The Ultimate Guide to Making Delicious Smoked Salmon
Luxuriously tender, flaky salmon with a delicate smoky flavor and beautiful glaze. Cold-smoked to perfection using a simple brine and slow wood-smoking process for that irresistible melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus brining/drying)
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 16 hours (with brining)
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer/Main
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: Scandinavian-American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450g) fresh salmon fillet (center-cut, skin-on)
- For Brine:
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, sliced
- For Smoking:
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey (for glaze)
- 1 cup wood chips (alder or applewood)
Instructions
- Brine: Combine all brine ingredients in saucepan. Simmer until salt/sugar dissolve. Cool completely. Submerge salmon skin-side up in brine; refrigerate 8-12 hours.
- Dry: Rinse salmon, pat dry. Place on rack skin-side down; air-dry in fridge 4-12 hours until tacky (pellicle forms).
- Smoke: Prepare smoker (150°F/65°C). Add wood chips. Smoke salmon 2-4 hours until internal temp reaches 145°F (63°C), glazing with maple syrup halfway.
- Cool: Let rest 30 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain at 45° angle.
Notes
- For cold-smoked style: Keep smoker below 90°F (32°C) for 12+ hours
- Wood pairing: Alder (traditional), applewood (sweet), or cherrywood (fruity)
- Storage: Vacuum-seal and refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze 2 months
- Serving ideas: Bagels, salads, appetizer platters, or pasta
- Safety: Use only very fresh, sushi-grade salmon for cold smoking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1oz
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 15mg