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How to Smoke Salmon Perfectly

05/06/2020 by The Typical Mom 44 Comments

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This is how to smoke salmon in your smoker right at home! The best rub for fish you will ever make that brings out the flavor and makes it melt in your mouth good. Easy recipe for those who have never smoked fish, or looking for something new. Healthy dinner idea.

how to smoke salmon

I got my husband a smoker last year and we’ve been making the most amazing salmon in it. Here’s how to smoke salmon in your smoker so you can enjoy the deliciousness too! 😉 It’s one of our favorite easy smoker recipes. This post brought to you by Seafood Nutrition Partnership. (originally published 8/16, affiliate links present)

Smoked Salmon

You can make this as an electric smoker recipe too, either machine works.

  • Recently we upgraded to this Traeger pellet smoker and grill and love it.
    • This is the Charbroil model we started with.
  • These are the pellets we always have on hand and use for almost everything.
  • This smoker cookbook has some more great ideas if you want to cook outside more regularly.
traeger

That is the key in my opinion.

You can have a really expensive piece of fish but if you have an amazing rub even an average piece of fish can become incredibly flavorful.

Of course both including a wild caught or Atlantic salmon filet are best. 😉

Here’s the secret to the best baked salmon (and now smoked) my husband swears by. This time I asked him to actually write it down for me so I could share with all of you.

smoked salmon recipe

Once you’ve rinsed your beautiful piece of salmon, pat fish dry and lay it on a cutting board. Then begin to prepare your rub.

We’re all about using spices when it comes to smoking fish.  Combining sugar salt ingredients gives your smoked salmon an incredible flavor. You can add a bit of heat too if you desire.

  • Here is the smoked salmon rub recipe in it’s entirety.

It is amazing how different salmon tastes when you massage a good rub into it before smoking. It’s so much better than leaving it off in our opinion. Ours is a salty and sweet rub for fish that people comment on all the time and say this is now their go to smoked salmon recipe.

You’ll have to let us know what you think…..

best smoked salmon

How to smoke salmon and what you’ll need

  1. Electric smoker or pellet grill / smoker
  2. Salmon fillet (leave skin on)
  3. Salmon dry rub
    1. Brown sugar
    2. Paprika
    3. Sugar
    4. Salt and pepper
    5. Garlic powder
    6. Chili powder (more or less depending on what heat level you desire)
  4. Wood chips – great variety pack 
    1. or wood pellets

You can either put a thin or thick layer of rub on your fillet. For a more intense flavor, coat and then wrap in plastic wrap. Keep in fridge for up to 12 hours to deepen flavors. I refrigerate for about an hour or so myself.

how to smoke salmon

Combine your ingredients for the rub. Then massage it on to the top and bottom (yes on the skin side too) of your fillet, and you’re ready to cook.

  • Once your smoker reaches 225 degrees lay it flat on one of the racks and really that is it!

Set your timer for 1.5 hrs. to check on it, and typically it is perfectly done in about 2 hrs.

You want the flavor of smoke to adhere to the fish so wrapping it in foil is not recommended.

smoked salmon recipe

How do you eat smoked salmon?

Well of course you can eat it as is with a side of mixed vegetables in your air fryer, or smoked vegetables for a very healthy meal. Some like to drizzle a bit of maple syrup on it for a bit of sweetness.

  • Rinse brown or white rice with some cold water and serve this as a side dish as well. We think the seasonings added at the beginning are way more than enough (and the reviews below concur) but you could add more.

Pair it with some steamed broccoli too and you’re ready for a tasty dinner! If you love fish as much as our family does, it’s a real winner! 

smoked salmon recipe

If you cook fish often and have a killer recipe let us know we’d love to try it next! This is of course the hot smoking method. If you have a cold smoking recipe we’d love to try it.

Salmon is not only great for dinner but on top of an everything bagel with a little cream cheese for lunch is amazing too. We don’t really check the internal temperature when done. Fish just needs to be flaky to be perfect, and overdone isn’t good. A bit underdone is better than dry.

Looking for more easy fish recipes?

  • Our Instant Pot fish recipe is fabulous.
  • I also have a bunch of pressure cooker fish recipes you can try too!
smoked salmon

When you’re ready to take it a step further and smoke meats like beef and pork, here is a meat smoking chart to get you started.

Here are a few other smoker recipes to try:

  • Make smoked baked potatoes as a side dish
  • This is the best way to smoke ribs
  • Smoked turkey is absolutely amazing
    • And try turkey legs in your smoker
  • Smoking a cooked ham for the holidays is yummy
  • Try air fryer salmon or Instant Pot frozen salmon too!
salmon in air fryer

Is it healthy to eat smoked salmon?

This goes for both prepared and sold in the stores, and smoking salmon at home. YES! It’s a good source of protein, B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium and selenium. 

It does have a decent amount of sodium in it though so keep that in mind if you have high blood pressure. In that case you’d want to eat it in moderation since 3 ounces has 666 ml of sodium.

Does Smoked Salmon Freeze Well?

  • That is assuming you do have leftovers which is never true in our house.
  • However, if you do: Of course you can freeze smoked salmon. It can stay in the freezer 6-9 months past the printed date on the package, or the day it was made at home. 
  • I personally prefer to eat it freshly cooked of course as I think the texture is a bit altered when it is reheated.

How do you reheat frozen smoked salmon?

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and place it in either a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet. Then, lightly coat the top with a little butter or a spray of olive oil.

Warm the smoked salmon in the oven for about five minutes, depending on the strength of your oven. You can print recipe below if you’d like.

Want to see a few of my favorite things you might want to write on your Christmas list this year??!! 😉 Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!

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***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉

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how to smoke salmon
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5 from 9 votes

How to Smoke Salmon

How to smoke salmon in your smoker right at home! The best rub for fish you will ever make that brings out the flavor and makes it melt in your mouth good. Easy recipe for those who have never smoked fish or looking for something new. Healthy and delicious dinner idea. 
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword easy, salmon, smoked
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 148kcal
Author The Typical Mom

Ingredients

  • 1 salmon fillet
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder optional

Instructions

  • Combine rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 
  • Massage rub into top and skin side of salmon fillet. 
  • Add chips to smoker by filling container/drawer 3/4 full. 
  • Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees, lay fillet flat on a rack once it reaches this temperature and smoke for approx. 2 hours. Check at 1.5 hrs. to ensure all is going well.
  • Salt and pepper to taste at end if you want more seasoning (we like it as is). Enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
How to Smoke Salmon
Amount Per Serving (4 oz)
Calories 148 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Cholesterol 15mg5%
Sodium 2344mg102%
Potassium 182mg5%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Sugar 26g29%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 105IU2%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

how to smoke salmonHow to smoke salmon

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Filed Under: Recipes, Smoker Recipes Tagged With: fish, salmon, smoked, smoker

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rich says

    08/30/2020 at 10:00 am

    I love this recipe. I actually rub on the salmon the night before and let it sit over night in the fridge. Then I pull out a little bit before I put it on the smoker and add a little more rub. I smoke on a offset using hickory logs at 225 to 250 for 2hrs and comes out perfect. Everyone including my kids love it. Thanks

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      09/01/2020 at 10:32 am

      Oh I am so glad you love it too

      Reply
  2. Donna says

    04/11/2020 at 8:59 pm

    The recipe says 2 tablespoons of salt. Is that really correct?

    Reply
    • Jo says

      07/19/2020 at 1:51 pm

      Is 2tbsp of salt correct?

      Reply
      • The Typical Mom says

        07/20/2020 at 12:18 pm

        Yep

  3. Courtney says

    03/01/2020 at 5:40 pm

    I love this recipe! We have made it 4 times and everyone who has joined us for it absolutely loves it. Also compared to several other recipes this is so darn easy! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      03/02/2020 at 5:14 pm

      So glad it has been a hit

      Reply
      • David L says

        08/22/2020 at 3:01 pm

        How do I get the amount of each ingredient for the rub?

  4. Cathie Gomez says

    09/28/2019 at 4:13 pm

    My guys absolutely loved this recipe!

    Reply
  5. Mary says

    08/09/2019 at 7:20 am

    Will this freeze well?

    Reply
  6. Patty says

    07/16/2019 at 9:12 am

    Can you smoke the salmon on a cedar plank?

    Reply
    • JAMES Wilson III says

      12/31/2019 at 6:56 am

      Yes, soak it in water first. As the wood heats and begins to smolder the cedar plank gives it the smoked flavor!

      Reply
  7. Katherine Dietz says

    07/06/2019 at 2:00 pm

    Pepper is listed above with salt but not in the ingredients list, how much? And what brine or marinade?
    Thanks
    Katherine

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      07/07/2019 at 9:51 am

      This is not a marinade recipe but rather a dry rub for salmon. Pepper is just if you want to season at the end.

      Reply
  8. Laurie S says

    06/24/2019 at 1:55 pm

    Is the timing the same if your salmon has no skin? I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
  9. Kim says

    01/22/2019 at 9:17 pm

    Can you broil the fish or bbq it?

    Reply
  10. Dorothy Jackson says

    12/25/2018 at 5:35 pm

    We used your recipe for out Christmas dinner today and I must say it was one of the BEST EVER!!!! Loved the flavor, the rub did not overwhelm the salmon flavor, it enhanced it! Will defiantly be doing this again, soon.

    Reply
  11. joe Valoret says

    12/08/2018 at 4:23 pm

    I have a gas smoker (propane source) good one I can adjust perfectly well…I will try and report. JV in the wood.dish I have one that water can be put there and in the center the chips…so water is use to keep moist.

    Reply
  12. Shelia says

    09/27/2018 at 9:34 pm

    I own a charcoal which I prefer better than electric. My question is can we used our charcoal smoker for this recipe? Any adjusments on setting temperture?

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      09/28/2018 at 4:30 pm

      We don’t have one so I don’t know but would assume it would work just fine.

      Reply
  13. Megan says

    09/06/2018 at 11:06 am

    Would you put liquid in the smoker as well for this?

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      09/06/2018 at 11:07 am

      We have an electric smoker and no we just add wood chips to the bin. We don’t use liquid at all in our type of smoker.

      Reply
  14. Karyn says

    08/26/2018 at 5:22 pm

    Made this Salmon in my Big Green Egg smoker today and it was amazing! My whole family enjoyed it including my 2 grandsons who are 3 & 1. I have tried a lot of Smoked Salmon recipes and have to say this is my new favorite!

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      08/28/2018 at 8:09 am

      So glad you loved it too.

      Reply
  15. Dave says

    08/24/2018 at 9:15 am

    Internal temp?

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      08/24/2018 at 4:10 pm

      Well it is fish so it can be eaten raw essentially as in sushi but typically 145 temp. is recommended however salmon does tend to continue to cook once taken out and is better flaky and not overcooked so 140 is probably best to take out.

      Reply
  16. Rob R says

    08/20/2018 at 6:16 pm

    So you cook the salmon to a temp of 225, that seems high, just want to make sure?

    Reply
  17. Holly Randazzo says

    08/20/2018 at 1:04 pm

    Hi!
    Don’t have a smoker, just a BBQ. Any ideas on how to adapt? Looks great!

    Reply
  18. Alicia says

    06/17/2018 at 6:20 pm

    Bought my hubby an electric smoker for Father’s Day and this is the first thing we made in it! OH MY GOSH…this was the best salmon I’ve ever had! Better than any restaurant I’ve ever been to! My 4 yr old even loved it! This will always be my go to recipe! Absolutely Delish!

    Reply
  19. Richard Core says

    04/01/2018 at 6:45 am

    This has been the been the easiest and most consistent recipie. There isn’t a long prep time the brine is easy to make and adapt for your personal tastes. We like ours a little spicy so I add cayenne and chili powder. I’m so glad I used your recipie the first time I smoked a salmon. I have comeback to it now a half dozen times and it always impresses!!!

    Reply
  20. Chon Salinas says

    01/22/2018 at 3:45 pm

    What type of wood was used ? Thanks for any info.

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      01/23/2018 at 9:02 am

      There’s a link in the post to the types we use.

      Reply
  21. Rose says

    01/01/2018 at 2:54 pm

    Hi,
    Can you please provide the temperature it says “this temperature” but it does not provide the temperature it needs to be at?

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      01/01/2018 at 3:04 pm

      In the directions, recipe card, it states temp. 225.

      Reply
      • Steven Nervo says

        08/19/2018 at 5:34 am

        Skin side up or skin side down in the smoker?

      • The Typical Mom says

        08/19/2018 at 9:53 am

        Always skin side down on the racks when you are smoking fish.

  22. Laurie says

    12/31/2017 at 3:05 pm

    We just got an electic smoker for Christmas and this recipe is awesome ! I was a little hesitant with the sugar but we loved it so much, we are making it again tonight

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      01/01/2018 at 9:09 am

      OH good, it’s our fave.

      Reply
  23. Jessica says

    12/30/2017 at 10:37 am

    What flavor chips do you use in your smoker?

    Reply
  24. Linda says

    12/18/2017 at 2:17 pm

    Is this the kind of smoked salmon that you can serve as an appetizer with crackers?

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      12/19/2017 at 3:44 pm

      If you desired.

      Reply
  25. Richard Core says

    12/12/2017 at 5:33 pm

    I’ve never smoked a salmon and used this recipe as my first effort and it turned out tremendously!

    Reply
    • The Typical Mom says

      12/14/2017 at 12:24 pm

      OH good!!

      Reply
  26. peter @feedyoursoultoo says

    08/31/2016 at 5:18 pm

    Love smoked salmon. This looks great!

    Reply

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