries enough, but not to the point of it being super hard. You want it a little like jerky…
Trying this with tuna belly. My last batch was ok but a bit too salty. Playing around with a shorter cure time and a bit more on the sugar side.
What is your preferred smoke time within the 3-8 hour window?
Thanks,
James
James: Depends on the heat, but normally about 3 to 4 hours.
At what point do you use the syrup? I read that I’m mixing the salt and sugar but never see when to add the syrup.
Dawn: As the meat smokes, you baste it several times with the syrup.
From a true Alaskan, what your recipe is kippered salmon, IE salmon candy. Squaw candy is a totally different animal when it come to curing, and smoking, and is the most popular as it keeps for weeks, unrefrigerated, or frozen for long durations.
Ken: True. I need to do a hard-smoked, thinner version that most of us around here call salmon jerky.
Us Tlingit people typically call this smoked strips. Thevstrips arevtied or skewered and hung in the smokehouse for several days. The best—smoked strips can be found in KAKE, AK. Truly amazing stuff!!!!!! Thanks for sharing this. So many people need to know the joy of smoked strips! The recipes I know/use contain brown sugar, in almost every single smoked salmon recipe I have seen in AK. In fact brown sugar was nearly sold out in our local store with the reds running. Gunslcheesh! (Thank you In Tlingit)
MS: I learned about this from a Tlingit woman I met! Thanks a ton for writing. I also did the Tlingit dried fish, too, where you salt strips, smoke them and then dry to jerky. They last for months at room temperature that way!
I love this stuff. I’ve used fresh and frozen and works well with both. I alter the directions a bit but the final product is phenomenal.
I think I’ll try this. I’m in the Philippines, and can get Norwegian Salmon (I know, I know, but it’s all I can get. My native BC Sockeye and Coho are far, far away)
I’ll let ya know how it goes in my big giant coconut husk-fired smoker.
Chris
Subic Bay
Philippines
Would love to try this. My husband has a cold smoker, and we are used to curing fish for 2 or 3 days before smoking. Then he usually smokes it for 3 hours in the cold smoker. Would you recommend the same or longer? How often should he glaze it? Can’t wait to try this!
Sheila: Glaze every hour or so, or more if you want it really sweet.
hi..at what temp.is cold smoke? Thank you
Mark: This is not a cold smoked salmon recipe. To do that you need to salt cure the salmon for a few days, then smoke it no hotter than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hi! Did you put water in the smoker? What type of wood do you use?
Liz: Yes and alder.
Should you or can you eat the belly skin on salmon candy?
Jim: I have. It’s fine.
Hank, I want to thank you for this recipe. I did not have any salmon available but I did have 7 large steelhead and used that instead. I had a very similar recipe in the past and yours is just fantastic! I smoked mine over alderwood first then finished it with apple and cherry wood. AMAZING. Thanks so much
At what point do you coat the salmon with the syrup? After the first 90 mi Utes of smoking? Sorry if I am missing it on the website.
Bernie: Yes, after the first 90 minutes.
Hank, just a tip from a life-long Alaskan, who smokes around 20 salmon a year, let the fish dry as long as you can stand before smoking. I typically let mine sit for 4-6 hours under the fan, and try to keep the smoker temp under 180. Also, try a dry brine of 1 part kosher salt, 1 part brown sugar, and 1 part white sugar, cured for 4 hours. enjoy!
p.s., I used your Garlic Braised Shanks recipe on a shank from a nice little 1year old bull moose tonight, it was wonderful!
Turned out incredible thank you very much.
Sounds good. I am going to give this a try with some chum salmon I just caught in the very early run. I may add some spice to get a sweet and spicy appeal.
looks yummy. Any way of doing this in a dehydrator?
Donald: Probably. Get the dehydrator hot though, like 160 degrees.
Doing this as we speak. It’s looking so good!
I am addicted to the bellies but must be high in sodium I seem to swell up from them but cant help the succulent flavors!!!!
I’m just about to try out my homemade smoker for the first time and I want to to this recipe. I’d like a true cold smoke though. If I keep the smoke chamber temp at 150, how many days would I need to smoke it for? Also, would this recipe work ok with Arctic Char? Anyone with experience please weigh in.
Blaine: No idea about the cold smoke, and BTW, cold smoking by definition is lower than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 150 degrees is hot smoking. As to your other question, yes, it will work with char.
Nice!! This brings me back to when I was a kid when we traveled to BC just outside of Abbotsford there was a snack stand that sold Indian candy! I don’t think the bags they sold ever lasted more then 5 or 10 mins!!! Thanks for this recipe!
I will be making mine in a smoke shack…has anyone tried this method yet? I am thinking it will need about 2- 3 days of smoke? Does this sound about right? The temperature will not be high, so it will be a cold smoke.
There was a post some time ago asking if there is a place to try it. I know sometimes Santa Monica Seafood caries it.
I use two pounds of brown sugar to one pound of rock salt and add one table spoon of onion powder one table spoon of garlic powder and one table spoon of white pepper, mix them all together, sprinkle a coat over your fish to dry brine them. This mix will last, sealed, for a year so it’s always on hand. I have a smoker on at the moment, just painted with honey, can hardly wait for another hour.
Hank,
I have a similar recipe. The only difference is I add the real maple syrup to the salt and brown sugar mixture to make a paste. After that it is identical to your version.
Coworkers have called my wet brine salmon candy for years can’t wait to try dry brine. Quick tip I smoke all my fish skinless trimming all dark meat off… yucky fishy tasting. I lay cheese cloth on smoker rack. Slide cloth/fillets onto cooling rack when done. Fillets won’t crumble when cooled
.
Can anyone tell me how long smoked candied salmon will last if vacuum sealed and refrigerated?
Beth. About 10 days.
The best. Tried it out and it was the best food I’ve ever eaten. I think I will live on this.
Just got a Smoker for my Birthday. I’m pretty excited to make this. It will be my first attempt at smoking. I’ll let you know how how it turns out! Thanks for this recipe!
Looking at your salmon recipe and I was wondering if you could use a dehydrator just as well, or no. I have a big stainless steel commercial grade dehydrator and was thinking about using that! Please advise!!
Thanks!
Randy
Randy: I have no idea. Probably.
How much difference does it make if you dry brine for only 3 hours compared to overnight? Will it draw out less moisture then an overnight brine?
Craig: Overnight will be very salty but the salmon will keep better at room temperature.
Is it better to let the salmon dry on racks in a breezy area or is it better in the fridge overnight? Will there be any difference in flavor or texture or anything else for that matter?
Matt: Either way works, so long as the breezy area is cool.
Is it okay to use pellets instead of chips. They are made for little chief smokers, too.
I am making a version right now of cold smoked.
Kosher salt and brown sugar covered layers of salmon strips in a tray.
Left in the fridge 24 hours and stirred in the glaze brine twice during that time.
Hung in the smokehouse around 16-18 hours to form the pellicle.
Cold Smoke for the first 3 days.
Day 7 cold smoke one last time.
Remove when dried to satisfaction.
Anyone try this method or heard of it this way?
When do you skin the strips.. after smoking? The product I recently ate in Vancouver had no skin and looked as if it had been smoked that way.. thx
Tom: I don’t skin them. I leave it on, and sometimes eat it.
So when did u remove the skin.. after totally done? The SC I just had in Vancouver had no skin and looked like the underside was smoked and basted too.. I am just putting my belly strips on the drying rack.. been in fridge for 3-4 hrs.. I will ultimately smoke on my green egg (old one with no temp controls). The thinner strips may turn in to jerky but I can deal with that. 🙂 My gf and I caught 3 @ 15-25# WHITE King Salmon last week at mouth of Burrard inlet and I brought home on airplane as a checked bag. thx and btw.. you are a twin of a close friend of mine in Tampa, Mike Fisher.
I’m trying this now, with old school smoker, hopefully its as good as it seems! Useing cherry for smoke, I’ll let you know in about 6 hrs or so! Thanks for the recommendations folks
Hank awesome recipe going to try it out up here in Washington , doing Pink salmon now but plan on getting some chinook an coho to smoke . Let you know how it turns out
Hi there,
I don’t have a smoker. Could I use a food dehydrator make candy salmon or candy tuna?
Thank,
This is my go to. I do half a smoker sweet and the other half I brush withy sriracha mix I made up! Sweet and spicy!
I tried this recipe over the weekend. My neighbor popped over when he smelled the smoker (“where there’s smoke, there’s beer at Bill’s place”) and we sacrificed a couple of the thinnest pieces for quality assurance purposes.
I finished it off as you recommended, and the difference in taste between hot and cold is astonishing. It seems saltier when hot, and less sweet. Definitely needs to be cool when served.
This recipe is a “do over”! Thanks Hank.
I have the strips drying in the fridge overnight. Would it be okay to not start smoking it until tomorrow afternoon? it would be roughly 20 hours in the fridge uncovered. Thanks
Brad: Should be fine.
Everyone loves it, great recipe! See you off west marin, the best salmon fishery in the world 🙂
I have salmon ready to go in the smoker…but i have only two types of wood bisquettes available. ..mesquite or apple..which would you suggest? Thanks for great instructions!
Leone: Use cherry.
Kosher salt vs. ionized salt?!? Thoughts on this?!?
BD: Never use iodized salt.
It’s “albumin,” not “albumen.” Common mistake.
“the correct spelling is albumin with an “i.” … albumen is the term for egg whites. They’re two different things.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/30/white-stuff-salmon-how-to-avoid_n_6564634.html
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albumin
Great recipe I’m trying it now greetings from Belgium
Hay Hank, You have had many questions about smoking salmon and one that I have noticed was about wood chips.If I may give anyone suggestions when smoking in a smoker. Find a friend with apple trees in their yard (preferably after they get done yielding apples)cut off a few sucker branches (1/2 to 2 inches around) they are the branches that shoot strait up, STRIP THE BARK, cut into one inch chunks. usually I throw a thicker piece in there incase the rest burns up quickly. You can use sour cherry, alder, plum, and keep them wet for best smoking.
In the time of smoking the candy how many pans of chip do you use, I use 2 to 2.5 when doing a regular smoke.
im wondering whats the difference if I use cherry chips to alder or any other kind is cherry ok, or what would you use?
Tara: You can use cherry.
Do you know if this meets the minimum Water Phase Salt requirements for retail sale?
Jen: No idea. Sorry.
Great recipe, love it as is. However I’d love to try Alaskaman’s recipe, if he’d share it. Variety can be fun!
Costco wild sockeye seems a bit thin and did not get a good 2 inch thick cut but definitely can get a 2 inch wide chunk, next time I’m decreasing temp. Overall fun recipe and fine taste, although tweaked it a bit with cinnamon in dry cure and quarter cup soy in bast
I’ve been smoking fish for many years and MY salmon candy is NOT hot smoked. More like a ham, moist and flakes easily. It usually takes about a week the way I do it. Very much like kippered, wouldn’t waste king salmon hard smoking it. When that happens it’s dog treats ! oh well to each his own.
Alaskaman: Exactly, to each his own. But remember, here in California, the only legal salmon is a chinook, so it’s all we have.
I’m going to try this as soon as I get some sockeye or silvers – my question is to cut strips across the fish vs up and down? I have a Masterbuilt I use for lightly smoking then jarring in 1/2 pints. It tends to get hot and my recipes usually call for 140* – worried about the 180-225* – cooks the fish vs smoking I thought. Thanks
So I have it in the brine but the recipe doesn’t mention water. The other smoked salmon recipe does. So have I done the right thing? I am just brining it in brown sugar and kosher salt. No water. Please let me know quickly if you can wouldn’t want to wreck 5 lbs of wild caught sockeye. I plan to try out the new smoker tomorrow. Thanks.
Aeriol: Nope, no water. This is a dry salt method.
Letting the salmon sit for a couple hours before smoking allows it to get “tacky”, so it takes smoke better. Lower temperatures get more smoke into salmon. Because it is important to get the moisture out of the fish you must use heat, how much and how long is a personal preference and depends on your smoker and outside temperature. I can mine in jars in a pressure cooker, so this finishes it and also disintegrates any small bones. It has a long shelf life also. Try vacusealing your strips with sausage and cheese slices and storing in freezer until you are ready to eat.
What kind of chips???
Jamie: Any kind.
always looking for new tricks/ideas. I use a brine that uses spicy rum – supposed to be Capt Morgan but Kirkland works, place on cookie racks on newspaper and dry with a fan. ,smoke @ 140 for a couple of hours and can them with some jalapeños for flavor. Wonderful.
i have been making salmon candy for 20 yr, after being in the brine for 36hr, I then scewer the strips and hang them for 48hr, then off to the smoker at 75 degrees for 3-4 hr till dry
How long do u smoke for? Should u start smoking right away??
Cory: You start smoking right away, and smoke until it’s done to your liking. Every smoker is different, so I can’t give you an exact time. Sorry.
Can I can it after it comes out of the smoker?
Laura: Not sure. I think it’d be better to use a standard smoked salmon recipe to can.
This is a great recipe. I make it for my annual neighbourhood BBQ, and my only problem is keeping it in the smoker after the first two hours. I generally start with a full rack, and by the end its about half that.
For the drying it with the fan you say 2 hours and then you say overnight which one is it cause I am at this point where it is drying
Lisa: It is a range. 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
When you smoke with the skin on, which I understand is preferred, is it edible? I would think yes, as long as you make sure it’s properly scaled..? I’m giving it a shot this weekend so just thought I’d ask.
Fargo: Yep, it’s edible, but a bit chewy.
We bought salmon and realized that it didn’t have skin. Do you think the recipe will be affected?
Lynsie: You should be OK. Be careful taking the strips off the smoker though.
Thanks for a great salmon candy recipe Hank.It was great and is know my favorite. Living in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia we have great hunting and fishing areas that are well kept secrets, so we have fish and game all the time. Like the ideal of cutting the fish into 2-inch pieces making it easier to share with friends.
Trying this recipe for the first time. Have a Bradley 4 rack smoker with a temperature controller, so I should be able to control the heat at 180-200.
Everything sounds really good. but don’t understand why your temps are that high. Wouldn’t it be better if smoked like your other fish recipe. Is there something I’m missing here. I understand going slow with the temp the first hour but stop at 180 to 225 is kinda high ain’t it? It will lose everything out of the meat won’t it? Just asking I don’t want to waste a slab of king salmon it takes a lot of money to go on my trips. Thanks for your time and insight. It’s wonderful. I’m glad I came across it. I cook bbq all the time I’m a one man team with lots of hrs under my belt. So if you need any info on ‘queuing let me know. I will share with you. Thanks, Jim
Jim: Salmon candy is different. It’s supposed to be hard-smoked, and approaching jerky. The idea is to be able to pick up each piece, carry it with you and eat. So it needs to be harder than my normal smoked salmon.
WOW!! Terrific recipe, only problem is the salmon only lasts about twenty minutes! I used a dehydrator to dry it instead of a fan, however follwed recipe. Real crowd pleaser!
I use a honey/water glaze instead of the maple syrup and it seems to work well.
What internal temperature should I go for?
I don’t check it. I want it well cooked, though, as it’s kinda-sorta like jerky. Not THAT dry, but dried that my regular smoked salmon recipe. That’s why bellies and collars work best here.
Im 20 years old and this recipe was my first time getting involved with smoking salmon. It was unbelievable, tasted amazing. The only downside to my end result was the bisquettes I used. I will definitely use alder, oak, or cherry, etc. next time.
Best of luck fishing everyone.
I have 25lbs of chinook n sockeye curing, can’t wait to see or I should say taste the results. I have tried many different cures, but this one sounds great.
Anyone else find it salty? I made it tonight and it tasted very good just a little overly salty. I followed the recipe but cut it in half because I had half the amount of salmon. I followed it to a T and rinsed the salmon so not sure why it tasted overly salty.
Salt is a very variable thing, or, rather, the perception of it is. Several things going on here: First, these will taste less salty when you eat them cold. Humans’ perception of salt decreases as the food gets colder. Second, the size of the salmon pieces dictates how long they are in the salt. Smaller pieces need less time. Third, if you have a huge amount of salt and not as much salmon, they will get saltier faster. Making this is an inexact science, and you will need to tinker with it to get the salt levels where you like them.
I made this in my Little Chief smoker and smoked it for 7 hours. Absolutely fantastic!! My new favorite way to smoke salmon. I will have to make sure I never lose this recipe.
Can you use this recipe in a brinkmann smoker with a water pan?
Absolutely. I used to have one. Keep the temps relatively cool in the chamber, about 180 to 200 degrees or so.
Any other fish this might work on for those of use in the flyover country? I’m in Oklahoma. have about 60lbs of paddlefish in my freezer from spring. We have plenty of channel and blue cat as well as most freshwater game species like Florida Bass and Saugeye??
Try it with catfish and a good cane or sorghum syrup. Not sure if paddlefish is fatty, but if it is, that’s a perfect choice. Lemme know how it works out!
Brett, I’ve never dealt with spawned salmon, but they are pretty lean by that time, so as mentioned above, the smoky flavor isn’t going to adhere to the filets as well as if it were a fatter fish. I would imagine spawned salmon aren’t good for much except maybe patties, where it’s easier to blend in more fat.
I made this today and it was quite delicious. Though I found that it wasn’t as sweet as I was expecting anyways. Still delicious, will make again.
OK, thank you very much i am really looking forward to trying this
Jesse: After the first 90 minutes.
I am going to try this recipe. would you recommend putting the syrup on before starting smoking then every 90 minutes after or smoke it as is then paint with syrup after 90 minutes?
Brad-
Any word on that pike? I’ve never smoked pike but wanted to give it a shot. That sweetness would be very interesting with the pike.
Thanks
I made this using skinless king salmon. It did not fall apart and it was delicious. I am trying this with northern pike today. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I have smoked salmon for about 20 years. Farmed salmon is a waste of time. The better quality of salmon the better product. I brine for 24 to 48 hours. Smoke a minimum of 3 pans of alder or alder/cherry. Normally a minimum 5 hours will suffice.
Chris: I go about 45 minutes to an hour with no syrup, then I lacquer it up!
Would you recommend beginning the smoke with the first 90 minute period without the syrup, or do you start the smoke process with the fish already lacquered up?
I tried this recipe with farm raised salmon and with a wet brine using the same ingredients and it was great. I have also used a mix of pecan and cherry and that also worked out well…bottom line is that when you add sugar and maple syrup to salmon it is hard to mess things up. If using the wet brine be sure to dry the salmon very well; I put the filets on cooling racks and blow on them with an electric fan for a few hours.
I made this with some Prince William Silver bellies for a duck hunting trip to ND. It lasted about 10 minutes. Great recipe. Thanks!!
Ryan: Smoke goes the whole time.
Hoof: Why on God’s green acre would you ever even buy one of those nasty packets?! No wonder it was disgusting. This recipe is for fresh or thawed salmon only.
I tried this recipe with the salmon from the packets in the grocery store – the Starkist variety sold next to the tuna packets. First off, the salmon did not ‘cure’ and there was no slurry. Oh well, I ran it under cold water (which washed most of the salmon flakes away) to wash off the brine. Taking what remained I pushed it together to form a large patty to place on my homemade smoker (less than $40 thanks to Alton Brown). Firing up my smoker I smoked my salmon for about 8 hours. The patty was dry, hard and salty. I may need to make some modifications – like less salt and less sugar as the brine is too strong.
I was just curious if you have the smoke on the entire time in a Bradley or if you cook for a certain time and smoke for only a portion of it?
We make a very similar candy all summer long. Kings (Chinook) are our favorite, but Silvers (Coho) do just fine. Next summer, we plan on trying Humpies (Pinks) because of the higher fat content. We found that Reds (Sockeye) are too dry with this process – not enough fat. The skin is removed prior to applying the dry brine/cure, as we have found a preferance for the less “fishy” taste. After 12 hours, they are rinsed and air dried to develop a glossy shine. I’m sure there is a more technical term. Prior to our current smoker, the Big Chief was just fine, we just needed more racks to process the Alaskan size appetite for the Salmon Candy of our family and friends. Be willing and adventurous with additions until you find what works for your tastes. It’s well worth the effort!
Can you do this with some liquid smoke (for the smoky flavour) in a dehydrator?
Lucille – you are very fortunate to have your house-sized “smoker”! I grew up in Cowichan, and smoked salmon used to be a regular sight. I hope the fish return to you one day. Meaghan
I wonder if anyone has used this recipe but used a Big Chief smoker? If so, how long do you smoke bigger spring salmon?
I am Gitxsan and I have smoked salmon for over 40 years
My smokehouse is the size of a home – with a cement floor and running water
I have tried the flavoring but found that it took too long to dry and was not the same as the original Hooxs (thin dried strips; no skin) this process takes 5 days of smoke and low heat – we use cotton and alder and at times apple wood.
I remember when the sockeye were plentiful and we use to hang 60 – 70 fish per day. Those days are long past. This year maybe 20 every three days. such a yummy snack
Can you use farm raised salmon from the grocery store or are they not fatty enough?
Made a batch with 9 lbs. of Pink Salmon last night. It truly is a wonderful snack. Taking some with us camping this weekend! The only drawback for me was my smoker. Although it does the job just fine, keeping a constant temperature was tedious at best. I kept the temp. around 180-205 degrees for 6 hours having to cool the chamber every 5-10 minutes. After 6 hours of this I was spent, but it was well worth it!
We recently made this with some fresh kings caught off Tomales- I added crushed juniper berry to the rub and it turned out really nice. Thanks for the great recipe!
What is your opinion of trying this with spawning salmon? Out east NY we get a great salmon run but the meat takes on a different quality that is typically only smoked.
I made about 3 pounds today and my wife and kids and I ate it all.
Cassidy: Pretty sure it will fall apart.
Can this with skin off filets or will it fall apart?
Dick: Yep, that’s why I call it Salmon Candy.
In the interest of being politically correct, I’ve seen this salmon on sale at many CDN duty free shops, and they label it “Indian” Candy. In Vancouver, it’s an item very popular with tourists from Japan.
OMG I’ve had this at The Fish House in Stanley Park in Vancouver a loooooong time ago as part of an appetizer tray. I contacted the chef for a recipe, and she confessed that they didn’t make it in-house and didn’t have a recipe. So thank you, Hank, for sharing this. I can vouch for the fact that this stuff is addictive!
This looks amazing. There’s a place in Lincoln City on the Oregon coast that sells the best smoked salmon (in this style), but we will definitely try this recipe. For all those times we can’t justify a quick run to the coast for more salmon.
Hank,
Really appreciate your smoked fish recipes.
I have been smoking fish for years but have never been able to get the results I wanted until trying your other recipe.
This version looks like it smokes a little faster and at a higher temp, with a little more brown sugar (which I use anyway).
I like the idea of the fish being a little more hardy so I will have to try this with my next fish.
Thanks again,
Remind me to not stop by the blog hungry 😉 These look so tasty, spread with a little cream cheese over crackers. What a nice little snack, yum!
This is brilliant… the only problem would be making it last; I guarantee it would be gone too quickly in my presence to constitute a reliable road snack!
OMG, You said “squaw candy” (I’m from Az, I know what “squaq” is slang for) and then you said “fatty-savory-smoky-sweet in one bite.” and I just couldn’t help myself. I started giggling like a little school girl 😉 It’s so bad, it’s…funny 😉
In all seriousness, this sounds amazing. I’ve never had salmon “jerky” before and I’m not a fisher, so I wonder if I can find it anywhere to try it?
Jon: I prefer alder. But apple, oak, cherry, or, if you can get it, cottonwood. Cottonwood is used a lot in Alaska.
Is there a particular wood you recommend for this?