Smoked Salmon (2024)

It’s incredibly easy to make smoked salmon and the results will always come out juicy, tender, and flavorful. Learn how to make the best hot smoked salmon right here with as many tips as I can think of. All you need is fresh salmon with skin on, salt, sugar, pepper, your smoker and a few things around the kitchen.

Salmon is one of my favorite things to cook anytime, whether I’m making it in the oven, on the stove, on the grill, or on the smoker. It really is a great fish because it’s easy to cook, healthy, and has great texture and flavor. Salmon tastes mild and pleasant without the overpowering “fishy” flavor that many people dislike. The texture is also meaty, firm, and flaky, without an excessive amount of bones.

Anytime you cook salmon, it feels fancy and indulgent but there is something extra special about smoking it. Hot smoked salmon is very simple but when you put together good quality fish with some mild smoke and just a touch of seasoning, the result is extraordinary!

It’s important to remember that the best ingredients will always give you the best results. So in addition to the technique, you need to make sure to get the best quality salmon, with skin on.

Cold Smoked Salmon vs Hot Smoked Salmon

Of course, you don’t want to confuse hot smoked salmon and cold smoked salmon (aka lox). It’s a totally different preparation process and, most importantly, very different result.

Lox (aka cold smoked salmon) is actually cured with a salt to draw out the moisture. The reason it’s called “cold smoked” is because the salmon is smoked for a long time in temperature under 90°F. This process changes the salmon’s texture quite a bit as well as flavor. There is also not a lot of smoke flavor.

Hot smoked salmon is exactly what it sounds like, it’s smoked at a much hotter, 225°F. There texture of the fish stays flaky and there is quite a bit of smoked flavor present.

QUICK SMOKING NOTES:

What temperature to smoke salmon?

You will want to maintain 225° and try your best not to go any higher!

How long to brine salmon?

You will want to brine it for 2-4 hours. I’ve tested out brining it longer or overnight but it doesn’t make too much difference. With good quality salmon, you don’t need too much.

How long to smoke salmon?

Exact time is always very hard to predict because of the fish itself. The size, fat content, and thickens will all affect time. Estimated time to smoke salmon is about an hour but make sure to always check internal temperature. Salmon is done when it reaches 145° so make sure not to overcook it. Take salmon off the smoker at 140° because it will continue to cook while resting.

What wood to use to smoke salmon?

You want to choose mild wood like alder. If you want a little fruitier, apple and cherry are also mild smoking woods.

WHY BRINE SALMON?

“Do I really have to brine salmon?” I’ve heard this question before and even asked this myself a few times in the past.

Well, there are a couple of reasons why you want to take a few extra minutes and get salmon into a salty/sweet solution. First of all, it will result in juicier salmon and it will be a little more forgiving as far as overcooking. Brining helps protect the proteins from drying out, which will give juicier result. When salmon is overcooked, it becomes dry and no-one wants that.

It also benefits the flavor, brine will help to infuse a little more flavor uniformly thought the fish.

Brining also helps reduce albumin, which is the milky white protein that leeks out of salmon and congeals while it’s cooking.

Good brining solution for fish is not overpowering. One that contains 5-8% of salt and sugar dissolved in water. (In this recipe, that is 3 tablespoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 4 cups of water.)

What You Need For Smoking Salmon

Good quality salmon – for best results get the best quality salmon you can and make sure to keep the skin on. Make sure to get a whole side of salmon filet not one cut into individual pieces.

Kosher coarse salt – you will need it for brining and to season a little before smoking.

Sugar – I recommend dark brown sugar for that special hint of molasses.

Pepper – little touch of heat to season the fish before cooking.

Water – for the brining solution, you will want to use water that is lukewarm so sugar and salt dissolves better.

Large casserole dish – you can either use a baking dish or aluminum to brine salmon.

Plate – a plate, or plastic food container filled with dry beans or rice, or something else that will help you weigh down salmon to keep it in brining solution. But not something that will crush it!

Aluminum foil – to place salmon onto while smoking

Smoker – use your favorite smoker, whether it’s charcoal, wood, pellet, or gas.

Drip pan with water – whichever smoker you are using, make sure to use a drip pan filled with water as well. (Placement will depend on smoker.)

HOW TO MAKE SMOKED SALMON

Brine

Combine water, kosher salt, and dark brown sugar in a bowl and stir until completely dissolved. Pour the brining solution into a baking or aluminum pan and add salmon into it. Place a small plate or a food storage container filled with some dried beans to weigh down salmon into the brining solution. Make sure it’s not too heavy where it crushes the fish.

Place into the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Prepare the smoker

Prepare your smoker and get the temperature to 225°. You will want to keep the temperature no higher than 225°. Place a drip pan with water under the grill grate if possible, or place it off to the side of the main grill grate. (This will depend on the type of smoker.)

Tips to get temperature down if needed: 1- You can soak wood chips for 30-60 minutes before adding them to the smoker. This helps when you need to make sure the temperature doesn’t go above 225°. 2-You can also add ice to the drip pan with water to lower the temperature.

Prepare salmon

Take salmon out of the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Gently rub your hand on the fillet to make sure there are no bones accidentally left behind. Use fish bone tweezers (or regular tweezers in a pinch) and take out any bones.

Season the filet with salt, peppers, and sugar but not too much because of the brine.

Place salmon filet skin down on a sheet of aluminum foil.

Smoke salmon

Place the foil with salmon on the grate of the pre-heated smoker and smoke until internal temperature of salmon reaches 140°. (Make sure to start checking the temperature after 30 minutes on the smoker. Smaller/thinner fillets will be done faster.)

Take it off the smoker and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

STORING INSTRUCTIONS

Place leftover salmon into a food storage container with an air-tight lid or place it on a place and wrap it tight in plastic wrap. Refrigerated properly, hot smoked salmon should last in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

You can also freeze it. Wrap the whole cooked salmon filet or individual portions in plastic wrap. Place wrapped salmon into a zip-top bag and get as much air out of it as you can. Label and freeze.

Need to use up leftovers?

Breakfast – mix some into scrambled eggs, use it instead of ham in Eggs Benedict, add some to bagel with cream cheese, or add it into an omelet.

Lunch – top your favorite salad with it, add it to an avocado toast, make smoked salmon dip, or mix it with some buttery pasta and don’t forget a spritz of lemon.

Dinner – reheat it in the oven at low temperature just until heated through and serve with our favorite sides.

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SMOKED SALMON RECIPE