Stove Top Smoked Salmon Recipe

Name: Stove Top Smoked Salmon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 290 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 2 pounds of salmon filet; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup coarse sea salt; 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 to 1 cup wood chips; Large wok, roasting pan, or another large cooking vessel; Cake rack, cooling rack, or indoor grilling rack that fits in the cooking vessel; Plenty of foil

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Marinate Time: 4 hrs

Total: 4 hrs 50 mins

Servings: 12 servings

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The phrase "smoked salmon" is used to describe what is, in fact, cured salmon. While fabulously delicious, salt-cured salmon (like gravlax) never sees smoke, and cold-smoked fish like lox retain its soft texture and take up a limited smoke flavor.

Here, we have truly smoked salmon—salmon cooked by the heat of the smoke, while also getting infused with rich smoked flavor—made at home, on the stove. You don't need a commercial smoker; you're going to make a small stovetop version out of stuff in the kitchen.

For this recipe, you will need ½ to 1 cup of wood chips, plenty of aluminum foil, a large cooking vessel such as a roasting pan or wok, and a cake rack or cooling rack that can fit inside the cooking vessel.

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2 pounds skin-on salmon filet
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for the rack

Gather the ingredients.

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Remove the pin bones from the salmon.

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In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Spread 1/3 of the mixture evenly on the bottom of a large baking pan.

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Place the salmon on top and cover with remaining sugar-salt mixture.

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Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

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Put wood chips in a large bowl, cover with water, and let soak at least 30 minutes. Drain, being careful to catch any wood bits from going down drain and clogging the pipes or messing with the disposal.

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Put soaked wood chips in a wok or roasting pan. Lightly grease a rack with the vegetable oil and set it over the wood chips. Rinse the cure from the salmon under cold water and pat dry.

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Put the salmon, skin-side-down, on the rack.

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Heat pan on high heat until the chips start to smoke. Reduce heat to low and cover pan with several layers of foil and seal very tightly to keep the smoke inside the pan. Cook undisturbed for 30 minutes.

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Turn off the heat and let salmon cool in the sealed smoky pan. When the pan is cool enough to touch, unwrap the salmon. Serve salmon warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

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Tip

Although the salmon is smoked, it is not shelf-stable. It will last about a week in the fridge but isn't preserved beyond that point.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
196	Calories
10g	Fat
8g	Carbs
17g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	196
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g	13%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 48mg	16%
Sodium 2406mg	105%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 3mg	14%
Calcium 21mg	2%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 308mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.