How to Cold Smoke Salmon: A Step-by-Step Guide for Delicious Results

This cold smoked salmon recipe is my dream come true. Our family loves cold smoked salmon, and Ive meant to start making it ourselves for many years. Everyone who has been asking me for a good cold-smoked salmon recipe can now have it! It’s great! You won’t be let down! I’m really excited about it because it makes the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had. Nothing else even comes close.

Cold smoked salmon is a delicious delicacy loved by many. The unique texture and smoky flavor make it an appetizing addition to appetizer platters sandwiches, salads and more. Though you can easily buy cold smoked salmon at the store, making it yourself at home results in a fresher, higher quality product.

It takes skill, patience, and the right tools to cold smoke salmon the right way. Learn how to cold smoke salmon the right way by following these steps.

What You Need

2-4 lbs fresh salmon fillet
Curing ingredients: salt, brown sugar, spices
Brining container
Smoker
Wood chips – alder and oak work well

Step 1: Prepare the Salmon

Rinse the salmon fillet and pat dry Remove any remaining pin bones with tweezers Cut the fillet into uniform strips if smoking smaller portions.

Step 2: Make the Cure

After being cured in salt and sugar, the fish loses water and gets firmer. A basic cure is:

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup salt
Spices like dill, pepper, garlic powder

Mix the ingredients together and coat the salmon fillets evenly on both sides. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

Step 3: Rinse and Air Dry

Rinse the cure off under cold water and pat the fish dry. Allow to air dry for an hour until a tacky pellicle forms on the surface This helps absorb smoke flavor.

Step 4: Smoke at Low Temp

Cold smoking salmon uses temperatures below 90°F. Set up your smoker to maintain a constant temp between 60-80°F. Good wood choices are alder, oak or fruit woods.

Place the salmon on racks, making sure there is enough air flow around the fish. Let the fillet sit in cold smoke for 4 to 6 hours, or until the thickest part of it reaches 145°F.

Step 5: Rest and Slice

Allow the smoked salmon to rest in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours. Use a long, thin slicing knife to cut paper-thin slices diagonally across the fillet.

Enjoy your homemade cold smoked salmon on bagels, salads, cheese boards and more! Adjust the brine and smoking times to suit your taste.

Tips for Cold Smoking Salmon

Use frozen salmon to kill parasites before smoking raw
Aim for 4-6 hours of continuous thin smoke
Let rest overnight after smoking for best flavor
Slice very thinly across the grain

With the right techniques, you can make incredible cold smoked salmon at home. Let the salmon cure overnight before a long, low and slow smoking session. Resting and proper slicing are also keys for maximizing texture and taste. Follow this guide for success when cold smoking salmon.

how to cold smoke salmon

Hanging vs. laying flat

You can smoke salmon either by hanging the fillets or by placing them on stainless steel wire mesh. The latter is my preferred method as it avoids stretching and deforming.

Try to smoke with clean thin and blue smoke. Otherwise, the fish will acquire a harsh chemical flavor.

The choice of wood is personal. Different regions prefer using different types of wood for smoking fish. The choice seems to be dependent on local availability. Alder, beech, oak, and poplar are good choices, among others. Hickory and fruit tree wood are also good choices and give fish a nice color.

I can keep my do-it-yourself smokehouse at 70F as long as the outside temperature stays below 62F. It will be harder, if not impossible, to keep the smoker at 70F when the temperature outside is higher, so choose the right day to smoke.

I’ve used a lot of smokers over the past 15 years. If I didn’t have my smokehouse, I’d choose an electric Masterbuilt smoker, which I know well and like, or a similar electric smoker. A gas smoker will be impossible to keep at such a low temperature.

Another option is a DIY box with a cold smoke generator, but make sure that your setup has good airflow as the fish needs not only smoke but also dry while smoking.

If you are interested in building your own smokehouse for cold and hot smoking of fish and meats, check out my DIY smokehouse design. Its very versatile, and I love its performance all year round. Otherwise, check out Stanley Marianskis Curing And Smoking Fish and Meat Smoking And Smokehouse Design books; he provided many details and designs for various smokehouses.

Rinsing salmon after brining

After brining, remove salmon from the brine and rinse under running water. Next, put the fillets in cold water for 60 minutes for fillets 3/4″ to 1″ thick or 120 minutes for fillets 1 1/2″ to 2″ thick. Change the water a few times during this time.

After brining and rinsing, salmon needs to spend 12 hours in the fridge. This will allow the fish to dry and form a pellicle on the surface. During the drying time, the salt will equalize inside the fillets. Put the fillets, skin side down, on a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Cover and chill in the fridge for 12 hours. You can go longer, up to 24 hours, if necessary.

Smoking must be done at below 80F (26C). Temperatures above this threshold will cook fish. According to Marianski, all Polish, Russian, or Lithuanian technology books recommend smoking fish at below 72F (22C). Some books occasionally recommend 77F (25C), and old German recipes call for smoking at 64F (18C). Marianski recommends smoking salmon at no higher than 70F (22C) for 12-16 hours, depending on size.

How to make COLD SMOKED SALMON (EASY!)

FAQ

How long should I cold smoke my salmon?

How Long to Cold Smoke Salmon? It takes approximately 18-24 hours to cold smoke salmon. Since the salmon is not rising in temperature during the smoke time, you don’t smoke to a specific internal temperature. Check the color and the texture of the salmon for clues about when it is ready to come off of the smoker.

Is cold-smoked salmon raw?

Smoked salmon is cooked if using a hot smoking method, as the fish becomes exposed to high temperatures. You’ll know your salmon is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 135 to 145 degrees F. Cold-smoked salmon is raw, though it often has a longer shelf life.

How do you prepare fish for cold smoking?

Cold (slow) smoking A slow smoke may take five or six hours, with prior preparation of soaking the fish in a brine of water, salt and brown sugar for 12-24 hours. Salting or brining is an essential step in the smoking process.

Is lox the same as cold-smoked salmon?

Is lox hot-smoked or cold-smoked? Neither. Made from the belly meat of a salmon, lox is actually never cooked but is, instead, cured in a salty brine mixture for several weeks. Compared to smoked salmon, lox is saltier with more of a raw texture, making it the perfect addition to a toasted bagel with cream cheese.

How do you eat cold smoked salmon?

Smoked salmon is perfect on a platter, with eggs benedict or even just on a cracker with cream cheese. The process of cold smoking salmon is actually easy. My whole family is obsessed with the homemade version! I love cold smoked salmon, but it does take time, a little bit of know-how, and a couple of pieces of equipment.

Is smoked salmon good for you?

Salmon is a source of high-quality protein, magnesium, and selenium. In addition, it provides healthy fatty acids for the body. It contains large amounts of omega 3, which prevents cardiovascular diseases, has anti-inflammatory properties, and prevents certain types of Cancer.

How long does it take to cold smoke salmon?

It takes approximately 18-24 hours to cold smoke salmon. Since the salmon is not rising in temperature during the smoke time, you don’t smoke to a specific internal temperature. Check the color and the texture of the salmon for clues about when it is ready to come off of the smoker.

How do you make cold smoked salmon?

Cold smoked salmon is made by first curing the fish in flavored salt brine, then dried and smoked at 70F for 12-16 hours.