Up today is some Kamado Joe cedar plank grilled salmon.
If you have never had grilled cedar plank salmon before, then you need to read on.
This stuff is good, really good. Smoking salmon on a cedar plank is really easy and requires no fish flipping skills.
Also, grilling on a wooden plank is a lot like using a pan, it’s a great skill to have.
So let’s get started …
Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon on the Kamado Joe
If you don’t have a backyard lumber mill then you’re going to need to pick up some cedar grilling planks. These here are the cedar grilling planks we use. With close to 9000 of mostly 4- and 5-star customer reviews, it’s plenty of evidence that you’re getting a good product for a good price. So pick some up if you need them. We order 2 or 3 packs at a time so they are on hand when we need them.
Here is our out-of-the-box cedar grilling plank measurements:
width 5 1/2 inches (14 cm)
length 11 inches (28 cm)
thickness, 5/16 inch (8 mm)
Supplies and Materials
barbecue towels, you need these, check out our barbecue towel review here
cedar grilling planks, one plank per large fillet or several smaller salmon fillets
1 2-gallon size zip top bag
large mixing bowl
sheet pan lined with paper towels and topped with a cooling rack
instant read thermometer, checkout our ThermoWorks ThermoPop instant read thermometer review here
Our Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe
Cedar plank grilled salmon is really easy to make, using just a few simple ingredients you probably already have.
Ingredients
1 cup hot water, heated in large measuring cup
4 ounces canning or pickling salt
2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
5 cups cold water
1 pound ice (equals about 2 cups of water)
2 pounds, salmon fillets, cut into quarters or serving size sections
optional, a sprinkle of your favorite fish rub or spice blend
optional, lemon slices, dill for garnishing
How to Make Smoked Salmon Brine
This smoked salmon brine recipe can be made a day or two in advance.
First, lets mix up our brine recipe for smoked salmon. Our recipe makes approximately a 6% brine solution, in a salt to water ratio.
That said, let’s get started, in a large measuring cup with the 1 cup hot water, add salt and stir to completely dissolve. Then, stir in the garlic powder and the fresh ground black pepper.
Next, pour the 5 cups cold water and the 1 pound of ice into the 2-gallon zip top freezer bag. It’s helpful to have a large bowl to hold the zip top bag. And the bowl is great for catching any leaks.
Finally, pour in the salt, garlic powder, and pepper slurry from the large measuring cup into the 2-gallon zip top bag. You’ll probably need a rubber or silicone spatula as an assist. Squish the bag around to thoroughly mix the contents. Refrigerate until needed.
How to Brine Salmon for Smoking
This is an important first step. Brining salmon before smoking helps to prevent the fish from drying out. The added salt and seasonings help bring out more salmon flavor. However, brining is not an absolute must-do first step. But you will be handsomely rewarded with drool-worthy cedar plank grilled salmon if you do start with a brine.
Cold water rinse the salmon fillets, then pat dry with paper towels. Check for and remove any pin bones and fish scales.
Cut the fillet in half, and then cut each of those sections in half again. You get 4 equal size pieces. But, cut the fillet into as many pieces as you want.
Place the salmon fillets into the 2-gallon zip top brine bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag as best you can. Refrigerate for at least two hours, but no more than 6 hours. Every 10 to 15 minutes, squish and shake the zip top bag to mix up the contents.
When you’re ready, drain the marinade and discard. But don’t rinse off those salmon fillets!
When your finished brining, place the fillet pieces on the paper towel lined sheet pan and cooling rack. Refrigerate. We’re drying the salmon fillets.
Some folks say that you need to dry the fillets so the surface of the fish forms a pellicle. We agree. The pellicle is a dry, somewhat tacky surface that allows the smoke to better adhere to the fish.
Prepare the Cedar Grilling Planks for Smoking Salmon
The card enclosed with the cedar grilling planks suggest soaking in water for at least 1 hour before use.
Something we have experimented with is soaking them up to 24 hours in other flavorful liquids such as apple juice, various beers and liquors like Jack Daniels. We have also been adding both fresh and dried herbs and spices to the soak.
The instruction card does say that if you have an extra cedar grilling plank or two left over, they can be frozen for future use.
Today, we’re using 2 of these cedar grilling planks for our salmon cook, soaked in plain tap water for 2 hours. We started the soaking the cedar planks at the same time we started brining the salmon.
How to Smoke Salmon on a Cedar Plank
We’re hungry, so let’s get started.
To begin with, we will make up one recipe of salmon brine for 2 pounds of salmon fillets as we described above.
Brine for 2 hours, then drain, but don’t rinse the salmon fillets.
Next, place the fillet pieces on the paper towel lined sheet pan and cooling rack. Refrigerate. We’re drying the salmon fillets to form a pellicle that will help the wood smoke better adhere to the fish.
Fire up and stabilize your grill at 300 – 350 °F (149 – 176 °C). Today, we’re not using the heat deflector. The cedar grilling plank will be the heat deflector.
The card enclosed with these cedar grilling planks recommends first heating each side of the cedar grilling plank for 2 minutes before adding food.
Sometimes we char the salmon side of the plank, sometimes we don’t.
Add your salmon fillets directly on the cedar grilling planks skin side down. If your salmon does not have skin, use a small piece of aluminum foil between the fish and the cedar plank.
Monitor the time and temperature. With your grill running at 300 – 350 °F (149 – 176 °C), you’re looking at approximately 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time. Use your instant read thermometer to check for temperature.
The USDA says the fish is done when the internal temperature hits 145 °F (63 °C). We’ll remove ours when the internal temperature measures 140 °F (60 °C) and let carry over cooking of this cedar plank grilled salmon finish the rest.
Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon – Taste Test
This cedar plank grilled salmon recipe is a real keeper. It’s so moist and flavorful, you’ll be heading back for seconds and thirds. And it’s really easy to make with a little preparation and planning ahead.
The mango salsa Midge made yesterday really paired well here. A cold refreshing IPA to wash it all down with sent this meal way over the top. So if you ask me, this is a 5-star meal where you get real hungry person portions and not a bite size snack.
If you want meal size portions of cedar plank grilled salmon, then you need to check this out. You won’t leave the table hungry and wanting more. Time for seconds …
Check out my other Kamado Joe and JoeTisserie recipes and links here on my Outdoor Eats page.