Enjoy an unforgettable outdoor meal from your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill – perfect for slow-smoking succulent salmon. Savour every bite of this Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad, complete with dry-brined salmon and scratch-made Caesar dressing!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Dry-brining the salmon uncovered overnight: Seasoning the portions and letting them rest uncovered on a wire rack for at least an hour (ideally longer) draws moisture to the surface, which dries into a tacky pellicle that helps smoke adhere better than seasoning right before cooking would.
- Blending the Caesar dressing with anchovies and raw egg: Emulsifying minced anchovy, egg yolk, garlic, and two oils together in one step builds a classic, silky Caesar base with real depth, rather than relying on bottled dressing or a shortcut mayo base.
- Holding back half the Parmesan for the salad, not the dressing: Blending only a quarter cup into the dressing and tossing the rest directly into the romaine gives the salad two different cheese textures — creamy in the dressing, distinct shavings mixed through the leaves.
- Serving the salmon warm or chilled: Because the fish is smoked separately from the salad and added at the end, either temperature works, giving flexibility depending on how far ahead you want to prep.
Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
6
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Calories
414
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for a Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad featuring dry brined salmon and the best scratch-made Caesar Dressing you've ever tasted!
Ingredients
- 6 (4 oz) filets salmon, skin off
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Sea Salt
-
Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, diced
- 1/4 cup avocado (or other neutral flavored) oil
-
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, divided
- 1/4 cup Truffled Pecorino
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 oil-packed anchovy filets, rinsed, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed & peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-
1/2 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, coarse ground
- 1/4 cup panko
-
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-
1/2 tsp Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning, fine ground
For the Caesar Dressing:
For the bread crumb crouton:
Directions
- Season the salmon portions with Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Sea Salt and Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-Tip Seasoning on both sides. Let rest on a wire rack, uncovered for at least 1 hour. Ideally 2+ hours. *Tip - start the dry brine in the morning before work, and come home to smoke the salmon in the evening.
- To make the Caesar Dressing, combine all ingredients in a Marinade Shaker. Use only 1/4 cup of the parmesan. Save the rest for tossing in the finished salad. Blend the dressing with an immersion blender until smooth. A food processor or small blender will work, as well. Store the dressing covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 250ºF, set up for smoking/indirect grilling. Fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smokers with your favorite pellets. Place on the main cooking grate, just above the fire box. Light with a torch. When the pellets are well lit, blow out the flame and allow the pellets to slowly burn back, producing smoke.
- Remove the salmon from the refrigerator. Transfer to the second shelf of the smoker. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF, about 45 minutes. Remove from the grill. Serve warm or chilled.
- To make the bread crumb crouton, combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Toss the romaine in the Caesar Dressing. Start with a little less dressing than you think you’ll need, because you can always add more. Add the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan to the salad. Serve the salad chilled and topped with the bread crumb crouton and smoked salmon.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why dry-brine the salmon uncovered instead of seasoning it right before smoking?
Resting the seasoned salmon uncovered on a wire rack for at least an hour draws moisture to the surface, which dries into a tacky layer (a pellicle) that smoke adheres to much better than it would to a wet, just-seasoned fillet.
Why blend the Caesar dressing with raw egg yolk and anchovies instead of using a bottled dressing?
Emulsifying egg yolk, minced anchovy, garlic, and two oils together in one step builds a classic, silky Caesar base with real depth — bottled dressing or a shortcut mayo base can't replicate that same emulsified texture and anchovy-forward flavor.
Why hold back half the Parmesan for the salad instead of blending it all into the dressing?
Blending only a quarter cup into the dressing keeps it smooth, while tossing the rest directly into the romaine gives the finished salad two different cheese textures — creamy in the dressing, distinct shavings mixed through the leaves.
Is it safe to use raw egg yolk in the Caesar dressing?
Traditional Caesar dressing is made with raw egg, which carries a small salmonella risk. If you'd rather avoid it, pasteurized egg yolks are a safe substitute that won't change the texture or flavor of the dressing.
What internal temperature should the salmon actually reach?
This recipe smokes it to 145°F, which matches the USDA minimum safe internal temperature for fish exactly — no correction needed here.
Why can the salmon be served either warm or chilled?
Because the fish is smoked separately from the salad and added at the very end, it holds up well either way — giving you flexibility to serve it right off the grill or make it ahead and chill it before assembling.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5 — the dressing and crouton crumb come together entirely off the grill, but smoking the salmon low and slow with real wood smoke is central to this recipe and isn't easily replicated indoors.
Recipe Highlights
Overnight dry brine: Builds a tacky pellicle that helps smoke adhere.
Emulsified Caesar base: Raw egg and anchovy build real depth a bottled dressing can't match.
Split Parmesan: Creates two distinct cheese textures in the finished salad.
Serve warm or chilled: Separately smoked salmon offers flexible make-ahead timing.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 14.56 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 414
- Carbs
- 7 grams
- Protein
- 33 grams
- Fat
- 29 grams
- Sodium
- 388 milligrams
