Wicked Simple Electric Smoker Smoked Salmon Recipe (4 Ingredients)

There are three keys to smoking great salmon:

1. Brining with kosher salt and sugar overnight.
2. Air drying another night.
3. Smoking low and slow (140F-175F).

Brining the Salmon Overnight

This brine is for 1.5 lbs of salmon filet.

In a container, add:

• 6 cups of water
• 1/3 Cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• 1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (Packed)

Allow those ingredients to dissolve. Then add your fish to the container and ensure it’s submerged.

Air Drying the Overnight in the Refrigerator

This air drying process will allow for a better pellicle (skin) to form when smoking.

After brining the fish overnight, rinse it in your sink with cold water.

Then pat dry the salmon with paper towel.

Place the salmon on a wire rack and on a baking sheet.

Then place in your refrigerator on the bottom shelf overnight OR for at least 2-4 hours.

Smoking the Fish in Your Electric Smoker

Take some olive oil or neutral cooking oil and brush the skin side of the fish so that it doesn’t stick to the grill grates.

If you like using probe thermometers, probe the thickest part of the fish (like in the above photo).

Then get your electric smoker to 140F.

Once at 140F, add 5 maple wood chips or your favorite hardwood and then place your fish on the grill grates.

Close the door and allow the fish to smoke for 1 hour at 140F.

Going this low ensures that the internal temperature comes up slowly and limits the albumin (a protein in fish) that will leak.

Basting the Salmon with Real Maple Syrup

After 1 hour, baste the fish with maple syrup or honey (do this every hour).

Then bump the temperature to 175F and add 5 more maple wood chips.

The goal here is to reach an internal temperature between 130-140F; I personally prefer 135F for smoked salmon.

If you start to see any albumin, use your basting brush to brush it away; A little bit leaking is completely normal.

Once the fish reaches 130-140F internal, take the smoked salmon out of your smoker and rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, enjoy your delicious smoked salmon.

Print Pin Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Electric Smoker Smoked Salmon

Easy, Simple, Maple Smoked Salmon

Prep Time1 day d

Active Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Resting Time10 minutes mins

Total Time1 day d 4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 lbs Salmon

Salmon Brine

• ▢ 6 Cups Water
• ▢ 1/3 Cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• ▢ 1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

Basting Liquid

• ▢ Maple Syrup OR Honey

Instructions

Brining the Salmon

• In a non-reactive container add 6 cups of water, 1/3 cup diamond crystal kosher salt, and 1/3 cup dark brown sugar. Ensure these ingredients dissolve in the water.
• Add your salmon to the brine liquid and then place in your refrigerator overnight (12-ish hours).

Air Drying the Salmon

• The next day, rinse the salmon in your sink with cold water.
• Pat dry with paper towel.
• Place on a wire rack and on a baking sheet.
• Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator overnight to air dry (12-ish hours).

Smoking the Salmon in Your Electric Smoker

• Take some neutral cooking oil like olive oil and brush the skin side of the fish so that it doesn't stick to the grill grates.
• Get your electric smoker to 140F and then add 5 maple wood chips and then smoke for 1 hour.

  If you don't have maple wood, use a fruit wood like apple or cherry. Alder is also very popular with fish.
• After 1 hour, bump the smoker temperature to 175F and add 5 more wood chips. At the same time, take some maple syrup or honey and baste the fish.

  Baste every hour until the internal temperature of the fish is 130-140F. I prefer 135F for smoked salmon.
• Rest for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

If you’re using a probe thermometer, probe the thickest part of the fish. 

If you see any white, creamy substance on the surface of the fish (called albumin), your smoker is likely too hot; A little leaking is totally normal but a lot means you need to drop the temperature of your smoker.

When you’re basting with syrup or honey, you can brush any small bits of albumin away.