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This Traeger smoked salmon recipe is pellet grill perfection! Made with brown sugar & salt dry brine and hot smoked until done and delicious.

There are lots of ways to cook salmon but, when done right, smoked salmon is other worldly in its deliciousness. Oven baked lemon dill salmon is delicious but that smokey flavor turns this tasty fish into a real delicacy. And if you don’t have time for smoking but want that charred flavor try these marinated chicken kabobs or this Greek chicken marinade recipe.

close up overhead of smoked salmon being broken up with a fork

Why make this Traeger smoked salmon recipe

As a born Alaskan that grew up on salmon, I can truly vouch for this one. It is my husband’s recipe and it’s tried and true! We’ve made this recipe or some variation of it probably 100 times over the last 15 years or so. In fact, our neighbor was so inspired by our smoked salmon, he started a smoked salmon food cart in downtown Portland using this recipe.

This Traeger smoked salmon is easy to make and so rewarding! The dry brine is a simple mix of ingredients that can be adjusted to your taste preference and scaled to the amount of salmon you are using.

This style of smoking is referred to as hot smoking since it uses heat and the fish will be fully cooked in the end. This is different than lox which has a rawer texture since it uses a salt cure and then adds smoke at a low temperature to add flavor.

Both are delicious but we prefer hot smoked salmon since it is more versatile. It’s great for eating as an entrée, appetizer, freezing, making dips, adding to recipes, you name it.

Don’t let the nutrition contents food you either! Nutrition information assumes all sugar and salt is used in recipe by default but most of the brine will be thrown away. Salmon is a heathy protein source and loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids.

And last but not least – the leftovers! We have a whole section on using smoked salmon leftovers.

overhead vertical of 6 pieces of smoked salmon laid flat on a tray

Does this have to be made on a Traeger?

Nope! Even though I named this Traeger Smoked Salmon, I’ve made this same recipe on a barrel smoker, electric box smoker and it can even be made on a regular grill. The Traeger is my favorite to work with so far mainly since it is so easy and predictable. Similarly, we’ve owned several box style electric smokers that were excellent, easy set and forget it option.

If you are not using a pellet smoker, I recommend soaking your wood chips in water before adding them to the smoker to keep the salmon moist. Also, make sure to check the grill temperature regularly to make sure it stays the proper temperature. Similarly, it can be helpful to use an electric temperature probe for the salmon as well.

Ingredients

The ingredients here are all simple with salmon being the most important part. The rest are pantry staples that you’ll probably have on hand.

salmon – for tips on picking the best salmon for smoking, read our section on how to pick salmon.
brown sugar – make sure yours is fresh and break up any lumps.
kosher salt – don’t use regular table salt for smoking! Course kosher salt enhances the flavor without making smoked meats become overly salty. In addition, it measures differently than finer salt varieties and the ratios will be off if you substitute for another salt type.
paprika – smoked paprika is fine here too.
garlic powder – I buy ours at Costco since we go through it quickly.
onion powder – look for fine ground, not the kind with larger granules if possible.

If you want spice, you can add a little bit of cayenne powder or black pepper. Sometimes we brush the salmon with honey or teriyaki sauce while it is smoking as well for a different flavor twist.

fresh salmon, salt, brown sugar, and spices laid out in bowls from overhead angle

How to pick the best salmon

In the Pacific NW we are truly spoiled when it comes to salmon. In most areas you can find good fish if you know what to look for though. Of course, fresh is best. I’m lucky my husband catches most of the salmon we eat locally but I’ve bought my fair share too. Here are my tips on choosing the best salmon:

Make sure you buy from a reputable place. Seafood is not something to buy from a bargain grocer unless they’re specifically known for fresh fish.
Ask when the fish was caught and/or when it arrived at the store.
Smell is harder to isolate in a fish market or store but if you can smell the filet up close that is a good indicator of freshness. It should smell fresh and not have a strong off-putting odor.
Color can range from pink to orange-red to deep red and does not always indicate quality. It can be indicative of the fish’s diet, species, or time of year it’s caught. Most farmed salmon has dye added to make it a more appealing color. Look for consistency and a nice pink to red color.
When buying fresh, the filet texture should appear glossy and moist not dried out or curled up at the edges.
Don’t be afraid to buy frozen! Freezing is a great way to get wild caught (or farmed) salmon that is frozen at its freshest. Look for pieces that are tightly sealed and appear consistent without freezer burn and defrost thoroughly before using.
Buy wild if possible and your budget allows.

Angled shot of smoked salmon resting on a fork

Wild vs. farmed salmon

Although it is expensive, wild caught is usually better quality. Wild salmon also has lower contaminants than farmed and is healthier in general. This being said, buy what you can afford, focus on freshness, and don’t stress it too much. Smoking adds great flavor regardless and if wild caught salmon is too cost prohibitive to purchase, farmed will work fine.

Farmed salmon is available fresh and frozen year round and wild is only available fresh in the summer months. We eat frozen wild salmon year round though and since it’s frozen right after catching and cleaning instead of being transferred to various distributors or stores, the quality is often better than what I can buy in stores.

There are also multiple varieties of salmon. Farmed salmon is usually from the Atlantic ocean and is harvested year long. The pacific ocean has multiple different species including king (chinook), sockeye coho (silver) and pink. There are other varieties and different names describing the same fish types too.

We typically keep the best quality fish for eating other ways and smoke the rest. If you are purchasing fish for smoking and have a choice, King and Sockeye are good options due to fat content but any will work for smoking.

overhead close up of strip of smoked salmon with parsley and lemon wedge

How to smoke salmon

While making smoked salmon is a day long process, very little of that time is active time. The main high level steps are are:

Prepping the fish (cutting, removing bones, etc.)
Making the dry brine
Brining the salmon (this is the long but easy part)
Letting it rest – critical for getting the best texture
And finally, smoking the fish!

Preparing the fish

To prepare the salmon, you can remove the bones using tweezers if desired (I normally don’t since it’s time consuming). Then slice it into strips. In the last few years, we started removing the skin since that makes it less fishy tasting but that is optional as well.

close up of six strips of raw salmon on a cutting board

Making the dry brine

Next, toss the kosher salt, brown sugar, and spices into whatever container you’ll be brining in. We typically just use a large bowl but a food storage container or bag works too. Stir to mix all of those ingredients well.

side by side images of dry brine ingredients in a bowl before mixing and after

Dry brining the salmon

Add the salmon to the dry brine mixture and toss gently to coat each piece evenly. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. It isn’t mandatory but it helps the texture to drain off any liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the bowl about half way through this brining period.

two side by side images of salmon in dry brine before and after brining

Letting it rest

When you’re almost ready to start smoking, you need to rinse the dry brine off of the salmon, dry it off and let it sit for about an hour. This creates that hard outer part called pellicle, which is critical for both locking in moisture and creating that candied bacon-like exterior.

pre-cooked brined salmon laid out on a tray with paper towels

Smoking the salmon

Now we’re finally ready to smoke that salmon! While the salmon is resting I normally start up the Traeger. Make sure the grill is clean and all ash is cleaned out of the fire pot (round part inside barrel that wood pellets empty out into). This is really important when smoking at low temperatures since having that fire pot be clogged or dusty can lead to the dreaded LEr error code that shuts your smoker off.

Turn the smoker to 180° F and let it come to temperature. If you want to insert a probe to turn the smoker off when it reaches 125° F make sure to insert it into the fattest part of the fish on a piece near the middle.

Place the salmon on the smoker and let the Traeger do the work! Once the salmon is done cooking, remove it from the grill and let sit for at least 10 minutes before eating. Let leftovers cool completely before placing in the refrigerator or freezing.

Recipe Tips

Use good fish. Our guide on choosing salmon can help you with this.
Recipe can easily be adjusted for the amount of salmon you have. The important thing is to keep the ratio of sugar to salt at 4 parts sugar to 1 part salt. Cayenne and other spices can be added to according to your preferences.
Store in a tightly sealing container for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator or vacuum seal and freeze for up to 6 months for longer term storage.
For sweeter salmon or a different flavor, you can brush with honey or teriyaki sauce 2 -3 times during the cooking process, waiting about 30 minutes between each glaze.
For best results use a mild wood like apple, cherry alder or mesquite wood pellets.
Check your smoker every half hour or so just to make sure everything is working properly.

What to serve with smoked salmon

If you’re serving the salmon as an entrée, it goes well with many sides. I like keeping the sides relatively simple to allow the salmon to shine. Here are a few of our favorite recipes to serve with it.

This lemon dill rice, an excellent side for seafood of all kinds
Simple oven lemon asparagus or air fryer cooked asparagus
Easy sautéed spinach seasoned with lemon and hot pepper flakes
A fresh tomato avocado cucumber salad
For something more hearty, this brown rice risotto with mushrooms and butternut squash
Easy peasy air fryer broccoli
This veggie filled vegan chickpea salad

overhead of smoked salmon pieces with one broken up by a fork

Uses for leftover smoked salmon

This is a recipe that lends itself well to leftovers. We often double it and then use it over the course of a week, freezing whatever we know we won’t eat. Here are may favorite uses for leftover smoked salmon:

In smoked salmon dip that doubles as a spread for sandwiches and bagels
On a bagel with cream cheese. To make it more fancy, add fresh dill, capers, thinly sliced red onion and a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper.
Added to pasta like this simple roasted veggie pasta recipe
In an omelette, frittata or to turn a veggie quiche into a meaty one
Served on crackers or cucumbers with cream cheese and fresh dill (one of my favorite easy appetizers!)
As the protein on veggie rice bowls
With a bock of cream cheese and crackers (this is what we did in Alaska)
In sushi with cream cheese and cucumber as a Philadelphia roll
With a lemon kale salad or this zesty orange kale salad

close up of a fork with smoked salmon on it

What temperature should I smoke salmon at?

180° F (82° C) is best temperature to smoke salmon at. Some prefer to smoke it faster at a higher temperature but we’ve found slow smoked is best.

How long to smoke salmon at 180° F?

Approximately 3 hours. This will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon, how large the pieces are and how fatty the fish itself is.

Can you freeze smoked salmon?

Yes! To freeze, let the salmon cool completely and then vac-seal and freeze for up to six months. To thaw, remove vacuum sealed salmon from the freezer and let defrost in the refrigerator overnight or place in a bowl of cool water for 30 – 45 minutes.

Recipe

5 from 6 votes

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