This Traeger Smoked Salmon Dry Brine recipe turns fresh salmon into a perfectly smoky, moist, and flavorful dish perfect for any occasion! Made with a simple dry brine and cooked low and slow, this salmon is a family favorite!
Love smoked salmon recipes? Try my pellet grilled salmon, honey-glazed smoked salmon, and Masterbuilt smoker salmon next!
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This recipe for hot smoking salmon works for a Traeger grill or any pellet smoker. And if you're lucky enough to have leftovers, make a Smoked Salmon Quiche or Instant Pot Salmon Chowder.
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What Readers Are Saying
- Hey there! Just tried making the Best Traeger Smoked Salmon, and it turned out awesome! The smoky flavor adds such a nice touch. - Claudia
- Came out great! - Debbie
- So good! 🥰 - Moriah
- Came out great! Very easy! - Brian
Why You'll Love This Dry Brine Smoked Salmon
- Set it and rest it: The dry brine does all the work while you sleep! Perfect for planning ahead.
- Foolproof: The temperature-controlled smoking process ensures perfect results every time.
- Versatile: Makes an amazing main dish, appetizer, or addition to salads, brunches, or charcuterie boards.
- Restaurant quality: Creates a professional-grade smoked salmon texture and flavor at home.
Why I Choose Dry Brining
- Easy cleanup
- Develops better texture
- Concentrates natural salmon flavors
- No messy liquid to deal with
- Quick prep, amazing results
- Perfect for busy schedules
Ingredients You'll Need
All ingredients for this Traeger smoked salmon recipe are simple pantry staples, with special notes included below to help you:
- Salmon fillet. Choose fresh, high-quality wild-caught salmon fillets. I used two salmon fillets that were 1.5 pounds each. You can use any type of salmon, but King salmon, sockeye salmon, or coho salmon work beautifully for smoking. This is a great recipe if you have an abundance of wild salmon.
- Dry brine: A mix of brown sugar and kosher salt. The kosher salt's larger crystals help draw out moisture perfectly. You can substitute the brown sugar with white sugar or coconut sugar if needed.
- Dry Rub: A flavorful blend of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Traeger Smoked Salmon
Follow these detailed step-by-step instructions for perfect smoked salmon every time:
Prepare The Salmon
- Make the dry brine by combining brown sugar and kosher salt in a small bowl.
- Cover a large sheet pan with a large piece of plastic wrap (about twice the size of the sheet pan). Spread half of the dry brine mixture on the plastic wrap, roughly the same size as your salmon fillet.
- Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the plastic wrap.
- Sprinkle the top of the salmon with the remaining dry brine mixture, making sure to spread it evenly.
- Fold the plastic wrap over the fish, ensuring it's tightly sealed. Place salmon in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
- After 4-6 hours in the fridge, the salmon will have released a lot of liquid. Remove the salmon from the plastic wrap and rinse it well with cold water, removing the dry brine mixture.
- Place a wire rack on the sheet pan and the salmon fillet on the rack. Pat dry the salmon with paper towels. Return the salmon to the fridge, uncovered, for 8-12 hours. This will give the salmon time to form a pellicle.
Fun Fact: A pellicle is a thin, tacky film or layer that forms on the salmon's surface when exposed to air. It's a sticky surface for the smoke to adhere to and helps seal moisture during the smoking process. A properly formed pellicle also prevents the salmon's flesh from sticking to the grates and falling apart during smoking.
Smoke the Salmon
- Preheat your pellet grill to 225 degrees F.
- Mix the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl. Sprinkle the dry rub evenly on top of the fillet. Remove any pin bones if you see or feel them.
- Place salmon skin side down on the grill grates. If you are using a Traeger grill and have the Super Smoke setting, use it. Place a temperature probe into the middle of the thickest part of the fillet.
- Close the lid and smoke the salmon until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 90 minutes. Do not open the lid to check on the salmon, as this will increase cooking time. The salmon is cooked when it easily flakes with a fork.
- Once fully cooked, remove the salmon from the smoker and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with a drizzle of real maple syrup or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with fresh dill. Enjoy!
Top Tips
- Use fresh salmon: The quality of your fish matters tremendously.
- Salt type matters: Be sure to use kosher salt, not table salt. Table salt is finer and will make the brine saltier.
- Brine time and thickness: If your salmon fillet is on the thinner side (¾ inch thick or less at the thickest part), reduce the brine time slightly (2-3 hours instead of 4-6). Thinner pieces absorb salt faster and may become too salty if brined for too long.
- Rinse the dry brine: Rinse the salmon well after the dry brine to remove the salt and sugar.
- Don't skip the pellicle: This tacky layer helps the smoke adhere.
- Keep the lid closed: Resist the urge to peek at the fish while smoking.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your perfectly smoked salmon with a classic bagel and cream cheese, or use it as a topping on Homemade Pizza or Instant Pot Salmon Chowder.
Add it to pasta dishes like fettuccine alfredo or smoked salmon pasta, or serve it as a main dish with Jasmine Rice, Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Zucchini, or Traeger Corn on the Cob.
Or make a light meal with Smoked Asparagus, Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Classic Potato Salad, or Creamy Coleslaw.
Variations
- Sweet: Add maple syrup glaze at the end.
- Spicy: Include cayenne pepper in the dry rub.
- Asian-inspired: Add ground ginger to the dry rub.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Read How Long Does Salmon Last In The Fridge for more tips.
- Freezer: Wrap well in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm slowly in the oven, microwave, or air fryer; or serve cold.
Recipe FAQs
While you can skip it, the dry brine draws out excess liquid while locking in flavor and moisture.
Use a temperature probe - the salmon should reach 145°F internally.
Yes, just thaw completely before starting the dry brine process.
While a Traeger pellet grill was used for this recipe, you can use any type of pellet grill.
I like to use hickory, maple, cherry, or apple wood. You can also use alder or Signature blend (a mixture of maple, hickory, and cherry woods).
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Printable Recipe
Traeger Smoked Salmon with Dry Brine
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound salmon fillet
Dry Brine Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup kosher salt
Dry Rub Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of brown sugar and ½ cup of kosher salt for the dry brine. Take a large sheet pan and line it completely with plastic wrap, making sure you have enough overhang to fully wrap the salmon later.
- Spread half of your dry brine mixture across the plastic wrap, creating a bed the same shape and size as your salmon fillet. Gently place the salmon skin-side down onto this mixture, then carefully cover the entire top surface with your remaining dry brine. Wrap the salmon tightly in the plastic wrap, ensuring no air pockets remain. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- After brining, remove the salmon and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water, making sure to remove all traces of the dry brine. Pat the fillet completely dry with paper towels. Place the salmon on a wire rack set over a clean sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 8-12 hours. During this time, a tacky pellicle layer will form on the surface.
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 225°F.
- While the grill heats, combine 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and evenly coat the top surface with the dry rub mixture, using your fingers to pat it in.
- Place the salmon fillets directly on the grill grates, skin-side down. If you are using a Traeger grill and have the Super Smoke setting, I highly recommend using it. Place a temperature probe into the thickest part of the fillet. Close the lid and let the salmon smoke undisturbed for about 90 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Resist the urge to open the lid, as this will extend your cooking time.
- Once done, carefully remove the salmon from the smoker and let it rest for 5 minutes. If desired, brush the top with a light coating of maple syrup while still hot. Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
- King, sockeye, or coho salmon are my favorites - their higher oil content helps them stay moist during smoking.
- Alder, apple, or cherry wood pellets work best for salmon, giving a mild smoke flavor that won't overpower the fish.
- Use kosher salt, not table salt. If your fillet is thinner (around ¾ inch thick or less), reduce brine time slightly. Thinner pieces absorb salt more quickly and can become saltier.
- Make sure to rinse the dry brine off the salmon thoroughly.
- If your salmon fillet has a thin tail end, tuck it under to create even thickness for more even cooking.
- While you can smoke frozen, thawed salmon, fresh salmon will give you the best results.
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge and can be enjoyed cold, or slowly reheat in a 275°F oven until just warmed through.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Erica Boulay says
It was horribly salty even after rinsing vigorously. The texture of the fish was inedible. We were really sad because we strive to never disrespect an animal, even if it is in its final cycle of life. I’m a traeger smoker owner, but this was a huge misstep. I will never use this recipe again.
Jeri Walker says
Oh no, I'm really sorry it turned out too salty! I've made this recipe many times and haven't had that happen, so I'm thinking it might've been the type of salt or brine time. If table salt was used instead of kosher salt, or if the fillet was on the thinner side, it could turn out saltier. I really appreciate you sharing your experience - I'll add a note in the post to help make that clearer for others.
Schmedly says
I recently purchased an electric smoker and used it for the first time today, following this recipe exactly. I smoked four 1/2 pound salmon fillets and used maple wood chips. Everyone absolutely loved them. Despite the time involved from brine to smoker, each step is quick and easy. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jeri Walker says
Yay! That's awesome! Thanks for trying this recipe for your first time using the smoker - I'm so glad everyone loved it! 🙂
Jeffrey Scott says
Followed the recipe exactly and the fish was very salty. Made sure I rinsed well. Not sure why?
Jeri Walker says
I'm sorry to hear the salmon turned out salty. I assume you used kosher salt and didn't brine for longer than 6 hours. What brand of salt did you use?
Claudia says
Hey there! Just tried making the Best Traeger Smoked Salmon, and it turned out awesome! The smoky flavor adds such a nice touch.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
This came out perfect!! I loved the dry brine and the smoking instructions are easy to follow. We loved this one!
Sonja says
I never had a dry brined smoked salmon before and I clearly missed out! I just loved how much flavor it imparted together with the rub. Completely new smoking experience.
Juyali says
Thank you for the thourough recipe. It motivated me to adventure into smoking my own salmon. I am so glad I did!
It turned just perfect. We have enjoyed it on a cheese platter and in my favorite dip recipe. Thanks!!
Adriana says
Gotta buy. Traeger smoker! This is an amazing salmon recipe.
Douglas Hower says
I'm Always looking to improve and try new things as i make many pounds of smoked fish per year. I like your list of spices and proportions but at 225 degrees as you have listed for the grill temp will result in grilled/heat cooked salmon...May I suggest maybe take your recipe and possibly just set your pellet grill to smoke.
I have done so many many smoked fish methods from hot as you suggest to cold smoked with a charcoal grill with a side box where the fish never goes above 80 degrees, with a cold smoke you will have something like the super expensive smoked salmon you can order from Alaska.
I do the cold smoking method ( far superior to hot smoked IMO) with fish i catch in the great lakes steelhead in Erie & salmon from Michigan.
Hope this helps your readers
Jeri Walker says
Thank you for your valuable input and suggestion for improving the recipe, Douglas! Your experience with various methods of smoking fish is truly impressive. Your mention of cold smoking to achieve a similar result to the high-end smoked salmon from Alaska is intriguing. I appreciate you sharing your expertise and insights with my readers. I have had cold smoking on my to-do list for a while, and I will take your suggestion and try it on my smoker - as I want to provide the best possible options for everyone. Thank you again for your comment - and stay tuned for the recipe! 🙂