This really is the best smoked salmon recipe for a tender, flaky, and delicious salmon filet with a flavorful bourbon maple glazed skin.
Summer is the perfect season to try this recipe for smoked salmon that can be served fresh from the smoker or chilled as an appetizer, salad topper, or added to pastas, soups, and stews.
Perfectly Smoked Salmon
- This easy recipe is perfect for the backyard Traeger, pellet, or charcoal smoker and produces an aromatic filet of salmon, delicately seasoned and with the perfect fork-tender texture just like you get at a swanky bistro.
- Simple ingredients, easy prep, and basic steps ensure this will be the best smoked salmon recipe you’ve ever tried, and you’ll use it again and again!
Ingredients and Variations
- Salmon: Look for roughly a 2-pound salmon filet with the skin on. Sockeye, coho, chinook, or steelhead will all work. Filets should look clean and bright with intact skin and a mild seawater smell.
- Glaze: This glaze couldn’t be easier to make! Maple syrup, apple juice, and bourbon, whiskey or cognac work beautifully with any variety of seasoned pellets or wood. Honey and orange juice can be used instead of maple and apple juice, as both are sweet and tangy and will caramelize on the skin, enhancing the smoky flavor, and keeping it from drying out.
- Smoke Flavors: Alder, apple, oak, cherry, and mesquite are all flavor winners that pair perfectly with the sweet and tangy glaze.
Variations
- Go for an Asian-style glaze and add some hoisin sauce to the glaze, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
- Make a zesty smoked salmon using a dry brine made with 1 cup of kosher salt, 1 cup of brown sugar, and some Cajun seasoning. Rub over the salmon completely before placing it on the grate in Step 6. Brushing on the marinade is optional, but it adds a boost of juicy flavor.
How to Make Smoked Salmon
- Prepare the glaze and set aside.
- Season salmon filet (full recipe below).
- Preheat the smoker, fill the tray with water, and place wood chips/pellets on the coals.
- Cook salmon skin side down on the grate, brushing with glaze every 15 minutes for the first hour.
- Smoke until the salmon reaches 145°F and the meat is tender and flaky.
Serving Smoked Salmon
- Serve smoked salmon alongside grilled asparagus, bok choy, roasted potatoes, or a crispy, bright red leaf salad.
- Smoked salmon can also be served cold as an elegant smoked salmon dip with toasted slices from a French baguette, some pickled vegetables, and assorted olives on a serving platter or charcuterie board as a lovely first course.
- Pull double duty on the smoker and make a batch of smoked deviled eggs for the spread as well.
Storing Smoked Salmon
Smoking extends the shelf life of meats, so leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. A vacuum sealer will help it stay firm and juicy.
Freeze smoked salmon for to 2 months, but be aware that the texture won’t be as firm when it thaws. Freeze portions wrapped in parchment paper, then transfer to zippered bags. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Reheat smoked salmon in the microwave or air fryer. Enjoy it cold on a salad, added to a quiche Lorraine, or blended into cream cheese for a quick, cold dip with homemade crostini.
More Smokey Entrées
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Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 salmon fillet skin on, about 2 pounds
- 1 lemon for juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon dried dill
Salmon Glaze
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple juice
- 2 ounces bourbon (¼ cup), or whiskey or cognac
Instructions
- In a small bowl make the salmon glaze by whisking maple syrup with apple juice and bourbon. Set aside.
- Pat salmon dry with a paper towel. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the salmon.
- Season the flesh side of the salmon with salt, pepper, and dried dill.
- Preheat smoker to 225°F. Fill water tray in smoker with water almost to the top. Place (alder preferred, or other) wood chunks on the coals.
- Place salmon skin side down on the cooking grate in the smoker.
- For the first hour of smoking, brush the salmon fillets with salmon glaze every 15 minutes.
- Smoke for a approximately 2 hours or until tender and flaky and salmon has reached an internal temperature of 145°F.
Notes
- Store leftover smoked salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Smoked salmon can be frozen, for up to 3 months, but won’t be as firm once it is thawed. Instead of freezing, try adding to salads, wraps, or making a salmon dip!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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