Smoked Salmon: Dry Brine Recipe for Flaky

A delicious dry-brined smoked salmon dish. We've been experimenting with smoked salmon recipes for years, and our fast dry-brine method is simple and tasty. When we have a party, this is our go-to appetizer. Consider serving it with simple bagels and cream cheese.

Dry-Brined Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, split
• 1 cup kosher salt.
• 3 lb salmon fillets
• ½ cup honey
• Optional: 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles of cola-flavored carbonated beverage (like Coca-Cola®).
• 3 cups of soaking wood chips.

Directions

Step 1 

In a small mixing bowl, combine one cup brown sugar and kosher salt.

Step 2 

Spread a thin layer of the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch baking pan. Place 2 to 3 salmon fillets on top and drizzle with part of the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layering until all of the salmon fillets are covered. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Step 3 

Preheat the smoker to 195 degrees Fahrenheit (91 degrees Celsius) according the manufacturer's directions.

Step 4

Rinse the brown sugar mixture off the salmon fillets. Brush the fillets gently with honey and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar on top. 

Step 5 

Pour cola-flavored beverage into the smoker's water pan and fill to within 1 inch of the top. Place half of the wood chips around the edge of the hot charcoal. Place the fish on the frying racks.

Step 6 

Cook the fish, adding additional wood chips as required, until an instant-read thermometer put into the middle registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degrees Celsius), approximately 2 hours. Allow it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Editors' Note:

The nutrition data for this dish includes the whole quantity of brine components. The quantity of brine eaten will vary.