Brown Sugar-Cured Salmon
- Total Time
- 25 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ curing
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4skin-on, center-cut wild king or other salmon fillets (2½ pounds total)
- ¼cup light brown sugar
- 2teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼teaspoon ground mace
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
- Olive oil
- 1½cups hickory chips, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
Preparation
- Step 1
Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, pepper, spices and zest. Rub mixture all over fish. Place in a dish, cover and let cure in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably 8 hours. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Generously oil salmon.
- Step 2
Light the grill. Once coals are hot, scatter drained hickory chips over coals. (If you’re using a gas grill, place them in a disposable metal pan on the grill next to the salmon.)
- Step 3
Place salmon flesh-side down on grill and cover, closing top vent so not much smoke is released. Smoke salmon, covered, for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it’s not ready to flip. Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is medium pink and exterior crisp and smoky. Serve with lemon wedges.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Rick L
This recipe is a keeper. We have made this twice already. First, with wild Copper River salmon. Then, with wild Pacific King salmon. We are fortunate here in the Pacific Northwest at this time of year, to have so much variety of fresh, wild fish. No mace? Use extra nutmeg. Make this all summer long!
Judy
The spice mix is lovely -- I'm using it on all sorts of things. Smells Christmassy and very inviting. Andy Gustafson's right, the salmon is really easy and tasty. I also like it with some red pepper flakes added.
Harriet Weinstein
This spring and summer please give cooking times for those of us who have gas grills. They are not always the same as using coals.
Thank you.
Pete
Gas grill temperature about 325 F on Low and the times listed should be the same. When salmon juices come out and you see some white the interior is just right.
Janis Hirsch
I cooked this indoors so I can't vote on the hickory chips but I can certainly tell you that this makes frozen salmon delicious. And I'm Lifetime at Weight Watchers where brown sugar is something to count but not avoid. What a treat. Serve over brown rice and roasted root veggies to mitigate some of the sweetness. Big hit.
Sbishop2008
We live in Alaska and eat salmon at least once a week. My husband has made a science of the proper temp to use with salmon, whatever species -- 127F, using an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the filet or steak. Result is moist meat that gently flakes.
Dawn
The recipe needs to indicate in the body of the recipe instructions that if you are using a gas grill, you are using INDIRECT heat, i.e. lighting one side of the grill and putting the salmon on the other side (unless I am misinterpreting the instructions). Or grill direct, but for a far shorter period of time.
MP
Very good- will make again. A little drier than usual grilled salmon but I think expected from the 'curing' step. Cooked on gas grill medium direct heat, spray grill with a little oil, and cook skin side down until done 7-15min (no flipping). Skin ends up crispy and does not stick to grill.
Baphomet
I've been cooking this since I found the recipe a few years ago, it's my go-to salmon for the grill in summer. I actually cure it for 48-72 hours, and find the concentration of flavors to be even better. Typically will get sushi quality Faroe Island salmon, have not tried with wild but I'd likely then only cure it 24 hrs. Use a charcoal grill with a mixture of cherry and mesquite wood chips for sweet and savory flavor.
Steve Abbott
Delicious easy preparation for grilled wild salmon. I found 1 tsp salt fully adequate in making rub. The hickory chips on the grill are a great idea!
Eric
I made this last night and it is now my go-to salmon recipe. I didn't have mace so I used nutmeg. I can picture making this and serving it cold at a brunch.
Andy Gustafson
The curing process works great. Finished product has terrific texture and interesting taste. Very easy.
Mark
Absolutely outstanding, and dead easy. Best with wild salmon.
Jeff
Have made this recipe several times now and everyone loves it. The only change I have made is to grate the lemon zest directly onto the filets and then rub the rest of the spice mixture over the top. I feel it allows for more even distribution of the zest and keeps the sugar cure a bit drier making ti easier to spread evenly
Jean Moreau
I made this yesterday for a potluck Birthday picnic on Chesapeake Bay. I used sockeye salmon and rub consisting of brown sugar, fresh dill and 1 tsp sea salt. I wrapped the fish in plastic wrap and cured it in the fridge overnight. Before slow roasting it in a 175 degree oven for one hour, I gently brushed off the sugar. It turned out moist and almost silky. It was a hit!
Halina
Can add alder to hickory and also makes a great smoke for charcoal grilled salmon.
AFS
A fantastic recipe! Not time consuming. Yields a delicious salmon reminiscent of a traditional Pacific Northwest-style smoked salmon.
Dan
Really great recipe. Used fillets. I cut the salt in half. I didn't have mace, used 1/8 tsp clove powder. Next time will use nutmeg. Using a gas grill. Soaked hickory chips x 1h, put those right over a low flame once they had started smoking. I put the fish over a low flame and the 3rd burner on high. Temp was around 450 in the cooker. Flesh side down for 5 min, skin side for 3. Turned out perfect. I'll do this again for sure.
zoe
If making this on a regular grill, do you want to put it over the coals or on the side?
Jack
I bought thinner salmon fillets than called for. Grilled corn before the salmon, had wood chips on my gas grill, but the smoke had mostly stopped (chips burned) by the time I put the salmon on. And I probably left the salmon on a bit too long. They were slightly dry, but actually still quite tasty, and a hit with my family. Will make again
Amy in Ohio
This was such a delicious way to prepare salmon, maybe even my favorite ever! I prepared it exactly to the recipe, brushed both sides with a little olive oil and cooked it in the broiler. I broiled it skin side up until the skin started crisping and darkening a little, then flipped it and broiled it flesh side up until the thinnest parts/edges started to blacken a little from the brown sugar residue. It was perfect inside and out!
Xochitl
Also, I just baked salmon. Still very good!
Xochitl
Delicious and subtle. Will happily make again. Used maple sugar and doubled the mace. I have dried, not ground mace from Diaspora.
Betsey
Holly Molly! I experimented this recipe with a budget friendly Chilean Salmon Trout, and my hungry half gave me 2 full thumbs up... just wait until I do it over with a Wild King Salmon! I used the gaz grill and a (soaked) cedar wood plank. Grilled 8mn. Result turned out moist, flavorful and sophisticated. Great easy recipe. I should also acknowledge the fish experts who gave good reviews, high marks from fans means a lot!
Michael
After years of fiddling with salmon on the Weber, I’ve settled on placing the fish skin side down on aluminum foil and putting it away from the coals. Put the lid on after the hickory chips go on the hot coals and smoke the salmon until done (anywhere from 10-15 minutes). Fish almost always sticks to the grill unless you overcook it and oiling it keeps the smoke from penetrating as well. The smoke only method with sugar cure has delighted by family for years.
Jean Moreau
I made this yesterday for a potluck Birthday picnic on Chesapeake Bay. I used sockeye salmon and rub consisting of brown sugar, fresh dill and 1 tsp sea salt. I wrapped the fish in plastic wrap and cured it in the fridge overnight. Before slow roasting it in a 175 degree oven for one hour, I gently brushed off the sugar. It turned out moist and almost silky. It was a hit!
Bill
Would this work grilled in oven using liquid smoke?
Chris
Left it to cure for 6 hours but like others have said I think an overnight/24H cure might be even better. Great flavour.
RonFromSeattle
Recipe is a keeper! I’ve made it about 15 times the last two years. Guests love it too. I basically follow the recipe exactly. It does taste better to cure it the full 8 hours. I smoke it for about 15-20 minutes off the flame, flesh side down. Then I turn it over skin side down, directly over flame for 5, or so. Time just depends on fish thickness, and how hot your fire is.
Chris Pineview GA
My wife loves salmon so I made this for her. As I smoke a lot of things I smear a thin film of cane syrup on and then put on the salt sugar herbed dry brine and let it sit for 8 hours. Then into the Traeger with Mesquite and cook to 145 degress. Cold smoke about 4 hours.
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