Description
Tender, flaky homemade smoked salmon with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. This restaurant-quality smoked salmon is surprisingly easy to make at home and tastes infinitely better than store-bought versions.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cure:
- 2 lbs salmon fillet (skin-on, center cut)
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
For Smoking:
- 2–3 cups wood chips (alder, apple, or cherry), soaked in water for 30 minutes
Instructions
- Prepare the salmon: Check the salmon for pin bones and remove them with tweezers or pliers. Pat the fillet completely dry with paper towels.
- Make the cure: In a bowl, combine kosher salt, brown sugar, white sugar, black pepper, dill, lemon zest, and garlic powder (if using). Mix well.
- Apply the cure: Place salmon skin-side down in a glass or ceramic dish. Pack the cure mixture evenly over the entire surface of the salmon, pressing gently to adhere.
- Cure the salmon: Cover the dish with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the salmon surface. Place another dish on top and weigh it down with cans or a heavy object. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours.
- Rinse and dry: Remove salmon from refrigerator and rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove all the cure. Pat completely dry with paper towels.
- Form the pellicle: Place salmon on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 2-3 hours until the surface develops a shiny, tacky layer (the pellicle).
- Prepare the smoker: Preheat your smoker to 150-180°F. Add soaked wood chips according to your smoker’s instructions.
- Smoke the salmon: Place salmon skin-side down on the smoker rack. Smoke for 2-4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 145°F and the salmon flakes easily. Time varies based on thickness and smoker temperature.
- Cool and serve: Remove salmon from smoker and let cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.
Notes
- Salmon selection: Wild-caught salmon has a firmer texture and deeper flavor, while farm-raised is fattier and more buttery. Both work beautifully.
- Curing time: Thinner fillets (less than 1 inch) need 12-18 hours; thicker fillets (1.5-2 inches) need 20-24 hours.
- Wood chip options: Alder is traditional and mild, apple adds sweetness, cherry provides a subtle fruity note, and hickory is bolder. Avoid mesquite.
- No smoker? Use a grill with indirect heat and a smoker box, or bake at 200°F in the oven with liquid smoke added to the cure.
- Checking doneness: Use an instant-read thermometer—145°F is the target. The salmon should be opaque and flake easily.
- Storage: Wrapped tightly, smoked salmon keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (active) + 20-26 hours (curing and pellicle formation)
- Cook Time: 2-4 hours (smoking time)
- Category: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American, Pacific Northwest
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 oz (85g)
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
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