Smoked Salmon with Maple Orange Glaze
On September 05, 2022 (Updated September 27, 2024)
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This Smoked Salmon with Maple Orange Glaze is the most delectable, smoky, melt-in-your-mouth salmon you will ever have. While this process requires a little bit of time and patience, it is totally worth it! Believe me when I say you’ve never had salmon quite like this before. It is one process that is well worth the wait.
Smoked Salmon
Hot smoked salmon is a food experience you’re sure to love. It requires some extra love and attention, but believe me when I say it is definitely worth the work and wait. It makes for the perfect weekend smoke project, and I guarantee it’ll be hard to find leftovers once you put this out on the table.
The glaze is a simple combo of maple syrup and orange juice. It seems simple, but a lot of flavor comes from the maple orange glaze, so invest in good maple syrup and orange juice for the best results.
What to Buy for Smoked Salmon?
When purchasing your salmon to smoke, purchase fresh, skin-on salmon if possible. I’ve smoked with both skin on and off, but skin-on is better. Having the skin on helps the salmon hold together during the curing and smoking stages. I also recommend purchasing salmon that has less fat running through the muscles.
Aim to buy wild-caught Alaskan king or sockeye salmon. Farmed Atlantic salmon works just fine, but more fat can mean more albumin (that white build-up on the outside of the salmon) while you’re cooking. Plus, commercially farmed salmon is often artificially colored.
In my opinion, wild-caught salmon has the best flavor when smoking, but I understand that you have to cook what you like best (and what’s available and in your budget)! My kids always prefer the more mild flavor of Atlantic salmon.
Smoked Salmon Brine
Any time you are smoking salmon, you need to brine it first. This recipe is for hot smoking, so the curing stage is different than Cold Smoked Salmon which often sits in a dry salt crust cure for 24 hours. The salt in this brine does this magical thing where it draws out the moisture from the salmon which helps intensify the flavor and season the meat all at the same time.
This brine is designed to infuse the salmon with a little bit of the sweetness from the maple syrup and some bright yummy zip from the orange. It is really pretty unbelievably tasty for how simple it is.
Here’s what you need to make this brine:
- 4 cups cool water
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- zest of 1 orange
Important note! Make sure you use kosher salt for this recipe, as table salt typically has iodide in it and that can cause some funky flavors. It will also later the concentration of salt in the brine.
How to Smoke Salmon
Making this recipe requires quite a few steps, and each one is essential to ensure your salmon cooks well. Here’s how to smoke salmon in 5 simple steps.
- Brine the salmon. Combine all the ingredients for the brine in a glass container. Gently submerge your salmon into the liquid. Cover, and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
- Develop a pellicle. Similar to making home-cured bacon, this salmon needs to form a sticky layer on the outside, called a pellicle, to help the smoke cling to the fish. The pellicle develops once the salmon is removed from the brine and sits in the fridge overnight on a cooling rack, uncovered.
- Preheat your smoker and prep the glaze. Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and set aside. Preheat your smoker to 165-170 degrees F. I use my Camp Chef pellet grill to get consistent temperatures and good smoke. The most important part to smoking this salmon is maintaining a low temperature (around 165 degrees) while smoking. If your smoker wants to run higher than that, you can place an aluminum tray with ice under the grates (not touching the salmon) and that should help keep the temperature down. I smoked this salmon with maple wood, but any mellow wood like pecan or alder works well.
- Smoke the salmon! This is a hot smoked salmon, so it is going to cook entire on the smoker. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill grates and smoke for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temp reaches 145 degrees F. Brush the salmon with the glaze every hour while it is smoking.
- Eat and enjoy. This salmon can be eaten fresh off the grill, or served cold. Simply flake and eat.
How Long to Smoke Salmon
Getting your salmon up to the correct internal temperature of 145 degrees F can take a few hours. Keep an eye on the progress by using a good internal thermometer. I always recommend cooking to temperature and not to time, so estimate anywhere from 3-4 hours to fully cook this salmon.
I have several thermometers, but my favorite for this is my Thermoworks Smoke so I can keep an eye on both the grill temperature and fish temperature while smoking.
More Smoked Salmon Recipes
Salmon is a favorite dinner in my family; everyone seems to love it, and we rarely have leftovers. If you’re looking for another delicious smoked salmon recipe from Hey Grill Hey, check out some of my favorites below:
Smoked Salmon Recipe
Watch the video below the recipe card and I’ll show you step-by-step how I make this smoked salmon recipe at home. I’m all about helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can check out more of my smoking and grilling recipe videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page.
This post was originally published September 2017. It has since been updated with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Smoked Salmon with Maple Orange Glaze
Video
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound salmon fillet cut into individual portions
Brine
- 4 cups cool water
- 1 cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- zest of 1 orange
Maple Orange Glaze
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup orange juice
Instructions
- Brine the salmon. In a glass baking dish, combine all of the ingredients for the brine and stir until the salt is dissolved. Gently submerge your salmon portions in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. If your salmon fillets are thin, 8 hours should be enough. Thicker fillets will take 12 hours.
- Develop the pellicle. Remove the salmon from the brine and transfer it to a cooling rack positioned over a cookie sheet. Place the salmon in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight to develop a pellicle.
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 165-170 degrees F using your favorite hardwood. I used maple for this recipe, but pecan or alder are also great options. You can also use orange wood if you can get your hands on some.
- Make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and orange juice and set aside.
- Smoke the salmon. Place the salmon on the grates skin side down and smoke for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145 degrees F. Brush your salmon with the maple orange glaze every hour while smoking.
- Enjoy. Once your fish has reached 145 degrees F, remove the salmon from the smoker. Serve immediately if you want a hot dinner or chill and serve cold in a salad or sandwich the next day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this over Memorial Day weekend and it was an absolute hit. My husband says it’s the best salmon that he ever had.
It was delicious warm and just as good the next day cold. This will be the only way I do salmon from now on. Well, until Susie comes out with her next best salmon recipe.
How would I convert to this to a cold smoke recipe?
Love this recipe! My smoker won’t hold below 200, so I smoke it at that temp for about 1 1/2 hours. Also, my wife is allergic to citrus, so I substitute fresh ginger in the brine. I use oak or hickory charcoal, but add some peach wood chips for great flavor.
Do you pat it dry before putting it on the rack to develop the pellicle?
I do not pat it dry before placing on the rack.
I only had a 1.2 lb salmon filet so cut the recipe accordingly. I used the Nordic Ware Kettle smoker and the salmon came out delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I had a bit while it was warm, then had a bit more after it cooled off. I actually prefer it cold. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment!! So happy you enjoyed this one!!
This is a wonderful recipe but if using thinner filets such as sockeye etc you should cut the amount of salt to 1/4 cup
Sweet baby Jesus! This stuff is amazing.
I made a pound of wild caught sockeye into pure gold with this recipe. You absolutely rock.
Next time, 3 pounds.
I made a two pound batch of this recipe about a week and a half ago. Awesome! I’ve used it in omelettes, as is for snacks, mixed with whipped cream cheese and on salads. I’ll be making a four pound batch starting tomorrow with a friend who wants to use my smoker for the process. I used Pacific wild caught and apple chips in an electric smoker. Might give it a go on my Traeger next.
Thanks for coming back and leaving me a comment!! I’m so happy you liked this recipe!!
My husband made 1 lb as a test on Saturday and it was the best salmon ever! 3 fillets brined and overnight in the fridge, smoking a larger batch tomorrow! Will make this a staple kind of like keeping home made bacon stocked at all times!!
I left the salmon in the brine for 3 days and developed the pen for 3 days. Is the salmon still ok to smoke?
You can still try and smoke it, but it’s been drying for 3 days and the pellicle may be too thick for the smoke to really penetrate the salmon, resulting in a less than ideal texture and flavor.
Made this today, my smoker only took 1 1/2 hours to get it to temp. Followed your process, and it’s amazing!! Thank you