Traeger Smoked Salmon
This Traeger smoked salmon recipe is pellet grill perfection! Made with brown sugar & salt dry brine and hot smoked until done and delicious.
Servings 6
Calories 361kcal
Equipment
- 1 Smoker We use a Traeger but any smoker or grill will work
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh salmon
Dry Brine
- 1 cups brown sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
Instructions
- Cut salmon into 2-3” wide strips through the center bone. We like to remove the skin fist since it makes it less fishy tasting but that’s optional. You can also use tweezers to remove the bones before cutting into strips if you’d like to but we typically just pull them out when eating it.
- Stir all dry brine seasonings together in a large bowl. Add salmon and toss to coat.
- Place bowl with seasoned salmon in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours. About half way through the brine time, move the salmon pieces around to make sure each piece gets evenly coated and drain off any liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl.
- Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and rinse the brine off of each piece of fish.
- Line a large tray with paper towels (or clean kitchen towels) and place the salmon pieces on top of them, leaving space between. Pat the tops dry and let the salmon rest and come to room temperature for 1-2 hours. Do not skip this step!
- Add wood chips (apple, cherry and mesquite are best) to the Traeger and preheat temperature to 180° F (82° C).
- Place salmon skin side down (or side where skin would have been if skin is removed) onto the grill grate. If using a probe, set it to 125° F (52° C) inserting it into the fattest part of the fish towards the middle of the grill.
- Cook for approximately 3 hours until salmon is done. Exact time can vary from 2-4 hours depending on thickness of salmon pieces. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before eating and let cool completely before storing leftovers in a tightly sealing container in the refrigerator. If you plan to eat some of the salmon fresh right away, pull it off at 125° - °130° (52-54° C) for a cooked but less well done texture. If you like your salmon firm on the inside or plan to keep it in the refrigerator for awhile and/or freeze it, smoke it until it reaches 135 - 140° F (57-60° C) for best results.
Notes
- 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.
- 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, brush with honey or teriyaki sauce 2 -3 times during the cooking process, waiting about 30 minutes between each glaze.
- Nutrition information assumes all sugar and salt is used in recipe but most of brine is thrown away.
Nutrition
Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 4794mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg