You’ve seen us cook leaning salmon before, but how about some Baked Wood Plank Salmon! A new take on a familiar favorite, this cedar planked recipe one is definitely worth a try!
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Baking Salmon on a Wood Plank
We’re all comfortable with smoking or grilling, but have you ever tried baking with fire? It might seem like a tricky feat without the right type of grill, but I baked this up using my simple backyard fire pit!
I did this by circling my concrete bricks on an even layer around the fire, and then grabbed a sturdy slab of sheet metal that easily fit across the top of the pit. We also made sure to lay two bricks perpendicular to the others, creating small airways to allow constant airflow in and out of the space.
Once the pit is set up, it’s time to light those charcoal chimneys full of Cowboy Charcoal! While those chimneys are warming up, we can prepare our salmon. I used slices of salmon and lathered it with dijon mustard as a binder for the seasoning. From there, I layed lemon slices on top of our cedar planks and placed the salmon slices directly on the lemons. Not only does this provide a bit of extra flavor, but it also prevents the salmon from sticking to the cedar plank.
Now, we’re ready to start cooking! Dump the Cowboy Charcoal onto one side of the fire pit, making sure to leave room to place the salmon. Once the coals reach a steady heat, place the salmon planks into the pit and cover the pit with the sheet metal. While the salmon was cooking, I whipped up a lemon dill cream sauce. It was the perfect blend of a creamy sauce but with a fresh, sharp citrus flavor.
Let’s Serve Up this Salmon
I let the salmon cook for about 20 minutes total. After, we turned the planks to expose the opposite side of the salmon to the coals. The salmon is done at 145F, but cook to your liking. Once the salmon hit temp, we let it rest for a minute. Garnish with a dill sprig and boom! Your delicious salmon is ready to enjoy! While we were suppose to enjoy this with our friends at Social Feasts, we will cook it again next year! Find the whole recipe below and make sure to check out our youtube video of it here.

Baked Wood Plank Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon Ingredients:
- 4-6 Salmon Filets
- 10-12 Slices of Lemon
- Dill for garnish
Seasoning Ingredients:
- ⅛ cup of Dijon Mustard
- 1.5 tbsp of Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp of Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp of Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp of Granulated Garlic
- 2 tsp of Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Cayenne Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
Lemon Dill Cream Sauce:
- 4 tbsp Sour Cream
- 2 tbsp Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Dill
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Submerge the wood planks underwater for at least one hour. Once done, pull out and dry off.
- In a bowl, mix together the seasoning ingredients. Lather your salmon in dijon mustard and season thoroughly. Lay down slices of lemon on the wood plank and add salmon filets on top until all are on the planks.
- Preheat your charcoal for indirect medium-high temperature (around 375F) using the two zone method.
- Once the fire is ready, add your salmon to the cool side of the grill and cover the pit or grill. Let cook for about 10 minutes before rotating the wood planks around. This will help for even cooking. The salmon is done when it reaches 145F internal and is caramel brownish-red on the outside. Pull it off once done and let rest for 2 minutes to cool.
- In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the Lemon Dill Cream Sauce.
- Top the salmon with the cream sauce and fresh dill. Enjoy!