How to Smoke Salmon Recipe [+Video]

Smoked salmon is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or part of a main course. Learn how to smoke salmon at home with our easy-to-follow recipe and video tutorial below.

We start this recipe with a dry brine that loads the salmon fillets with flavor and prepares them to soak in all the smoky flavor. This is a hot-smoked salmon recipe made on a wood pellet smoker.

We have covered all our bases when it comes to salmon here on the blog. We have air fryer salmon, grilled salmon, baked salmon, salmon in a salad, salmon bowls and stuffed salmon. We have been working on a smoked salmon recipe for years, and we have finally nailed it!

Ingredients for Smoked Salmon

Aside from the salmon filets, you’ll need just a few ingredients for the dry brine rub and then a few ingredients for the seasoning mix you rub all over it before smoking it. Here is what you will need:

Dry Brine

• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and flavor
• Black Pepper: adds flavor and tiny bit of heat

Smoked Salmon

• Salmon Filets: You can get smaller individual filets or get one big filet and then slice it into servings afterward
• Dijon Mustard: adds flavor
• Butter: adds rich flavor and helps keep the salmon moist
• Brown Sugar: adds a little sweetness and helps caramelize the outside of the salmon
• Dill: I almost always prefer fresh herbs for recipes, but for this one, I prefer dried dill.
• Smoked Paprika: adds more smoky flavor
• Salt and Black Pepper: adds flavor
• Maple Syrup: used to baste the fillets as they smoke

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

What is the Best Salmon for Smoking?

I always look for farm-raised salmon when it comes to smoking. They tend to have a higher fat content which helps them stay tender and flaky through the smoking process. King salmon is my go-to. Coho or Atlantic salmon is my backup. You want to avoid really lean salmon like sockeye salmon.

Why Brine Salmon

This brining process will eliminate some of the moisture from the inside of the fish while simultaneously infusing it with salt, which will help preserve the salmon and its moisture and help create a pellicle (see section below).

What is a Pellicle?

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I had a wonderful time visiting friends and family in Arizona this past week. It’s a little strange sometimes to realize we’ve been away from the Southwest for over six years now, after living all of my life until then in the desert.

I’m looking forward to relaxing with my family as much as possible this weekend. I’m hoping to spend some time soaking up some Ohio sunshine and maybe squeezing in a nap or two as well. It was a glorious 62°F outside yesterday, while Arizona popped back up over 100°F. There really is no place better than home – especially when you live in Ohio.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  Tender shrimp, crisp hot vegetables, and a whole lot of flavor come together to make this Shrimp Fried Rice in just 20 minutes.

Spicy ground beef, tender potatoes, bell pepper, and onion come together in a simple Ground Beef and Potatoes skillet meal that will leave everyone grinning around the table.

This chicken salad with grapes and apples is rapidly becoming my family’s go-to chicken salad. (And that says a lot considering how many different versions of chicken salad we make!) Served with crackers or chips, layered in a sandwich or a lettuce wrap, or simply eaten with a fork, this salad is a winner.

With just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes in the oven, Brown Sugar Bacon is a guaranteed way to ensure breakfast happiness. There’s something almost magical in the way a bit of melted butter and brown sugar caramelizes around each salty strip of bacon.

Tender crab meat and a flavorful cream cheese sauce combine to make this Hot Crab Dip taste similar to crab rangoon, but in dippable form! Serve with crostini, toasted baguette, crackers, wonton chips, or whichever dippers you like best.

Thin, chewy, buttery oatmeal lace cookies with crispy edges have proven completely and totally irresistible to every single person who has tried them.

Creamy and sweet with a bit of tang, sour cream ice cream is bright and refreshing when served in a cone, over a slice of apple crisp, or scooped into a bowl and topped with a warm berry sauce.

What I’m CRAVING: These almond butter stuffed chocolate covered dates caught my eye last week and now I can’t stop thinking about them! I must try

One Skillet Mexican Street Corn Chicken

Spice up your weeknight dinner with this easy one skillet Mexican street corn chicken recipe! Featuring tender chicken, charred corn, and a flavorful sauce, this dish is sure to be a hit with the whole family.

We are so obsessed with Mexican street corn here that we have been trying it all sorts of ways…elote corn salad, sheet pan Mexican street corn, in a pasta salad, and I still have so many ideas!

It pairs so deliciously with chicken, and I’ve tried this easy chicken dinner recipe a few ways. This version is my absolute favorite! We basically take tradition Mexican street corn and pile it over some crispy juicy chicken.

At first, I thought it would be best with grilled chicken, but that wasn’t it. It felt like two separate dishes and I didn’t like whole breasts as it didn’t feel as casual and easy to eat. So I cut the chicken into the bite-sized pieces and pan fried it, and it came together beautifully! If you are looking for a new chicken recipe, then give this one a try!

Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn Chicken

Try this delicious and easy one pan Mexican street corn chicken recipe for a flavorful and satisfying meal. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a taste of authentic Mexican street food in your own kitchen! Here is everything you will need:

• Corn on the Cob: We prefer fresh corn, but you can use frozen corn too if you need to. Scroll to the section below for more details.
• Egg: used for dredging the chicken
• Flour: sticks to the egg on the chicken to create a light crispy breading on the chicken
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Black Pepper: adds flavor
• Chicken Breasts: I prefer the flavor and texture of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: helps cook the breaded chicken
• Chili Powder: adds a little heat and traditional elote flavor
• Smoked Paprika: adds rich smoky flavor
• Onion: Just a simple yellow onion works great.
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Salted Butter: helps sauté the vegetables and adds rich flavor
• Mexican Crema: a signature Mexican street corn ingredient that can be found in the refrigerated Latino food section
• Lime: adds acidity and flavor
• Cotija Cheese: another essential component for Mexican s

Easy One Skillet Pesto Asparagus Quinoa Recipe

This Easy Pesto Asparagus Quinoa Recipe is a fresh, vibrant dish packed with creamy pesto, tender asparagus, fluffy quinoa, and melty cheese — all baked to bubbly perfection. It’s a wholesome, one-pan wonder that’s bursting with flavor and ready in no time!

This one skillet pesto asparagus quinoa recipe is one of our favorite healthy dinners that takes hardly any work on your part. Vibrant basil pesto is the perfect addition to take simple quinoa to spectacularly delicious! We are using vegetable broth to cook the quinoa too which makes this a scrumptious vegetarian recipe!

Casseroles have always done well here at Oh Sweet Basil! They are family friendly and usually easy on the budget. We will forever loooove our teriyaki chicken casserole and of course, my mom’s busy day casserole. But this asparagus pesto quinoa casserole is probably our most healthy casserole, so everyone needs to try it!

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a flowering plant with edible seeds. Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids.

It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants.

Quinoa is often used as an alternative for grains such as rice. In fact, we transformed our popular cilantro lime rice into cilantro lime quinoa. It’s fabulous!

What is Needed to Make Pesto Quinoa with Asparagus?

You only need one skillet and a few simple ingredients to make this easy weeknight dinner recipe! Here is everything you’ll need:

• Olive Oil: Helps cook the asparagus and tomatoes.
• Asparagus: Trim the spears and chop them into 1-2″ pieces.
• Sea Salt: Amplifies the flavor of the dish.
• Grape Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes also work great.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Adds extra flavor to the dish.
• Quinoa: Any type of quinoa works great in this recipe. We used white quinoa this time.
• Vegetable Broth: Adds more flavor than just using water. It can be substituted with chicken broth if desired.
• Pesto: You can make your own from scratch or buy a bottle at the grocery store.
• Mozzarella Chees