Learn to make the delicious and indulgent Cold Smoked Salmon that you've been dreaming about with Chef Tom's easy-to-follow guide! This tutorial will teach you the curing and cold smoking technique that gives your salmon its unique, delicious flavor. Get ready to enjoy the yummy goodness of your own homemade creation!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- A dry cure, not a wet brine, controls moisture directly. Packing the salmon in salt, sugar, and spices draws liquid out of the fish over three days, which is what gives cold-smoked salmon its dense, silky texture rather than a wet or mushy one.
- Flipping and re-weighting daily keeps the cure even. Turning the salmon and reapplying the weight every 24 hours ensures both sides cure at the same rate instead of one side sitting in more moisture than the other.
- The pellicle-forming rest isn't a skippable step. Letting the cured salmon air-dry uncovered for 8-12 hours forms a tacky surface layer that's essential for smoke to actually adhere to the fish.
- The smoker runs on fan power alone, not heat. Turning the grill "on" without hitting start keeps air moving through the A-MAZE-N tube smoker without adding heat, which is the whole point of cold smoking — flavor without cooking the fish.
Cold Smoked Salmon
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.4 stars by 33 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
4 hours
Calories
237
If ever you’ve enjoyed the rich goodness of Cold Smoked Salmon over cream cheese on a bagel and wondered, “how do they do that?” Today we’re here to show you. Chef Tom walks you through the curing and cold smoking process that creates that incredibly flavorful Cold Smoked Salmon.
Ingredients
- 1 (2-3 lb) salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
-
1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fennel seeds, toasted
-
2 tbsp black peppercorns, toasted and cracked
- 1 tbsp anise seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except the salmon and mix well.
- Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap. Sprinkle half of the mixture over the plastic wrap, in the shape of the salmon fillet. Place the salmon on the salt mixture. Cover with the remaining salt mixture. Fully enclose with the plastic wrap.
- Place the pan in a baking dish. Place a pan on top of the salmon and weight it down with a few canned goods or a brick. Use about 5 pounds worth.
Refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the weights and pan and flip the salmon. Place the weights back on the wrapped salmon. Repeat this every 24 hours until the salmon should be firm to the touch at the thickest part, and fully cured after 3 days.
- When the salmon is fully cured, rinse it well under cool water, and pat it dry. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and place in the refrigerator. Let sit open for 8-12 hours to form the pellicle.
Place an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker in your Yoder Smokers YS640 pellet grill. Fill with cherry pellets and light with a torch. Blow the flame out after 30 seconds of burning. Turn the grill “on” but do not hit start. This will allow the fans to force air through the grill without creating heat. Smoke for 3-5 hours. Remove from the grill. Chill. Slice to serve.
- Note: To toast peppercorns, or any whole spices, heat them gently in a small dry skillet until they begin to release their fragrance, a few minutes.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why use a dry salt-and-sugar cure instead of a liquid brine?
Packing the salmon directly in the salt-sugar mixture draws moisture out of the fish over several days, producing the dense, silky texture that's characteristic of cold-smoked salmon — a wet brine wouldn't pull out the same amount of liquid.
Why flip the salmon and reapply the weight every 24 hours?
Turning it daily and re-weighting ensures both sides of the fillet cure evenly, rather than letting one side sit longer in accumulated moisture than the other.
Why does the salmon need to air-dry uncovered before smoking?
This forms the pellicle — a slightly tacky surface layer that smoke particles can actually adhere to. Skipping this step results in less smoke flavor sticking to the fish.
Why turn the grill "on" without hitting start?
This runs the grill's fans to circulate air through the tube smoker without generating heat, which is the core requirement of cold smoking — flavor development without cooking the fish.
Does this recipe use a curing salt with sodium nitrite?
No — the cure here is salt and sugar only. Traditional cold-smoked fish recipes often include a nitrite-based curing salt specifically to inhibit bacterial growth during the extended low-temperature cure and smoke. This is worth discussing with a food safety resource before relying on this method as written.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
1 out of 5 — cold smoking specifically requires a smoker capable of running without heat; there's no practical indoor substitute for this technique.
Recipe Highlights
The three-day dry cure: Packing the salmon in salt and sugar for multiple days is what draws out moisture and develops the dense texture unique to cold-smoked salmon.
Daily flipping and re-weighting: This keeps the cure penetrating evenly on both sides of the fillet.
Forming the pellicle: An 8-12 hour uncovered rest creates the tacky surface that lets smoke actually adhere to the fish.
Fan-only smoking: Running the grill without heat is the defining technique of cold smoking, delivering flavor without cooking the salmon.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 237
- Carbs
- 33 grams
- Protein
- 12 grams
- Fat
- 7 grams
- Sodium
- 1419 milligrams
