Brown Sugar Smoked Salmon (Easy Recipe, Dry Brined)
You won’t believe how easy it is to make salmon on the smoker! This easy recipe for smoked salmon only has 6 ingredients and is ready in less than two hours.
You won’t believe how easy it is to make salmon on the smoker! This simple recipe for smoked salmon only has 6 ingredients and is ready in less than two hours. If you’re hesitant about smoking meat, even easier cuts like smoked salmon, don’t be intimidated! Most barbecue shows focus on competition-level preparation, but hot smoking salmon is a breeze and a great way to build confidence using your smoker.
When I first started experimenting with smoking meat, I did all of the traditional cuts. Mostly pork shoulder, brisket and ribs. The more skilled I’ve become at using the smoker, the more I lean towards cuts that don’t take all day. Like this smoked salmon or chicken!
Learning how to hot smoke salmon is a breeze. This recipe has become a favorite for us, and we eat it almost weekly at this point!
“This is the easiest, most delicious and perfectly cooked salmon we have ever had. We followed the recipe as written. Looking forward to having it again.” – Wendy C.
Even if using the smoker intimidates you, I promise that hot smoking salmon is totally do-able! Making salmon on the smoker is one of the easiest ways to build confidence about using your smoker. It’s such a quick and easy process, and hard to mess up. After your first time trying my salmon recipe in the smoker, you’ll start to feel like a pro!
“Have made this salmon recipe a few times, comes out awesome every time. I definitely recommend this, so good. I really does take only one hour in the smoker and 145 is a perfect temperature to take it off.” – Susan D.
I experimented with seasonings for this easy recipe for quite some time! I ultimately decided that I wanted a simple seasoning for the smoked fish, and I really think I nailed it with this one. When you have a rub that hits all the right notes, it makes the meat sing! A bit of salt and pepper, some dill, and brown sugar are all you need for this easy smoked salmon recipe.
If you have the time, rub the spice mixture on top of the salmon about an hour before you plan to smoke it. This will allow time for a bit of dry brining in the salty rub. If not, no worries! Just rub the spices on and throw it right on the smoker.
Have more fresh salmon to use? I love my Easy Bruschetta Salmon, Baked Salmon with Cranberry Thyme Crust, Salmon Meunière and Baked Praline Salmon!
Equipment Needed for Smoked Salmon
We use a classic bullet-style smoker, the Weber Smokey Mountain. It has lasted us which has lasted us almost 15 years and is still going strong! However, this salmon recipe will work fine on your electric smoker or Traeger smoker (pellet smoker).
If you can maintain the low temperature, you can even make this salmon on your grill over indirect heat. Add wood chunks in the smoker box to add smoke flavor.
Remember, smoking as a cooking technique is equal parts about the smoky flavor from the smoldering woodchips, and the low temperature it cooks at! It’s okay to get a little creative so you can use the equipment you already have.
Smoked Salmon Recipe Substitutions
Like any good recipe, this one has plenty of substitutions! Here are a few suggestions:
- I used regular table salt for the rub, but you can substitute kosher salt if you like.
- Instead of salmon, try steelhead trout! It’s very similar.
- Substitute maple syrup for the brown sugar in the rub.
- Add a teaspoon of garlic powder to the rub, because garlic makes everything better!
“We made the salmon, and it was perfect! We smoked it at 225 for an hour and then down to “smoke only” for 20-30 minutes and they were perfect, juicy, tender and full of flavor! We doubled the sugar and seasonings, and it was delicious.” – Shana
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Long to Smoke Salmon: Your goal is to get the salmon to an internal temperature of about 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’ve smoked meat before, you know that you are in complete control of how long your smoking session is! I prefer a higher temperature for smaller, lean cuts, rather than the lower temperature, slower method used for large cuts of meat like smoked pulled pork. For salmon, I recommend maintaining your smoker at a temperature of 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit and smoking the salmon for about one hour. The size of your salmon filets will determine your final smoke time, but it should be about an hour!
- What type of salmon should I use? Anytime it’s possible, I recommend using wild-caught salmon, but farm-raised salmon is just fine if that’s what you have. The variety of salmon matters less. We have used king salmon, Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon and Coho salmon with wonderful results!
- Is smoked salmon healthy? I think we all know that the term “healthy” is relative these days, with dietary trends running to the extremes. But yes, salmon can generally be considered healthy. It is a lean source of protein, a good source of calcium, iron and vitamins. It also has high fat content, the good kind! It’s packed with omega-3 fatty acid. Wild salmon is especially full of helpful nutrients!
- What should I serve with this salmon? We eat this recipe so often, I put together a list of the 15 Best Side Dishes for Smoked Salmon to help you find the perfect side dish. If you want to use your smoker to make the sides as well, I recommend my Smoked Corn on the Cob, Smoked Mac and Cheese or Smoked Potatoes!
- What type of wood chips should I use? I prefer to use pecan, oak, apple or cherry wood when smoking salmon. For fish, I prefer wood chips with lighter, more subtle flavor, but hickory or mesquite wood can work in a pinch!
“My favorite smoked salmon recipe!” – Marty
“Outstanding! The easiest Salmon recipe I have ever done, and it was a huge hit with our family. We ate it warm, and it was sooo good. I did add a few slices of lemon on top of the salmon when smoking and it added a nice citrus taste along with the brown sugar flavor. Served with asparagus, rice cauliflower and tzatziki sauce, it was one of the best meals we ate in a very long time!”
-Soraya
Serving Suggestions for Smoked Salmon
I like to eat our smoked salmon as a main course with a veggie like brussels sprouts! You can also use it in tacos or on top of salads!
Use leftover salmon with cream cheese and bagels, in an omelet, quiche or in a salmon dip. Making salmon on the smoker also gives you a beautiful thing to add to your charcuterie board or snack spread! The flaky texture and sweet and savory flavors are always a hit.
If you’re planning to serve this easy salmon as an appetizer, I recommend trying out my Smoked Jalapeno Poppers or Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip. They are both divine!
How Long does Smoked Fish Last? Saving Leftover Smoked Salmon
Your homemade smoked salmon should keep for up to a week in your refrigerator in an airtight container.
If your leftover salmon is sealed in a vacuum sealed bag with air totally removed, it should be able to keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the cooked salmon for up to nine months.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe, it is truly one of my favorites. Let me know in the comments!
Brown Sugar Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh salmon, skin-on
For the smoked salmon rub (dry rub):
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dill weed, dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat smoker to 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, dill and brown sugar to form the rub. Pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel.
- Pat the seasoning mix onto the surface of the fish, focusing on the flesh side of the raw salmon.
- (Optional) If time allows, place salmon in refrigerator to dry brine for about an hour, covered with plastic wrap.
- Smoke salmon skin side down, directly on the wire rack of the smoker for one hour or until the salmon hits 145 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer.
- When it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, pull the salmon from the smoker and allow it to rest on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I prefer to use pecan, oak, apple or cherry wood when smoking salmon. Choose wood with subtle flavor.
- I think this salmon is best served cold or at room temperature.
- For the rub, use dill WEED (the green leaves), not dill seed. Dill seed will likely be too overpowering of a flavor. You can absolutely substitute fresh dill if that is what you have.
- I have had several people report that they DOUBLED the rub quantities, and it turned out great, kind of like salmon candy! 🙂
For your next steps in learning to use your smoker, try making turkey! I have a tutorial on how to smoke a whole turkey or try a quicker, easier recipe for a smaller crowd with my smoked turkey breast recipe.
I love that it only took about two hours from start to finish – perfect for a weeknight dinner or casual weekend gathering.
Thank you!
We just did the smoked salmon today, and it was excellent. We used Alder wood to keep the smokey taste light and also used sugar in the raw. It was a wonderful blend of spice, smoke, & fish. Tomorrow – smoked salmon tacos.
Now I’m craving smoked salmon tacos!! 🙂 Thanks Susan.
Made this last night. Fantastic flavor, easy to prepare and perfectly cooked. Followed the directions given. Everyone loved it! Served with asparagus and jasmine rice.
I’m so glad this turned out well for you Wendy! We really loved this smoked salmon, it’s good everytime! 🙂
Love this smoked Salmon rub!! Have smoked Salmon 4 times already. So good!!!
We love to eat the Salmon cold. My husband who doesn’t typically eat Salmon loves this recipe!!
Glad you all love it Christine! 🙂 🙂
The short prep and cook time makes this totally doable for a weeknight dinner too. I’ll definitely be making this again soon!
I totally agree! Thank you.
My favorite fish for summer!
I love making this recipe! It’s a staple in our house, easy to make and everyone in the family eats it, even my kiddo!
Another great recipe! I love that you always give us ways to adapt recipes to our needs or our supplies on hand!
Thank you Karen! It makes me happy that you appreciate that, it’s important to me that everyone feels empowered to use what they have on hand!
YUMMMMMMMMM
Thanks Nathan! 🙂
Love love LOVE this salmon! The rub is perfect 🤍
So glad you love it Patty! I love the dry rub too!
Okay WOW! This is the first time I ever made salmon like this, but it won’t be the last! Turned out so good. I did double the seasonings like another person suggested and had individual filets but it still turned out great.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for letting me know.
Can the brine be left overnight instead of one hour?
Hi Nancy, yes that’d be fine since it’s a dry brine!
I tried this Brown Sugar Smoked Salmon recipe, and it was fantastic! The sweet and smoky flavors work really well together and the salmon was so tender and flaky.
Hooray! That’s great news Paul, thanks for letting me know.
Delicious recipe
Made this last night and I loved it so much! I had to save this recipe, I just know I’ll be making it again!
This rub adds a sweet mix of brown sugar, dill, salt, and pepper to the fresh salmon. It makes the flavors even better, truly tasty!
So glad you enjoyed it! I really love the rub too.
Wow was this tasty! Perfectly sweet and savory. We can’t wait to make it again!
Oh my is THIS ever delicious! Served with Greek horta and it was the best meal.
A must-try!
I have used this recipe many times and everyone who tries it loves it. It’s the right balance of sweetness, saltiness and pepper. The recipe and process might look simple, but it’s sooo good! If you haven’t tried it, jump on this recipe now!
Alex, you made my day! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I have made your recipe twice and we love it trying it a fresh salmon we got yesterday at salmon river can’t weight to have it tonight
Ken, you made my day. I hope it turns out just as good this time! 🙂
Do you need to brine salmon before putting on rub?
Hi Joan! I do not wet brine the salmon in this recipe, it’s such a quick smoke time that the salmon is nice and moist without it. You’re welcome to let the rub hang out on the salmon for a bit before smoking and it will have a bit of a dry brine effect for you! You can ALWAYS wet brine before smoking if you like to do that, just make sure to pat the salmon dry with paper towels before you put the rub on! – Michelle
This recipe was the maiden voyage for our new smoker and it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely make it again (although I may reduce the salt a bit!).
This makes me so happy! And yes, you can absolutely reduce the salt and still have a delicious rub. Congrats on the new smoker!
The easiest Salmon recipe I have ever done and it was a huge hit with our family. We ate it warm and it was sooo good. I did add a few slices of lemon on top of the salmon when smoking and it added a nice citrus taste along with the brown sugar flavor. Served with aspargus, rice cauliflower and tzatziki sauce, it was one of the best meals we ate in a very long time!
Amazing! And so easy. Cooked it for dinner and ate it got off the smoker. Brought to a temp of around 130-135. Perfect! This will be my go to for salmon now. The rub was so easy and delicious.
Cassie, so glad you loved it! 🙂
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I’ve tried a few of your recipes, and this is one of my favorites next to your herb crusted salmon(which is my number 1). The only reason people think I’m an amazing cook is because I use amazing recipes, I can always count on one of yours to be a crowd pleaser!
John, you made my day. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a note. I’m so glad I can help you convince folks you’re an awesome cook! It sounds like you are. 🙂
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We love this smoked salmon and have made it a few times. We are thinking to trying it chicken for my non fish eaters. What are your thoughts and recommendations?
Hey Pat! So glad you love this smoked salmon!
I think this rub would be good on chicken, but we haven’t tried it. I’ll put it on the list to try the next time we fire up the smoker!
I know for sure that this rub is super good on chicken. This is what we usually use! https://blackberrybabe.com/2020/03/19/perfect-smoked-chicken-rub/
The rub is so easy to make and tastes’ great! If you are a beginner at smoking salmon, try this! You will not be disappointed!
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The brown sugar smoked salmon is delicious and easy to prepare. My only problem is never having enough Salmon. I have made this recipe a number of times and experimented a little bit with more Brown sugar and adding clover honey from Wyoming and I love it. Has anyone ever smoked trout? I buy my salmon at Sam’s and the trout next to it looks just like salmon and i was wondering how good it is smoked.
Hey Russell! I’m so glad you like this salmon recipe. It’s one of our favorites! I am guessing that it is steelhead trout that you are seeing at Sam’s. If so, it is definitely a good substitute for salmon. It tastes and cooks up very similar. We have smoked it before with no issues!
Should I use foil for my salmon when I smoke it
Hey Craig! You don’t have to. I will if I’m smoking smaller individual sized filets, but if I have a whole side of salmon I will place it directly on.
@Michelle Goth, do you adjust time and temp for smaller individual filets?
Hi Joanne! Great question. I don’t adjust the temp but it does sometimes take less time. I recommend temp checking at 45 minutes and seeing where you’re at!
This looks like such an easy dish. I just ordered a box of wild salmon so I think this’ll be the first meal I make with it. Thanks for sharing!
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we tried the brown sugar smoked salmon tonight, awesome this one is a keeper
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Looks fantastic!
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This recipe is great
It’s fast and the salmon always taste great.
This looks so delicious! I’ve been looking for recipes that are a bit simpler; recently, I got a delivery of wild salmon and the taste/texture is just so nice that I never want to overpower it! I’ll be trying this over the weekend. Thank you!
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Made this today and it was awesome! Had a happy accident where I used a tbsp of dill instead of a tsp. Was excellent! Also applewood works nicely as well.
That does sound like a happy accident! Thanks for the suggestion on apple wood, too! I think any fruit food would be good!
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Have made this Salmon recipe a few times comes out awesome every time. I definitely recommend this so good. It really does take only one hour in the smoker 145 is a perfect temperature to take it off.
Made this tonight. So good.
This smoked salmon is truly one of my favorite recipes! I’m glad you loved it, thanks for letting me know!
What kind of dill did you use? Dill weed, dill seed? Some other form of dill? I used dill seed last time and it seemed overpowering
Hi! Dried dill weed is what we use. Dill seed would be a much stronger flavor. Thanks for asking this question- good clarifier! I will update the ingredient list.
@Peter, what subs for dill weed?
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Delicious and stupid easy. We will make this again.
This sounds incredible! I rarely make fish at home, but you’ve totally inspired me!
I’ve never smoked salmon before, but these photos have me CRAVING it!!!
We were so into smoked salmon when we were younger and the brown sugar sounds like a wonderful twist.
We have an electric smoker, but we haven’t smoked salmon in it yet. 🙂 Definitely going to try this soon! It looks delicious.
I love salmon! I’ll have to try this preparation this weekend!
Oh yeahhhh that looks so good!