Smoked salmon is a rich, savory, and incredibly versatile dish that’s easier to make at home than you might think. With the right seasoning and a steady, low-temperature smoke, you can create juicy, flaky salmon with a delicate smoky flavor that rivals anything from the store—at a fraction of the cost. Perfect for brunch boards, salads, bagels, or just snacking straight from the fridge!
Cold-smoked salmon is often called Lox, and it is made with a simple brine of salt and sugar. The salmon sits and marinades in the fridge before it is cold-smoked. It is fun to make on your own if you have the proper equipment for it, which I have listed below. Otherwise, if you don't have the time to make smoked salmon,n many grocery stores or butcher places often carry it ready-made.
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Why You Will Love Smoked Salmon
- Perfectly moist and flaky, not dry or overcooked
- 🔥 Hot smoked on a pellet grill or smoker—no fancy gear required
- 🧂 Customizable seasonings to suit your taste
- 💪 High in protein and omega-3s
- 💯 Low-carb, keto, and WW-friendly - smoked salmon is very low in points on the WW plan.
Ingredients Needed for Smoked Salmon
- Salmon - There are 5 types of salmon that you can use for smoking. King, Coho, Sockeye, Pink, or Chum. It doesn’t matter if it comes whole or in fillets. That’s just a personal preference to what you like to buy.
- Brown Sugar - is the best since it has molasses in it. Prefer this over granulated sugar.
- Salt - only use Kosher
- See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitution Tips
- Oil: Use avocado oil, light olive oil, or cooking spray to reduce WW points.
- Sugar-free: Skip the brown sugar or sub in a sugar-free sweetener for a smoky-sweet finish.
- Seasoning: Try Cajun rub, lemon pepper, or an everything bagel-style blend.
- Fish: This method also works for steelhead trout or arctic char.
How to make Smoked Salmon
Step 1: In a shallow dish spread the brown sugar on the bottom then the salt, and pepper. Place the salmon on top of the dry brine. Cover and saran wrap the fish.
Step 2: Place the rest of the rub on top of the fish and let the salmon sit in the fridge for up to 8 hours. The rub will be almost liquid by the time it is done.
Step 3: Smoke on low heat at 165 for only 1 hour to 3 hours or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 150 degrees.
You can do this with more than 2 salmon fillets. Just increase the number of spices used.
Probe Thermometer - for checking the temperature of the salmon. The temperature needs to be at 140 for it to be done.
Serving Suggestions for Smoked Salmon
- Flake into salads or pasta dishes
- Toast a bagel up and serve it with some cream cheese, cucumbers, and a red onion. Classic breakfast combo!
- Add to Aldi Charcuterie Board a brunch board with Scrambled Eggs on Blackstone Griddle, capers, fruit, and toast
- Use in wraps, rice bowls, or cold pasta salads
- Pair with crackers and soft cheese for an easy appetizer
Craving more smoky recipes? Try How to Smoke Cheese (Using Smoker Tube), Traeger Smoked Asparagus, or Spicy Smoked Chicken Thighs - Ninja Foodi Grill for your next smoker session!
Recipe FAQs
If you don't brine salmon before smoking the salmon will be pretty dry and flavorless. The brine also gives the salmon some nice added flavor to it.
Smoking salmon can take anywhere from 2- 3 hours depending on the size of your salmon.
The brine is there to add extra flavor to your fish. If you wash it off it won't have any flavor.
If you ever see some white liquid forming on the top of the salmon that is called albumin. It is a protein found inside of fish or seafood. Sometimes it activates when the fish is touching heat.
Other Smoker Recipes To Try
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How to Smoke Salmon - Easy Smoked Salmon
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 3 hr
- Total Time: 14 hr
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: easy
- Method: Smoker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy Smoked Salmon - is made with a simple rub made of brown sugar, salt, and pepper and then the salmon gets smoked at a low temperature of 165 degrees for only an hour!
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz salmon fillets
- ¾ cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 ½ tsp of pepper
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, spread the brown sugar, salt, and pepper down on the bottom of the dish. USe half of the rub on the bottom and then place the salmon fillets on the top of the rub. Place the rest of the rub on the top of the fish and let the salmon sit in the fridge for up to 8 hours. The rub will be almost liquid by the time it is done.
- Smoke on low heat at 165 for only 1 hour to 3 hours (depends on humidity or size of fish or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 150 degrees.
- You can do this with more than 2 salmon fillets. Just increase the number of spices used.
Notes
You do not need to rinse the brine off the salmon before smoking.
It can take up to 2 - 3 hours for the salmon to finish smoking. The salmon is done when the temperature reaches 150 degrees.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 207
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 1202mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 14g
Arin says
3 hours MINIMUM. Expect 3 hours.
but still delicious 😋
Jenna says
Hi Joyce, The temperature for the salmon is correct. It all depends on the humidity in your area and the size of the fish. I did increase the cooking time to 1 to 3 hours.
Joyce says
for the easy smoked salmon your temperature for smoking the salmon is wrong we had to put it under the broiler to cook it the rest of the way . you have the temperature at 165 for 1 hour and it was still raw that's why we put it in the broiler. thank you for the recipe. from sew1thimble@gmail.com