Blake's Sweet & Smoky Grilled Salmon
Yield: 4 servings
This Sweet & Smoky Grilled Salmon is a light and flavorful summer seafood recipe you don't want to pass up. Fire up the grill and enjoy!
Equipment
- 1 cedar grilling plank (we use 6" x 12" size)
- 1 spray bottle of water
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds salmon fillet, with skin on and about 1" thick at the thickest area of the fillet
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon tightly-packed (dark or light) brown sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons course smoked salt (use a bit more if you like a more salt-pronounced flavor)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large lemon wedges
Instructions
- 2 hours (or more) prior to grilling: Place cedar grilling plank in a 9'' x 13'' rimmed pan and add enough water to cover the plank by 1". Set a heavy mug or two on top of the plank to keep it submerged. Set aside.
- 30 minutes prior to grilling: Move plank to a large rimmed baking sheet. If needed, cut off ends of salmon fillet to allow about ½" bare space at each end of the plank. Place salmon on plank and, if needed, tuck the thinnest side flesh underneath the fillet a bit, to fit on the plank.
- In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar and maple syrup to create a paste. Brush this mixture over the top and sides of the salmon flesh. As the salmon sits, the sweet mixture will start to weep off the salmon, onto the plank - that's just fine.
- Preheat grill to medium-high, about 435° F.
- Once grill is hot, sprinkle remaining one teaspoon of brown sugar over top of salmon, followed by the smoked salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Set plank with salmon directly onto the grill grates and shut grill. Cook for 20 minutes without opening the grill lid, to keep the cedar smoke inside the grill. Depending on your grill plank and grill heat, the plank will smoke and smolder, and possibly char and burn. We like to keep a spray bottle of water on hand if the plank wants to char/burn excessively - just give a few squirts to the plank (do not directly spray the salmon) if you need to tame some flame - or turn the heat down a bit - or move the plank to less direct heat.
- Depending on the size and thickness of the salmon, cook for roughly 30-35 minutes total, checking every 3-5 minutes after the initial 20-minute cook time. The salmon is done when the surface is deeply bronzed and when the flesh flakes easily when you insert a fork into the thickest part of the fillet. We find that it's difficult to over-cook salmon when grilling skin-on fillets, on a cedar plank - our goal is always beautifully bronzed flesh that yields delicious smoky flavor; we are rarely concerned about overcooked/dry salmon using this method.
- Use a large grilling spatula to carefully transfer the plank of salmon to a clean rimmed pan or platter, and serve the salmon straight from the plank. This makes for a fuss-free presentation and fun conversation piece at the table. Offer fresh lemon wedges on the side, for squeezing over the top of individual portions.
Notes
We make this recipe using both skin-on salmon and fillets with the skin removed. It works well either way - whatever you prefer - just pay attention to the cook time, either way.
from Blake at a farmgirl's dabbles
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 410kcal Carbohydrates: 37g Protein: 26g Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 71mg Sodium: 1244mg Sugar: 30g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.