Pellet Grill Salmon

Flaky, moist salmon fresh from the smoker on a wooden cutting board.

Incredibly moist, flaky, and melt-in-your-mouth-tender fish filets deliver wood-smoke infused perfection. An easy dry brine technique gives you the absolute best taste and texture you could imagine.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Brining & Resting Time 8

Total Time 9 5

Servings

Calories 289kcal

Author Imma

Equipment

1 pellet grill or other smoker

Ingredients

Dry Brine

1 cup (210g) brown sugar
¼ cup (60g) kosher salt
2 teaspoons (6g) ground black pepper
2 teaspoons (8g) onion powder (optional)
2 teaspoons (10g) garlic powder (optional)
2 teaspoons (6g) celery seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons (5g) ground white pepper (optional)

Smoked Salmon

1 2-3 pound (1-1½kg) salmon filet, cut into 3-4 pieces
1 tablespoon (9g) coarsely ground pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon (4g) chopped fresh dill (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving

Instructions

Mix the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seeds, and white pepper in a small bowl until thoroughly combined, and set aside.
Remove any small bones from the salmon that might have been missed when filleting. Put it in a shallow bowl and cover it with the dry brine. Press down gently, making sure the filets are completely covered.
Let it brine in the fridge for 4-24 hours, depending on the thickness of the filet and the desired saltiness.
Thoroughly rinse the brine off the salmon under cold running water to remove excess salt. Pat dry with paper towels.
Place it skin-side down on a rack on top of a baking sheet, and place it in the refrigerator, and let it dry for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) until the surface is lightly tacky. That helps the smoke flavor adhere to the fish.
Preheat the pellet grill to 180-225°F (80-110°C) with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the fridge, sprinkle with optional seasonings, place the filets, skin-side down, directly on the grates, and insert a meat thermometer into the center.
If the smoker is at 225°F (110°C), it may take 45 minutes to 1½ hours. If you're smoking it at 180°F (80°C), it may take up to 4 hours. You'll want an internal temperature of 140-145°F (60-63°C) for tender, flaky fish.
Remove it from the smoker and serve it warm with lemon wedges or chilled.

Notes

Wild-caught salmon is best, but feel free to use some of its cousins, like trout, whitefish, char, and grayling. Actually, any firm-fleshed cold-water fish will work.
The thicker the filets, the longer you can brine them. And don't worry if the brine turns into liquid because the salt and sugar will pull moisture out of the fish, which will dissolve them.
You can glaze smoked salmon with honey. But if you put the glaze on too soon, it could burn. Halfway through the smoking time is a better time to brush it with your honey glaze.
Please remember that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary immensely based on the ingredients used in the recipe.

Nutrition