This has to be my favorite smoked salmon recipe out there. Our window for trolling for salmon is short, so we like to prep our fish for the long term.
While I’m literally a fan of ANYTHING salmon, this one is off the charts!
If you already have a smoker, this is actually quite an easy recipe. Simply let the salmon sit in the brine for about 24 hours and it’s ready to smoke.
Enough talking about how good it is, let’s get to the actual smoked salmon recipe…
Smoked Salmon Brine Recipe Ingredients
- 6-8 lbs of salmon – leave the skin on
- 2 cups Salt
- 2 cups Brown Sugar
- 2 Limes – Cut in half, squeeze and throw in the limes after
- ¼ cup Rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp pepper
- 2 tbsp white pepper
- 2 cups Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp Garlic or Garlic Powder (press the garlic if using cloves)
- 6-8 cups of water and ice
Smoked Salmon Recipe in the Smoker
Place Salmon in the container. I like to use a deep, plastic container with a sealed lid.
Mix all of the ingredients with the salmon. Shake the container plenty to ensure it’s properly mixed.
Place Brine in the fridge for 24 hours, occasionally shaking the mixture.
After 24 hours, rinse filets with water then pat dry with a paper towel. You’ll want the filets to be as dry as possible for the best smoke adhesion.
Smoke for 6-8 hours at 200 degrees. The smoked salmon in the end should have an internal temperature of 130-140 degrees.
Then we like to freeze-pack the smoked salmon filets in the appropriate serving size.
Eat this any way you enjoy smoked salmon. Enjoy!
