Easy Homemade Smoked Salmon
Give homemade smoked salmon a try with just a few ingredients—you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how simple it is to prepare and how delicious the results are. Store-bought smoked salmon often comes in small, pricey packages, but making your own at home allows you to enjoy this flavorful treat in larger quantities. With minimal hands-on time, you can create a dish that stands on its own, perfect as a main course or an impressive, mouthwatering addition to sandwiches. This recipe is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.
Table of Contents
Reasons to love this recipe
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Time Required:
Grill on a preheated grill at 200°F (100°C).
Special Tools to Use:
Recipe Steps at a Glance
This homemade smoked salmon recipe can be broken down into the following steps:
Step-by-step: How to Make Smoked Salmon at Home
Step 1: Preparing the salmon
Combine the salt and sugar.
Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and place it on a wire rack. Gently run your finger along the flesh where the bone was to check for any remaining pin bones. If you find any, carefully remove them using pliers or tweezers.
Season the salmon with the salt and sugar. Heavier on the thick part and less on the tail part.
Place the rack over the baking sheet, cover the salmon and put into the fridge for at least 8 hours.
After curing for at least 8 hours, remove from the fridge and rinse the brine under the running water. Put back on the rack and pat dry with towel.
Place the salmon into the fridge this time leave it uncovered. Let it air-dry in the fridge to form a tacky outer layer, known as a pellicle for at least 4 hours.
Step 2: Preparing smoking pan
Soak the wood chips ahead of time for at least an hour.
Line the bottom part of the broiler pan with a foil and scatter the wood chips on top of the foil.
Step 3: Smoking the salmon
When ready to cook, place the salon on a broiler pan, season with paprika and rub with a small amount of oil.
Turn the grill burner on and place the broiler pan on top, cover and grill and let the salmon smoke for 20-30 minutes. Keep the burner on a lowest setting and keep the temperature setting under 200°F.
Keeps smoking the fish until the internal temperature reaches 130°F (54°C).
Best Way to Serve
Tips and Wisdom from Cafe Osharak
Frequently Asked Questions
Hot and cold smoking?
Hot and cold smoking are two distinct techniques for smoking fish, each resulting in different textures and flavors. The key differences lie in the smoking temperature and duration. Cold smoking is a slow process where the fish is exposed to smoke in a cool environment, curing and preserving it without cooking. This method requires careful control of the temperature and consistent smoke over a long period. In contrast, hot smoking involves smoking the fish at higher temperatures, effectively cooking it as it’s smoked. This results in a fully cooked product with a tender, flaky texture.
There is film on my salmon. Is it safe?
The film that forms on the surface of cured salmon is called the pellicle. This natural protein layer acts as a protective barrier and enhances the flavor by helping the smoke adhere to the fish and slowly penetrate it during the smoking process.
More Recipes to Try From Cafe Osharak
If you give this recipe a try, I’d be thrilled to hear from you! Let me know if you find it delicious and easy to make. Feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions—I’m here to help. And be sure to check out other recipes from Cafe Osharak that you might enjoy!
Homemade Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
- 700 g sockeye salmon whole fillet
- 1 tablespoon salt kosher
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups woodchips
Instructions
Prepare the Salmon:
- Combine the salt and sugar.
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and place it on a wire rack.
- Check for any remaining pin bones by gently running your finger along the flesh. Remove any bones using pliers or tweezers.
- Season the salmon with the salt and sugar mixture, applying more to the thicker parts and less to the tail.
- Place the rack over a baking sheet, cover the salmon, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- After curing, rinse the salmon under running water to remove the brine.
- Pat the salmon dry with a towel and return it to the rack.
- Leave the salmon uncovered in the fridge to air-dry and form a tacky outer layer (pellicle).
Prepare the Wood Chips:
- Soak the wood chips in water for at least an hour.
- Line the bottom of the broiler pan with foil and scatter the soaked wood chips on top.
Smoke the Salmon:
- When ready to cook, place the salmon on the broiler pan.
- Season with paprika and rub with a small amount of oil.
- Turn the grill burner to the lowest setting and place the broiler pan on top.
- Cover the grill and smoke the salmon for 20-30 minutes, maintaining a temperature below 200°F.
- Continue smoking until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 130-145°F.
.