The BEST Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon Recipe
Looking for a delicious Masterbuilt Smoker salmon recipe? With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll be able to create a perfectly smoked salmon that your friends and family will love. It’s definitely one of the best smoked salmon recipes we’ve made! Give it a try!
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What is a Masterbuilt Smoker?
Masterbuilt® smokers are known to be one of the best smokers for people who are serious about smoking. They sell a robust line of smokers of all kinds, including propane smokers, electric smokers, and charcoal smokers.
One of our favorite things to make in the Masterbuilt smoker is this easy smoked salmon recipe!
What You Need to Make Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon
- 4 pounds fresh skin-on salmon fillets
- Maple syrup
- Alder wood chips, or maple wood chips
- Oil
For the Brine
- 1 quart water
- 1/3 cup kosher salt, not regular salt
- 2 Tablespoon cracked pepper
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
What Kind of Salmon Fillets Should I Use?
Technically, you can use any kind of salmon for this recipe, like Sockeye salmon, Atlantic salmon, or King salmon.
Keep in mind that the type of salmon you use may slightly affect the time it takes during the smoking process, so adjust accordingly.
We happen to live in the Pacific Northwest, so we’ve had good access to really good salmon. But regardless of where you are, we’ve found that opting for wild salmon vs farmed salmon tends to produce the best results. Additionally, I find that to make the best salmon for this recipe, you’ll want to use fresh salmon.
How to Make Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon
- In a medium or large bowl, whisk together water, kosher salt, pepper, and brown sugar until well-combined using a whisk to make a wet brine. In a large shallow container (plastic or glass is best), place fillets in a single layer and pour brine mixture on top. Top with the lemon slices. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours.
- Take the salmon fillets out of the brine container and rinse them with cold water to remove the seasonings. Pat dry with paper towels & discard the salmon brine.
- Place salmon skin side down on a cooling rack (wire rack), then air-dry for at least 2 hours, or allow to dry in the refrigerator overnight. Once done, the salmon skin should be shiny – this is called a pellicle. Brush on some oil onto the the salmon skin of your fish with some oil to avoid sticking.
- Soak alder wood chips in water. Meanwhile, brush the grates of the Masterbuilt smoker with oil and preheat it to 150˚F.
- Once temperature of the smoker reaches 150˚F., place the salmon on the grate and place the soaked wood chips in the side drawer. It should start producing smoke soon.
- Smoke salmon at 150°F for an hour, then baste with maple syrup (don’t just use a little bit – be generous with the maple syrup!). Add a small handful of wood chips and turn up the heat to 175°F for approximately another 1.5-2 hours. If you notice that the smoker isn’t producing smoke, add more wood chips for best results. Personally, I find that I like to reduce the smoke towards the last 30 minutes, so I don’t add any more wood chips in the final stage. But if you like more smoke flavor, then feel free to keeping adding wood chips until the end.
- Once your salmon reaches an internal temperature of 130°F, you are done! Your Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon recipe is ready to serve. I like to top it off with fresh cracked black pepper and a bit of sea salt, but this is optional. Leftovers can be refrigerated wrapped in plastic wrap for about 7-10 days. ENJOY!
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If you make this Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon recipe, please drop a comment below! I’d LOVE to know what you think! Or take a picture and share it on Instagram by tagging @dwellbymichelle so I can repost it on my stories!
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. Content is written by Michelle Schmidt of dwellbymichelle.com.
The BEST Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pounds fresh skin-on salmon fillets
- Maple syrup
- Alder wood chips , or maple wood chips
- Oil
For the Brine
- 1 quart 1 quart water
- ⅓ cup kosher salt , not regular salt
- 2 tbsp cracked pepper
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ lemon , thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium or large bowl, whisk together water, kosher salt, pepper, and brown sugar until well-combined using a whisk to make a wet brine. In a large shallow container (plastic or glass is best), place fillets in a single layer and pour brine mixture on top. Top with the lemon slices. Cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours.
- Take the salmon fillets out of the brine container and rinse them with cold water to remove the seasonings. Pat dry with paper towels & discard the salmon brine.
- Place salmon skin side down on a cooling rack (wire rack), then air-dry for at least 2 hours, or allow to dry in the refrigerator overnight. Once done, the salmon skin should be shiny – this is called a pellicle. Brush on some oil onto the the salmon skin of your fish with some oil to avoid sticking.
- Soak alder wood chips in water. Meanwhile, brush the grates of the Masterbuilt smoker with oil and preheat it to 150˚F.
- Once temperature of the smoker reaches 150˚F, place the salmon on the grate and place the soaked wood chips in the side drawer. It should start producing smoke soon.
- Smoke salmon at 150°F for an hour, then baste with maple syrup (don't just use a little bit – be generous with the maple syrup!). Add a small handful of woodchips and turn up the heat to 175°F for approximately another 1.5-2 hours. If you notice that the smoker isn't producing smoke, add more wood chips for best results. Personally, I find that I like to reduce the smoke towards the last 30 minutes, so I don't add any more wood chips in the final stage. But if you like more smoke flavor, then feel free to keeping adding wood chips until the end.
- Once your salmon reaches an internal temperature of 130°F, you are done! Your Masterbuilt Smoker Salmon recipe is ready to serve. I like to top it off with fresh cracked black pepper and a bit of sea salt, but this is optional. Leftovers can be refrigerated wrapped in plastic wrap for about 7-10 days. ENJOY!
