Smoked Salmon – Easy & Flavorful
Smoked salmon made easy! With a simple dry brine and seasoning mix, this step-by-step guide helps you create flavorful smoked salmon on any pellet grill or smoker.
Equipment
- - Rimmed tray or pan
- - Wire rack (optional for drying)
- - Smoker or pellet grill
- - Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- - 4 cups brown sugar
- - 1 cup kosher salt
- - 3 tsp garlic powder
- - 3 tsp onion powder
- - 3 tsp kosher salt
- - 3 tsp dried parsley
- - 5 lbs salmon fillets skin-on
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar and kosher salt in a bowl.
- In a pan, spread half the brine, place salmon skin-down, then cover with remaining brine.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).
- Rinse brine off under cold water, pat dry.
- Place salmon on tray; let sit uncovered in fridge for 2–3 hours until tacky.
- Mix seasoning and rub onto salmon.
- Preheat smoker to 180°F. Use apple, cherry, or alder wood.
- Smoke salmon for ~2 hours, or until internal temp reaches 135–145°F.
- Let cool 1 hour. Serve or refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Notes
-Don’t skip the drying step—it creates the pellicle
- Alder, apple, or cherry wood gives the best flavor
- Store leftovers wrapped tightly for up to 10 days
- Alder, apple, or cherry wood gives the best flavor
- Store leftovers wrapped tightly for up to 10 days