Traeger Smoked Salmon (Dr. Pepper Brine)

Why smoked salmon?

If you have never had salmon dip or bagel and locks is the only reason you could ask this question. Smoked salmon is AMAZINGLY delicious and easy to make. It costs way less when you make it yourself and tastes twice as good.

Here we make a salmon with a glaze and one without on our pellet smoker. Whether you like sweet salmon or salty, this smoked salmon recipe has you covered. Fire up that smoker and let's make some Traeger smoked salmon.

What salmon is the best?

I like buying wild caught salmon, here I used wild caught sockeye salmon. This will work well with any salmon though, so use what you can get!

Here are the types you likely will come across, king and sockeye are my favorite to use.

• King Salmon
• Sockeye Salmon
• Atlantic Salmon
• Pacific Salmon
• Coho Salmon
• Pink Salmon

Removing pin bones

I started with a wild caught sockeye salmon fillet that I purchased from my local grocery store. I always buy wild caught salmon when smoking or making my favorite salmon jerky. 

The taste is sooo much better when it is wild caught. You can tell wild caught from farm raised because of the dark red color of the meat.

Run your fingers over the meat to feel for any pin bones. I have had salmon fillets with a lot of pin bones (see above) and others that don't have any. They will feel hard and be white in color.

I use standard needle nose pliers to pull them out. They should pull out easily with a little wiggling. Don't forget this step, no one likes bones in their smoked salmon!

Brining the fish

The first step when making traeger smoked salmon is to brine it in a salt mixture. This will help draw moisture out of the fish, help preserve the fish after drying, and give it some flavor as well.

We are using some Dr. Pepper soda for this wet brine! Throw a little salt with it and we're good to go. That sugar from the soda gives it a nice sweet flavor.

Brine

• Pour 24oz of Dr. Pepper into a 9x13" deep sided dish
• Add salt and stir with a whisk to distribute and dissolve
• Place salmon filet skin side up into the dish
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator 8hrs to over night.

Once the fish is finished brining, the next step is normally to rinse the fish filet off with fresh cold water. I did not use a lot of salt in this brine and want to keep the Dr. Pepper flavor, so I am not rinsing this salmon. Simply dry with paper towels thoroughly after removing from brine.

Pellicle

A pellicle is a thin film that needs to form on the meat of the fish before the smoking process. This pellicle will help the smoke adhere to the fish as well as slow down the cooking process.

There are two ways to create a pellicle.

• Place the fish filet in front of a fan in a cool room for 3-5 hours.
• Place the fish filet on a cooling rack uncovered in the fridge for 6-8 hours.

Both of these ways will create a pellicle, It just depends on how much time you have. I like using the fan because it's faster.

When a pellicle is formed on the fish, a shiny sheen or film can be seen. Once this has formed, it's time to smoke the fish.

Choosing a smoker

I'm smoking this salmon on my pellet smoker, just like the Traeger 780. Pellet smokers are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor on salmon, and other meats for that matter, without having to babysit a firebox all day.

A traditional offset smoker, like this Oklahoma Joe's Smoker can also be used when smoking salmon. They take a little more attention with maintaining a consistent temperature, but produce great flavor.

Wood pellets

The best wood to use when smoking salmon is a light wood that is not too overpowering. Fruit woods work great with fish. Cherry or apple wood chips are my go to when smoking salmon.

If I don't have any fruit wood pellets handy, I'll go with a competition or trophy blend. These are a mixture of several hardwoods that go great with just about any meat or fish.

So grab your favorite wood pellet and get your Traeger grill fired up.

Smoking salmon

Low and slow is the way to smoke salmon. I am using a pellet smoker on the lowest setting of about 180°F.

180°F is a good temperature and we will maintain that the entire time. Place the fish directly on the smoker grill grate skin side down. No need to oil the skin, it should not stick to the rack.

Lower the grill lid and smoke the salmon for the first hour without putting anything on the fish. After the first hour, you can decide to let it ride or brush on a glaze. It depends on whether you want a strong sweet flavor or a mild flavor from the Dr. Pepper.

Glaze

Like a sweet smoked salmon? If so, brushing on a glaze is probably for you. My favorite glaze is simply equal parts honey and maple syrup. 2 tablespoons of each mixed together is plenty.

After the first hour of smoke, start to pat or begin brushing on the glaze with a brush every 20 minutes or so. The fish should only take about 2 hours total, so getting 2-3 coats of glaze works great.

Testing the fish

After about 1.5 hours, start checking the internal temp of the fish with an instant read thermometer. Using a thermometer to check the internal temperature is the best way to know when the smoked salmon is finished.

Our target is 145°F internal temperature. This is when we will pull the fish off and allow to cool down.

Always cook to temperature, not time. This should take about 2 hours, but make sure to use a thermometer to really know when the fish is finished.

How to eat smoke salmon

There are MANY different ways to eat Traeger smoked salmon. You can eat it straight off the smoker with a fork, it's delicious. More than not though, it's added into dishes or made into dips.

My favorite way to eat smoked salmon is on a bagel with cream cheese. Making a salmon dip or salmon toast are also great ideas when it comes to salmon recipes.

FAQ

Old pro tips

• Buy wild caught salmon for the best flavor
• Use an instant read thermometer to test the fish
• Glaze the fish for better flavor