Description
We’ve been playing with smoked salmon recipes for years and this quick dry-brine process is easy and delicious. A go-to appetizer in our house any time there’s a party. Hope you enjoy. Try serving it with plain bagels and cream cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, divided
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 3 pounds salmon fillets
- ½ cup honey
- 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles cola-flavored carbonated beverage (such as Coca-Cola®) (Optional)
- 3 cups wood chips, soaked
Instructions
- Mix 1 cup brown sugar and kosher salt together in a small bowl.
- Spread a thin layer of the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch baking pan. Arrange 2 to 3 salmon fillets on top; cover with some of the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers until all the salmon fillets are coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
- 8 hours to overnight.
- Preheat a smoker to 195 degrees F (91 degrees C) according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Rinse brown sugar mixture off salmon fillets. Brush fillets lightly with honey and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar on top.
- Pour cola-flavored beverage into the smoker’s water pan; add water to within 1 inch of the top. Place half of the wood chips around the perimeter of the hot charcoal. Place salmon on the cooking racks.
- Cook salmon
- adding more wood chips if needed
- until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 145 degrees F (63 degrees C)
- about 2 hours. Cool before serving
- at least 15 minutes.
Cook Time: 2 hrs
Total Time: 10 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 12