To look at the interwebs, you would think that making smoked salmon was quite a production. Lots of recipes about brining it and what not. I am here to tell you all that is unnecessary. You can have delicious smoked salmon in under an hour. No brine or marinade needed.

Please note:  This post contains affiliate links, many of which (though not all) are to Amazon.  We are an Amazon Affiliate.  If you click through to Amazon or another affiliate and make a purchase, we make the tiniest little commission which does not affect your purchase price.

The Great MLK Smoke Out

The story of this salmon goes a little something like this. Every Martin Luther King Day weekend, for the last few years, we get together with bunch of friends for Steve’s Great Smoker Smoke-Out. Those of us who have smokers, bring them.

We bundle up (one year the outside temp was dipping below 0). Hang out in the garage while the smokers cook away. We eat lots of amazing smoked foods and sides. The kids sled and play video and board games. An amazing time is had by all.

Jim and I often plan for weeks. Although it is not a competition. A little it is. So the food must be noteworthy. We have made our Smoked Tri-tip and Smoked Pork Roast. This year we made ribs with Roasted Apple BBQ sauce (recipe in the works).

Sometimes, people who don’t have smokers still bring something to add to the smoker. Enter the salmon fillet. Someone, I don’t even know who, showed up and handed Steve a lovely looking, still in the package salmon. He handed it to Jim and said, “Figure out what to do with this.”

So, what else do you do when you don’t know how to cook something. You Google it. Except every suggestion the google-machine generated involved a brine. And we didn’t have time to brine.

We did the next best thing. Wing it. We dug around in the spice cabinet (remarkable bare for people who own a restaurant) and sprinkled it with a garlic parmesan shaker rub from our local supermarket.

It was perfect. Since Sunshine loves salmon, we’ve made it several more times since. It’s now a family favorite and perfect for the weeknight smoker.

Smoked Salmon

This smoked salmon is so easy that it really isn’t so much a recipe as “guideline.” Start with a large salmon fillet. 2ish pounds. Cut it in half so that it will fit in the smoker.

Generously sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt. (We like Morton). Sprinkle with dill weed (or parsley or chives or Orange Garlic Seafood Rub). Add pepper to taste. Allow it to sit while your smoker comes up to temp (225ºF) and fills with smoke.

Lay your two halves of the salmon directly on the racks in the smoker and smoker for 45 minutes to an hour. Salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF.

Seriously. That’s it. I mean how much easier could it be?

The Weeknight Smoker

I am embarrassed to admit how many times we have had this smoked salmon since January (it’s still February as I write this!). It’s just so easy and pretty quick for using your electric smoker on a weeknight. We love it with roasted potatoes (try Everything Roasted Potatoes) and green beans. It’s a perfect Whole30 treat and the leftover are perfect for Whole30 Salmon Sliders.