How to Make Smoked Salmon

How to make smoked salmon includes the best smoked salmon brine recipe and shows you how to eat smoked salmon and serve the best smoked salmon.

Best Smoked Salmon Recipe

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a HUGE salmon fan. Especially smoked salmon. LOVE it in pasta, deviled eggs, on a pita, bagel or as a best dip just to name a few.

My smoked salmon roll ups are also nothing to sniff at. They’re so addictive, I make my smoked salmon brine recipe every chance I get.

Don’t take my word for it. The only way to know is to try them yourself. Just about everyone that does, feels the same way I do.

When all is said and done, I’m going to show you how to serve smoked salmon and how to eat smoked salmon.

Considered this the best smoked salmon recipe out there. And I say that with complete sincerity.

Of course, it’s all a matter of taste. But if you like smoke and salmon, I can almost guarantee you’re going to fall head over heels for this dish.

One evening, I heard my husband and son arguing in the kitchen over a smoked salmon meal I’d refrigerated earlier. Patrick wasn’t expected home for dinner so it was meant for Ken. I watched with amusement as they continued to squabble over leftovers. Neither one of them was prepared to give it up. So, when all was said and done, the referee (me) decided it was best to split the difference supplementing the meal with something else. And I made a mental note to make extra next time because I knew it wouldn’t go to waste.

It goes to show you how incredibly good this smoked salmon brine recipe is. My smoked salmon dip is also evidence of that every time we have a gathering. It’s the first thing to go!

The smoking process allows the natural flavor of the fish to stand out and gives you an opportunity to infuse it with additional flavors too.

Score one for smoke and another for flavors.

A WIN, WIN!

Salmon is one of the most popular fish in the world. Being a vital part of many different cultures means there’s lots of special ways of serving it. Nowadays, one of the fastest-growing methods of cooking it is smoking it. This process can add both flavor and texture, making it even more of a delicacy. And, it has never been so popular and affordable.

This post is packed with the some useful information on smoked salmon. So, hang on to your hats. Here we go!

The Origins of Smoked Salmon

Smoking and preserving food has been around since the times of the ancient Greeks and the Romans.

The process of smoking fish was first used as a means of preservation. Salmon was caught fresh, salted and then smoked at a high temperature. This would keep it in a state of freshness for a longer period of time.

Here in North America, the smoked salmon industry was born on the West Coast around the beginning of the 19th century. Developed during World War II, this method of preservation was created to allow the fish to last longer while being transported long distances.

Native Americans held salmon in high regard and it was widely believed that if mishandled, the great ocean spirits would drive all the salmon away from their area.

These days salmon is enjoyed worldwide and is often featured on platters, canopies, starters and main meals.

How Smoked Salmon is Made

Smoking is a processing method for flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke. It’s commonly used for meat, poultry, and fish.

The Smoking Process

To smoke salmon, thawed boneless fillets are covered in salt (and occasionally sugar), then allowed to sit for 12–24 hours to draw out the moisture through another process called curing.

The longer the curing process, the more salt the salmon contains.

By drawing out moisture, the salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that could cause food poisoning.

Attached is the smoker that burns wood chips or sawdust (typically from oak, maple, or hickory trees) to produce that wonderfully flavored smoke.

Salmon is undeniably delicious. It’s unique, delicate flavor has a less “fishy” taste than many other fatty fish, such as sardines and mackerel.

It’s so versatile, there are countless ways of serving it.

Steamed, sautéed, smoked, grilled, baked or poached are ideal ways of serving this wonderful fish.

And let’s not forget it can also be served raw in sushi and sashimi.

Canned salmon is a quick and inexpensive option that has the same amazing health benefits as fresh fish. In fact, almost all canned salmon is wild rather than farmed, and its nutrition profile is excellent.

A nutritional powerhouse, salmon has several impressive health advantages.

Consuming at least two servings per week can help meet your nutritional needs and reduce the risk of several diseases.

In addition, salmon is tasty, satisfying and adaptable. Indeed, including this fatty fish as a regular part of your diet may very well improve the quality of your life.

Raw salmon you eat in sushi and the raw salmon you eat on a bagel are very different. Sushi-grade salmon is fresh, high-quality raw fish that’s served as is, while raw salmon on your bagel has been cured.

The curing method arose from a time before refrigerators when fish needed to be preserved. Done through a variety of techniques, this ultimately serves to dehydrate the fish and keep bacteria at bay.

Is Smoked Salmon Raw?

That depends on whether the it was smoked hot or cold.

Hot smoked salmon is cooked all the way through and is smoked at a high temperature.

Cold smoked salmon is still basically raw, but has somewhat of a longer shelf life because it’s smoked at a cooler temperature.

The main difference is the temperature of the smoking chamber.

Cold vs. Hot Smoked Salmon

Generally speaking, cold smoked salmon is considered raw, tastes milder and has a smoother, softer texture in appearance than hot.

Hot smoked salmon has a smokier, natural flavor, is super flaky and is lighter in color.

Cold smoked salmon usually takes almost 24 hours to prepare. The temperature in the smoking chamber fluctuates between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius and is not quite hot enough to cook the salmon.

This is why there’s a reason to be concerned about bacteria, especially if it’s not prepared or stored properly.

With hot smoking, salmon is soaked in a brine prior to being placed inside the smoking chamber to help with the salmon’s texture after cooking.

In order for it to be cooked right through to 145 degrees, salmon requires about 30 minutes inside your smoker.

Salmon flesh then becomes firm and looks cooked, almost opaque. Luckily, if you have your own smoker, it couldn’t get any easier to make hot smoked salmon at home.

As the name implies, hot smoked salmon is smoked at hot temperatures over 120 degrees.

How to Purchase Smoked Salmon

Check the label to see which kind of smoked salmon you’re getting. Most store-bought smoked salmon is sold in flat packs, cold smoked and safe to eat. Simply respect the best before date and keep refrigerated.

Cold smoked salmon should last inside your fridge for a week to 10 days or in the freezer up to three weeks; maybe a month at most. When defrosted, be sure to use within a few days. Just to be safe.

Hot smoked salmon is usually sold in supermarkets in larger sized fillets, wrapped in plastic. Generally, it can be reheated because it was hot smoked and the salmon has already been exposed to heat prior.

Can You Eat Raw Salmon?

When thinking about how to eat smoked salmon, you may be wondering about raw fish. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers salmon as a parasite source. Helminths, as well as other species of tapeworms, thrive in wild salmon caught from Alaska and Japan. People from those areas who ate raw salmon also had these organisms in their digestive tracts.

With that being said, eating raw salmon is dangerous when not done properly. Better to eat flash-frozen salmon (usually flash frozen at -31°F) since it will kill any parasites inside it. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible when using home freezers since it doesn’t have the means of getting that cold.

When preparing raw salmon in your home, ensure kitchen surfaces are sterile and the knives and serving utensils are clean. Keep the salmon inside the refrigerator before serving it to avoid contamination.

That way, bacteria won’t grow and pose health problems later on. Regardless, ensure that it’s flash-frozen before buying it if you plan on consuming it raw.

How Long Does Homemade Hot Smoked Salmon Keep?

Once the salmon has rested, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for seven days. Vacuum-packed fish will easily last up to three weeks and can be stored in your freezer for months; even a year.

Is Smoked Salmon Safe to Eat?

Cold smoked salmon is made with a smoked salmon brine recipe and is additionally smoked at a lower temperature. Lox is raw salmon that’s been salt cured or brined.

Both are considered foods that can cause food borne illnesses such as listeria. Keeping the fridge at 40 degrees or lower might slow the chances of listeria developing. And it’s important this fish be consumed by the best before date.

Unless expecting or immune compromised, most people can enjoy a little cold-smoked salmon or lox served on a bagel with cream cheese, as a topping for sushi or as a simple appetizer.

Is Smoked Salmon Healthy?

Without a doubt smoked salmon is a nutritious, oily fish, but I wouldn’t recommend eating it every day. Due to the smoking process, smoked salmon is high in sodium, unlike fresh salmon, which contains a minimal amount of salt.

Those with a salt sensitivity or monitoring its intake, for health reasons, should consider consuming fresh salmon instead.

All things considered, smoked salmon is a low calorie, quality protein that includes essential fats, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3 fatty acids are fundamental as your body can’t produce them and so the only way of getting them is through your diet.

Overall, smoked salmon is genuinely healthy to consume, so eat with pleasure!

Lox vs. Salmon

Admittedly, different types and names for salmon can get really confusing. Is there a difference between lox vs smoked salmon? And what about Nova vs gravlax?

“Nova” refers to where the salmon is from and the style of smoking. Gravlax is cured (not smoked) and usually a mixture of alcohol, lemon and dill is added.

Lox is in reference to salmon that’s been cured in a salt-sugar brine over a long period of time. This process makes it salty, silky, and perfect for bagels and cream cheese. Making your own lox is entirely possible, but it takes some time.

As I mentioned earlier, smoked salmon is a type of prepared salmon that has been cured with smoke. It’s not always raw since smoked salmon that’s been hot-smoked and cooked all the way through.

What If I Don’t Have a Smoker?

Here’s how to smoke salmon on the grill.

Combine sugar, a quarter cup kosher salt, and granulated garlic in bowl. Cut whole salmon filet crosswise into four equal fillets. Transfer salmon and sugar mixture to a one-gallon zipper-lock bag.

Press out air, seal the bag, and turn to evenly coat the salmon with the sugar mixture. Refrigerate for at least four hours and up to 24 hours.

Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain.

Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in a 8×4½-inch foil packet.

(Make sure chips don’t poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.)

Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits on top of the packet.

Remove salmon from sugar mixture and discard sugar mixture.

Rinse excess sugar mixture from salmon and pat salmon dry with paper towels.

Whisk 1/4 cup of apricot preserves and two tablespoons of water together in a small bowl; microwave until mixture is fluid, about 30 seconds.

Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner.

Set cooking grate in place, then turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes.

Turn primary burner to medium and turn off other burner(s). Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature which should be between 250 and 275 degrees.

Clean and oil the cooking grate(s).

Brush tops and sides of salmon fillets evenly with apricot mixture.

Place fillets (skin side down) on cooler side of grill, with thicker ends facing the fire.

Cover grill (position lid vent over salmon if using charcoal) and cook until centers of fillets register at 135 degrees (for medium-well), about 28 to 35 minutes.

Transfer salmon to a plate, tent with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes. (If skin sticks to cooking grate, insert fish spatula between skin and fillet to separate and lift fillet from skin.)

How to Serve Smoked Salmon

Prized for its salty flavor, smoked salmon is considered a delicacy owing to its relatively high cost. If you adore it as much as my family and I do, it’s worth buying every once in a while. Here are a few tips on how to serve smoked salmon.

Typically, you’d serve it on a bagel with cream cheese along with capers, onions and tomatoes. Although this is a magical combination, most people assume what they’re eating is plain fish. It’s not uncommon for this to be mistaken for lox.

Turning salmon into lox is worth understanding. Again, that would be the cold brine process where lox is cured and lightly salted before being cold smoked.

If you’re wondering how to serve smoked salmon, simply smother a freshly toasted bagel with cream cheese, season with a little salt and pepper and you’ve made yourself one healthy, dynamite breakfast/brunch!

This fish is safe to eat. However, in a pasta dish or casserole, it needs to be fully cooked and reach an internal temperature of 74 C (165 F).

Pasta is just one of the many fabulous ways of serving smoked salmon. Here are a few more smoked salmon recipe suggestions for you to try. My family and friends are crazy in love with these recipes, so check them out. 

How to serve smoked salmon suggestions

• Eggs benedict
• Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel, Pita or Croissant
• Simple Deviled Eggs 
• Best Classic Egg Salad
• Quiche
• Crostinis
• Easy Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
• Grilled cheese
• Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

How to Eat Smoked Salmon

No one can blame you for wanting to devour smoked salmon on a bagel, pita, croissant, tortilla or crackers with a layer of cream cheese. Top with a slice of cucumber, tomato or red onion and call one heck of a meal or snack.

Smoked salmon in deviled eggs is simply divine. Just one of a thousand ways of serving smoked salmon. (And you were wondering how to serve smoked salmon!)

Check out this incredibly easy recipe for smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Works brilliantly every time, trust me. Give it a shot then tell me about your experience. I’d be so excited to hear what you think.

Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs

• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick and one tablespoon)
• 4 green onions stalks, thinly sliced
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup or 1/4 pound smoked salmon, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature and cut into squares (about 9 tablespoons or 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon)

Directions

• Whisk eggs in a bowl.
• In a large skillet, melt butter over low heat.
• Add approximately 1/2 of the green onions to the pan and saute for a few minutes until tender.
• Pour beaten eggs into skillet and add pepper.
• Stir constantly until eggs are wet, shiny and almost cooked.
• Remove skillet from heat, then gently fold in cream cheese and smoked salmon.
• Stir and return skillet on low heat until cream cheese has melted.
• Sprinkle with remaining onions and serve immediately.

Savor every bite!

Smoked Salmon Tacos

If my husband had his way, tacos would be on the menu almost every night of the week; smoked salmon tacos being one of them. So easy and super delicious, it’s not a bad idea actually!

All you need is a few things besides your smoked salmon. Just in case you’re curious we use chili powder or taco seasoning most frequently when making these totally easy smoked salmon tacos.

Add as much spice as you desire. Taste as you go. My son adds hot sauce but then he adds hot sauce to almost everything.

Taco Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup Dijon, spicy brown or yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, paprika, chili powder, taco seasoning, cumin OR garam masala
• dash or dashes of hot sauce as desired

Apple Mixture

• 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1 small celery rib, diced
• A small carrot, peeled and shredded

Soft Taco

• 5-6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 3-4 cups salad greens, spring mix or lettuce of your choice

Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and spice of choice together in a bowl. Taste mixture and see if you want to add hot sauce. Refrigerate in an airtight container until needed.

When ready to make tacos, combine apple, celery, and carrot in a second bowl. You don’t want your apples to turn brown.

Make sure all of the salmon skin is gone and using a fork flake salmon into bite sized chunks.

Divide salmon between the number of tortillas you plan on using.

Add desired amount of salad greens, mustard mayo and apple mixture.

Serve and dive in!

Smoked Salmon Brine Recipe

What is Brining?

When making this smoked salmon brine recipe, you may wonder what brine is. In a nutshell, it’s a way of treating food with coarse salt to preserve, tenderize and season it. Smoked salmon brine is no different.

With this smoked salmon brine recipe, you’ll think twice about store bought next time!

Salting fish reduces moisture and allows for a longer shelf life. As my husband says, “It’s always nice to avoid food poisoning whenever possible.” I’d say!

Smoked Salmon Brine Recipe

Brine

• 2 quarts water
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup kosher salt

This smoked salmon brine recipe seems too simple to be true, but it is!

Smoking

• Water
• Wood Chunks or chips, pre-soaked, or pellets (whichever your smoker uses)

Low and slow is the best way to smoke fish or meats. This really allows the flavor of the seasonings and the wood to penetrate into the fish.

Always make sure to check the steam pot and fill with water as needed. It is important to maintain a high moisture level within the smoker.

Directions:

1. Check the fillet to make sure all of the pin bones have been removed.
2. In a large plastic or glass container, place the fillet, skin side down.
3. Prepare the brine by combining the dark brown sugar and kosher salt with the water.
4. Pour the brine over the fillet and allow to cure for at least four hours in the fridge. (I usually prepare the night before and let the salmon cure overnight). If the brine doesn’t cover the entire fillet, double the brine recipe. It’s important the entire salmon be submerged in the brine.
5. Once cured, remove the fillet from the brine and place, skin side down, on a cooling rack. Place on a cooling rack with a baking tray beneath to catch any juices that may drip off.
6. Gently pat the salmon dry and place back in the fridge to dry for between two to four hours. If possible, place the filet directly under a ceiling fan that’s on high, to speed up the process. It’s important to make sure the fish isn’t kept at room temperature for too long. Ultimately, the fillet needs to develop a pellicle (a shiny skin that seals the fillet and gives the smoke a sticky surface to adhere to.
7. When the fish is ready, put a light coating of oil on the salmon to prevent it from sticking to the grates.
8. Smoke the salmon for about two hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, basting the fillet with pure maple syrup every 40 minutes or so, until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Then carefully remove the salmon from the smoker.
10. Serve immediately as a main dish or allow it to rest and prepare it to be stored for future recipes.
11. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What ingredients will I need to complete this recipe?

• Salmon fillet
• Pure maple syrup
• Water
• Dark brown sugar
• Kosher salt

What supplies do I need?

• Airtight/sealable container
• Large baking tray
• Cooling rack
• Meat thermometer
• Smoker
• Wood chips/chunks/pellets (whatever your smoker is designed for).
• Tongs

How do I store smoked salmon?

• Once salmon has rested, wrap it in plastic wrap and store in fridge for 7-10 days. If vacuum packed, it will easily store up to 3 weeks and will keep up to a year in freezer.

I’m wondering how to eat smoked salmon. Do I have to use kosher salt?

• Yes. Regular table is quite often iodized and this can give fillets a metallic taste.

Do I have to use a specific kind of wood?

• No! Using different kinds of wood offers a unique variety of flavors. In this recipe, cherry was the wood of choice which gave it a different type of sweetness in addition to the maple syrup and brown sugar

How to Eat Smoked Salmon

Alright, do you feel like you know how to serve smoked salmon and how to eat smoked salmon? Please let me know how it goes in the comments!