This is a fantasticĀ How to Make Smoked Salmon and Brine Recipe for the perfect Sunday brunch. I’ll take you step by step through how to make myĀ Smoked Salmon and Brine and you’ll never need purchase store bought smoked salmon again. Deal?Ā I’ve made a new video to walk you through it all, see below!
In this post I’ll also talk about how to develop a shiny skin on the brined salmon, which is called pellicle. The pellicle seals and creates a sticky surface on the fish for the smoke to adhere to.
Smoked salmon, or any fish actually, on a nice toasted bagel with cream cheese is just a wonderful breakfast. Here is a brine for salmon I use before it goes in the smoker. Some people call a brine a ācureā when smoking fish. Whatever you call it this one imparts a lot of good flavor and when smoked is perfection.Ā This process eliminates moisture from the fish, adds flavor and helps in the preserving process.
With the typical brine being three elements ā sugar, salt and water and most being equal parts sugar and salt, I use a quarter cup salt to one third cup sugar to four cups liquid. The liquid being water, soy sauce and a dry, white wine here. Feel free to use low sodium soy sauce or adjust to less per your taste.
How do you make a brine solution?
For a basic brine, the typical ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of salt per 4 cups of water. Place the meat (chicken, turkey, pork or fish) in a container big enough to hold the meat and dissolve the salt in the water.
For this brine recipe, sugar and other spice flavorings are added. The soy sauce and wine, when added to the water, total the basic salt to water ratio.
So for this brine, mix together the sugar, salt, soy sauce, water, wine, onion and garlic powders, pepper and Tabasco sauce in a bowl with a whisk to incorporate thoroughly and dissolve the sugar and salt.
In a 13×9″ pan pour a little of the brine in the bottom of the pan. Next place the salmon to be smoked in the pan and pour the balance of the brine over the salmon to cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
After it’s brined for 8 hours place the salmon on a rack to drain. Next you’ll want to place these in front of a fan or in the refrigerator uncovered to develop a shiny skin which is called pellicle.
What is a pellicle?
The pellicle seals and creates a sticky surface on the fish for the smoke to adhere to. Place the brined salmon in front of a fan to dry and develop a shiny skin, this should take 4 hours and is vital to do. You can also keep it easy and leave uncovered in the refrigerator to do this also. The cold, circulating air works great.
I cut the salmon into pieces for easier handling.Ā Place the salmon directly on a rack sprayed with oil as it can stick sometimes.
Although, if you choose not to dry prior to create the pellicle,Ā I usually will place the brined salmon on aluminum foil about the size of the fish because you want the smoke to move around it inside the smoker, then on the smoker rack.
Time to smoke the fish. Follow your smoker instructions, add an inch of water to the water tray, and usingĀ alder wood chips, smoke the salmon for 6 hours. On my gas grill I start the temp at 100Ā° for 2 hours, then 140Ā°F for 2 hours and finally 175Ā°F for the final 2 hours.Ā Feel free to baste with the brine mixture each time you bump up the heat if you like.
Wood Chips for Gas Grills
Put 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the wood chips in a large bowl, cover them with water, and let them soak at least 30 minutes. Drain and put them in a small smoker box that comes with most grills, or in an aluminum loaf pan or even a bowl made out of tin foil. When ready to smoke, put the wood chip container over the hot part of the grill. Read more about this in my Smoker Boxes and Wood Chips for Smoking post here.
Because my new Traeger pellet grill/smoker doesn’t go lower than 160Ā°F, I went for 5 hours and it came out beautifully. So now you have times and temps for two different styles of smoking (gas grill with smoke box and a smoker pellet grill).
After you pull the smoked salmon from the smoker allow it to rest on a cooling rack for an hour and then refrigerate or dig in!
You can keep it wrapped in plastic wrap or a container for up to 8-10 days.
Go grab some fresh bagels and cream cheese and load it up with this smoked salmon. Enjoy!
This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking March 2015 and has been updated with new photos and a video.
Smoked Salmon and Brine Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs salmon
- 1/3 cup sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 cups low sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or freshly ground black pepper)
- 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (or hot sauce of choice)
Instructions
- Mix together the sugar, salt, soy sauce, water, wine, onion and garlic powders, pepper and tabasco sauce in a bowl with a whisk to incorporate thoroughly and dissolve the sugar and salt.
- In a 13x9" pan pour a little of the brine in the bottom of the pan. Next place the salmon to be smoked in the pan and pour the balance of the brine over the salmon to cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours.
- After it's brined for 8 hours remove salmon from brine and shake off excess and place the salmon on a rack to drain. Next you'll want to place it in front of a fan or well ventilated area to dry and develop a shiny skin which is called pellicle. The pellicle seals and creates a sticky surface on the fish for the smoke to adhere to. This should take 4 hours and is vital to do (See Note 1). You can also keep it easy and leave uncovered in the refrigerator to do this also. The cold, circulating air works great.
- I cut the salmon into thirds or quarters for easier handling. Place the salmon directly on a rack sprayed with oil as it can stick sometimes. Although, if you choose not to cool dry prior to create the pellicle, I usually will place the brined salmon on aluminum foil about the size of the fish because you want the smoke to move around it inside the smoker, then on the smoker rack.
- Time to smoke the fish.Ā Follow your smoker instructions, add an inch of water to the water tray, and usingĀ alder wood chips, smoke the salmon for 6 hours. On my gas grill I start the temp at 100Ā° for 2 hours, then 140Ā°F for 2 hours and finally 175Ā°F for the final 2 hoursĀ (See Note 2 below). Feel free to baste with the brine mixture each time you bump up the heat if you like.
- Because my new Traeger pellet grill/smoker doesn't go lower than 160Ā°F, I went for 5 hours and it came out beautifully. So now you have times and temps for two different styles of smoking (gas grill with smoke box and a smoker pellet grill).
- After you pull the smoked salmon from the smoker allow it to rest on a cooling rack for an hour and then refrigerate or dig in! You can keep it wrapped in plastic wrap or a container for up to 8-10 days.
Notes
- The pellicle seals and creates a sticky surface on the fish for the smoke to adhere to. Place the brined salmon in front of a fan to dry and develop a shiny skin, this should take 4 hours and is vital to do. You can also leave uncovered in the refrigerator to do this also. The cold, circulating air works great.
- Wood Chips for Gas Grills: Put 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the wood chips in a large bowl, cover them with water, and let them soak at least 30 minutes. Drain and put them in a small smoker box that comes with most grills, or in an aluminum loaf pan or even a bowl made out of tin foil. When ready to smoke, put the wood chip container over the hot part of the grill. Read more about this in my Smoker Boxes and Wood Chips for Smoking post here.
I’ve been smoking salmon for two years and this is the best smoked salmon recipe I’ve made! I will be making it this way for now on.
Excellent! So glad you enjoyed this one Susan. Appreciate the kind words. š
could one substitute brown sugar for the sugar ingredient?
Most definitely. I’ve done just that. I’ll update the recipe to reflect Gig. Thanks!
After catching a giant 9 pound trout on Saturday I decided to try this recipe using brown trout. I smoked the fish on a wood smoker @ 225* for 4 hours using almond wood for the fire and it was wonderful. The only adjustment that I made to the brine was adding a tablespoon of Worcester sauce. Other than that I followed the recipe to the letter and was sure to allow the dry time to create the pellicle. My son who hates trout said that it was the best fish he has ever had and ate 4 servings! Thank… Read more »
Excellent! Love to read comments like this one Ryan. And a big congrats on that 9 pound trout! š
I love this video so much, I cannot wait to meet up with you this Spring! You have a knack for the camera my friend, and this recipe is incredible with great tips (love when we get to come in for a closer look) and I love seeing Olie’s tail wagging throughout the entire production. š P.S. You make me want to seriously buy a smoker!
It will be great to finally meet Sally! You cab either bake or grill these and I have notes and links for making a makeshift smoke box for the grill, and if baking, another technique, too.
I’ve never smoked my own salmon, but now I have to (obviously!). This looks superb, Kevin. I’m already imagining it piled on a bagel with cream cheese!
So much easier than one would think. I hope I demystified it Marissa. š
Great instructions, Kevin! Love smoked salmon! So yummy on everything!
Thanks Dawn! LOVE, love, love this one and besides the time involved, this is beyond easy to make. Cheers! š
Hi, Kevin, I have an allergy to red pepper so can’t use the flakes or tabasco. In other recipes, I’m able to substitute other things such as jalapenos or white pepper. What do you think I should do with this recipe? Thank you very much for your time.
It’s added for flavor and heat, but feel free to omit or add whatever amount of white pepper or maybe diced jalapeƱos you like Tarre. Thanks for stopping by and giving this one a try!
I tried the Smoked Salmon brine recipe and smoked a 4Lb sockeye in pieces. I was disappointed, due to amount of SALT required? Even using the recommended low sodium soy sauce, salmon turned out very salty! One quarter cup of salt, for 3Lbs of salmon was way too much, in my opinion! I’m not sure if cutting down on the salt is an option, since the salt may be the curing agent? But I will try to find another brine recipe as this one was not to my liking!
Dave, most brines are equal parts sugar, and salt and in this, I have the salt HALF of what the sugar is. Typically the salt to liquid (water, or like in this one, low-sodium soy sauce and wine) ratio is 4 tbsp salt to 4 cups of liquid, and it is indeed that here. I make this often, and others as well, without the overly salty taste response. Sorry that was your experience. I do not rinse the salmon after brining, but maybe that’s something you might want to do next try?
Maybe I’m just too hip, but as far as I know the word brine suggests a high impact of salt. Maybe it’s just not your taste, or you’re just not clear on the concept, but internet rants are so 1990s. I’ve used this recipe several times and only received raves of compliments from my guests. Thanks to this site for making it seem like I actually know what I’m doing in the kitchen! brine /brÄ«n/ noun noun: brine 1. water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt. seawater. “dolphins and whales can’t help taking in the odd gulp of brine as… Read more »
I just tried your recipe, and I really like it! First time ever smoking salmon, and truthfully, new to smoking altogether. It turned out so much better than expected!
Question – How often do you add wood during the process. My only complaint was I think it could have had more smoke on the fish. (My fault entirely) My lack of knowledge shows here, and I didn’t want to over do it, which resulted in under-doing it, I think.
I would really appreciate any feedback!
I think it best to start less and go from there Kevin. I have over smoked somethings and it’s such a disappointment after waiting and salivating.
Now you have a starting point for your tastes! Remember though that some wood is stronger than others in flavor. Here’s some information on Smoker Boxes and Wood Chips for Smoking that might help you.
Happy New Year!
Good point. Over smoking explains some things in some of my previous mediocre attempts (haha)
I appreciate the tip. You have a good thing going here. Happy New Year to you too, sir!
Very good flavors, simple to make. I found 8 hours to brine to be too long. Next time I will target 4-6 hours and gauge from there. I serve this with a creme fraiche, avocado, lemon and garlic sauce S & P to taste) and it’s awesome! Thank you Kevin!
Sounds fantastic Dave, glad you tried this one.
First time I ever smoked a salmon. I also cut the salt (soy sauce in 1/2). It turned out fabulous. Everyone raved about it at our party! Love this recipe! I pay over $100 for smoked salmon. Your recipe was $25!
Excellent, love to read comments like this. Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know Kelly.
What kind of wine do you recommend. Iām giving this a try tomorrow on my coal wood burner smokerš¤
Hi Andrew. I use a dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, etc.), preference is completely up to you.