Easy Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill
If you haven’t tried Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill, I am here to tell you it is easy and delicious and once you’ve made it you will wonder what took you so long! The beauty of Cedar planked salmon on the grill is that you can add smoke flavor to salmon using a cedar plank, even if you have a gas grill OR even cook it in your oven! And if you love Seafood Recipes, don’t forget to check out all my Seafood Recipes for more inspiration!
Why Cedar Planked Salmon?
Cooking Salmon on a cedar plank perfumes the fish with cedar smoke flavor- taking it to the NEXT level in flavor! Salmon over cedar wood is a delicious combo, but you can also try alder wood for fish. And, why limit yourself to just salmon? Cooking over wood planks is an awesome way to add smoke flavor to anything- I’ve cooked chicken, mahi mahi, pizza, dessert peaches and even made cocktails on cedar planks to add smoke flavor! Plus, it makes for a beautiful presentation!
Don’t miss my orange oregano maple smoked chicken thighs cooked on maple planks, my wood fired pizza cooked on cedar planks, my mahi mahi with coconut lime butter on cedar planks and even my smoked old fashioned recipe. You can even make smoked cocktails using cedar planks as a fun hostess trick- no smoker needed!
Where to get Cedar Planks?
You can often find cedar planks at your grocery store, but if you can’t, I often buy Wildwood Gourmet from Amazon which offers sustainably sourced wood planks.
Can you make Cedar Planked Salmon in the Oven?
Yes you can absolutely make cedar planked salmon in the oven. Just like you will cook your cedar planked salmon on the grill on indirect, cooking in your oven is essentially the same thing. The beauty of cooking on cedar planks is that even when using your oven the Cedar Planks will add smoke flavor!
All great recipes start high quality ingredients like Wild Sockeye Salmon, Organic Butter, and Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Seasoning.
How Long to Cook Cedar Planked Salmon?
Internal Temp, never time, should always be your guide when cooking any meat. Every grill and piece of salmon is going to be different and internal temp is your most important guide when cooking. The internal temp you look for when cooking fish is 145 internal degrees as read by an internal-read meat thermometer such as the Thermapen. See my recommended tools below.
Tools Needed for Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill:
- Cedar Planks– soak for 30 minutes before putting on the grill. This is to reduce any flare ups.
- Internal Read Thermometer such as the Thermapen or the Thermopop.
- Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub (use Code SALMON for $1 off)
Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub is an amazing addition to seafood, chicken, pork, and even used as a cocktail rimmer.
How to Season Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill
I recommend using my Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub that was specifically developed for Seafood, but is freaking awesome on just about anything (including chicken wings, ribs, coleslaw- even as a rimmer on your cocktail!). If you don’t have Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub, I recommend using Old Bay, Lemon Pepper or an MSG free seafood seasoning. Use code SALMON for $1 off to try on this recipe!
What Temp to Cook Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill
When cooking cedar planked salmon on the grill, you want to ambient heat in your grill just as if you were cooking in your oven. This is done by creating a direct and indirect zone in your grill (refer to my youtube video on how to create direct versus indirect zones).
Where to Buy Salmon for Cedar Planked Salmon?
Look for WILD Sockeye Salmon, not farm raised salmon, because it is more nutritious over fish grown in aquaculture pens which are often fed a diet of corn, soy and antibiotics. This article from Mind Over Munch has great info on the difference between wild and farm raised Salmon. Opt for sockeye and wild Salmon whenever possible because you are what you eat! You can find Sockeye Salmon at places like Crowd Cow or Greensbury Market.
Can you Reuse Cedar Planks?
You can absolutely reuse cedar planks- I run them through the dishwasher and then use them again- usually about 2-3 times. After that they get warped. After that, I reuse them as wood when I do campfire style cooking in my Nuke.
Ingredients for Cedar Planked Salmon
- 1 lb Wild Sockeye Salmon
- 4 cedar planks (you can fit more on each plank depending on the size of your plank)
- 1 stick butter, divided into 8 pats of butter, two pats per filet of fish
- 4 tbsp Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub (use code Salmon for $1 off)
What to Pair with Cedar Planked Salmon?
When I make this recipe, my go-to sides are either my Charleston Style Coleslaw (this Coleslaw recipe is loved by Many, it has turned many coleslaw haters into lovers!) or grilled romaine.
During my recent Women’s Grilling Clinic I made Cedar Planked Salmon on the grill paired with Grilled Romaine Salad.
Make this Easy Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill
Now that you have all the info you need, you are ready to make this Cedar Planked Salmon and be the grilling badass you always knew you were! And if you need more Seafood inspiration, check out all my Seafood Recipes! Don’t forget to tag me on the gram @grillgirlrobyn or leave a comment below if you make this- I love seeing your creations!
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Easy Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill
Description
Cedar Planked Salmon on the Grill is easier than you think! All you need is a grill (you can make in your oven too), cedar planks, butter, Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub and Wild Sockeye Salmon. You'll have delicious cedar wood infused Salmon in under thirty minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Wild Sockeye Salmon
- 4 cedar planks (you can fit more on each plank depending on the size of your plank)
- 1 stick butter, divided into 8 pats of butter, two pats per filet of fish
- 4 tbsp Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub (use code Salmon for $1 off)
Instructions
On your grill, create direct and indirect zones- this is accomplished by either moving the charcoal to one side OR on a gas grill turning two burners on high and leaving the other two off to create DIRECT/INDIRECT zones. Cooking the cedar planks on indirect is using ambient heat, not directly over the flame, that will allow your fish to cook in the heat but without direct flame so the cedar planks do not catch on fire. Aim to heat your grill to a temperature 350-400 degrees.
Soak your cedar planks up to 30 minutes before using them. Heat your grill up and while it heats, place your salmon on the cedar planks on add rub and butter.
Place your cedar planked salmon on the indirect side of the grill and let the salmon cook until it reaches an internal temp of 145 degrees with an internal read thermometer like the thermapen. Pairs wonderfully with my Charleston Style Coleslaw or grilled romaine.
Notes
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