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Candied salmon on a white plate.
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Candied Salmon

This candied salmon recipe is cured in a salty brown sugar mix and then smoked for hours to create a sweet and savory dish.
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Chill Time8 hours
Total Time12 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 15
Calories: 278kcal
Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

  • 2- 2 ½ pounds salmon fillet, fresh, skin on
  • ¾ cup sea or kosher salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • ½-3/4 cup maple syrup for basting

Instructions

  • Get out and measure your ingredients.
    Overhead photo of all the ingredients needed to make Candied Salmon.
  • Find a container that is big enough to hold all of the salmon with a lid.
  • Mix the salt and brown sugar together.
    Salt and brown sugar have been mixed and placed in a glass container big enough for the salmon. The salmon is placed skin side up on a bed of salt and brown sugar.
  • Sprinkle salt mixture until it is about ¼ of an inch deep everywhere. Place salmon, skin side up, on top of salt mixture and contine to cover salmon until done. If another layer of salmon is needed make sure salmon pieces are not touching and totally covered with salt mixture.
    Salt and brown sugar mixture sprinkled on top of the salmon inside the glass container. Ensure even coating.
  • Cover and allow to cure inside your fridge for at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours. Remember,the longer you cure, the saltier your salmon candy will be. I find 90 minutes to 2 hours long enough.
  • Remove the salmon and quickly rinse fish under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and place salmon on a rack, skin side down. Allow to sit inside your fridge overnight. You need to form a pellicle on the salmon which helps the salmon to smoke properly. This step is so important.
    Cured salmon rinsed and dried placed on a rack skin side down.
  • Preheat your smoker to 165 degrees F.
  • Slice salmon into 1 inch thick strips, around 4 inches long.
  • Bring the temperature of your smoker up gradually over an hour or so to 200 degrees for about 3 hours. The harder you enjoy salmon candy the longer you can allow it to smoke. I've found any longer than 5 hours is long enough.
    Salmon sliced into 4-inch-long strips; 1 inch wide. The salmon is placed on an aluminum tray inside a smoker.
  • Every 75 to 90 minutes, paint the salmon with the maple syrup. This also helps to remove any albumen (white stuff) that has accumulated fro your smoker getting too hot too fast.
  • When the salmon looks gorgeous, at about 3 hours, remove from smoker and place on rack again with a fresh coat of maple syrup on every piece. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing.
    Smoked salmon strips placed on a wooden cutting board. The salmon is coated in maple syrup.
  • Salmon candy will last a week in the fridge, longer if vacuum sealed, it will freeze beautifully as well.
    Smoked salmon sweetened with maple syrup on a white plate.
  • Enjoy every bite!
    Closeup photo of candied salmon on a white plate.

Video

Notes

  • Ensure your salmon is fully covered on all sides with the salt/sugar mixture.
    Adjust your curing time for your desired saltiness
  • To prevent the white goo - called albumen - from forming on your salmon, be sure to slowly raise the smoker's temperature.
  • Don't rush the drying process before smoking. A good pellicle is key to smoking fish.
Recipe modified from Candied Salmon
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 5724mg | Potassium: 712mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg