Cedar Plank Salmon

Four pieces of seasoned salmon fillets are cooking on wooden planks on a grill.

5 from 2 votes

Transform ordinary salmon into a smoky, aromatic delicacy with this foolproof cedar plank method. Our easy recipe guides you through every step, resulting in a tender, flavorful fish dish that'll rival any seafood restaurant.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Resting Time5

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

4 4 oz salmon filets 1 lbs, skin on or off.
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
4 tbsp Compound butter we used our herb compound butter for this one, but we often use our roasted garlic or even the chimichurri butter, depending on the flavors we want

Instructions

Soak the planks

Start by soaking your cedar planks for at least one hour in water. The planks will want to float when you put them in water, so press them down with a heavy bottle to keep them completely under the water.

Prep the Grill

Clean the grill grates and allow the grill to preheat for indirect heat with the lid closed for 10-15 minutes. See our notes below for gas or charcoal grills.
When the grill has preheated, reduce the heat to around 350 degrees F.
Place the planks on the cooler side of the grill and allow for 3 to 5 minutes. We place the rough edge up for this process.
Flip, so the rough edge is now on the grill grates and allow the planks to preheat another 3 to 5 minutes. There should be a nice aroma coming from the grill.

Smoke the salmon

Season the salmon with the salt and pepper.
Carefully arrange the salmon over the cedar planks, skin side down, and close the grill lid.
Smoke the salmon, for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets until it flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145 degrees F with a digital thermometer.
Carefully remove the planks with the salmon from the grill and place them on a metal baking sheet.

Serve

Top the salmon with compound butter to melt over the fish and serve with your favorite side dishes.

Notes

Be sure to soak your cedar planks for 1 hour before grilling.

For a gas grill:

Preheat your gas grill by turning all 4 burners on and letting the grill preheat for 10 minutes.
When ready to cook, create a 2-zone fire by turning off 3 of the 4 burners (or 2 of the 3, depending how many burners your grill has). Let the grill cool to around 350 degrees F.
Place the cedar planks on the cool side of the grill and cook as directed.

For a charcoal grill:

Prep your charcoal grill by pouring lit coals onto one side of your grill. Place the grill grate on top and clean and oil the grates.
Cover with the lid and adjust the airflow vents to allow and let the grill preheat to 325 - 350 degrees F.
When ready to smoke the salmon, place the planks on the cool side of the grill.

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