If you like salmon then you will, without a doubt, love these smoked salmon pinwheels. We’re cooking with a whole side of salmon, bacon bits, and a freakin’ delicious cream cheese filling, all rolled up into a pinwheel! This salmon pinwheels recipe is just one of my many favorite salmon recipes, so make sure to put it on your holiday menu or try it for your next dinner party!
We’re going full cowboy for this recipe! That’s right, Cowboy Butter Seasoning and Cowboy Charcoal are a must for these smoked salmon pinwheels. Cowboy Charcoal makes a full range of all-natural hardwood charcoals that always deliver an authentic smoky taste. Made without chemicals or additives, it burns clean and hot and is perfect for adding smoky flavor.
Post sponsored by Cowboy Charcoal
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
- Important Note
- Smoked Salmon Pinwheel Ingredients
- How to Remove Skin from Salmon
- This sauce is FYR!
- How to Make Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
- What to Serve with Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
- Leftovers and Reheating
- For More Salmon
- Smoked Salmon Pinwheels FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Smoked Salmon Pinwheels Recipe
Why You’ll Love Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
To make these smoked salmon pinwheels, we’re using simple ingredients to deliver a big flavor. The taste is reminiscent of big bagel brunches with cream cheese, horseradish flavors, red onions, capers and nova lox.
This salmon pinwheel recipe is also hearty enough for lunch or dinner! Pinwheels tend to be easy recipes where the end product looks a lot fancier than the effort it takes to make them. So, the best part of landing these on the table is how expert you’ll look in front of your guests!
With the Cowboy Butter Seasoning, a cream cheese filling that’s flavored with bacon, garlic, chili flakes and herbs, these salmon wraps are always a big hit when we serve them to friends and family.
Important Note
Low and slow is the way for our pinwheels. We slow cook the salmon so that the albumin — a liquid protein that solidifies and turns white when salmon cooks — doesn’t come out of the salmon and dry out the fish.
Looking for other delicious recipes for pinwheels or something extra for your holiday table, like easy appetizer ideas? Check out my roundup of the best steak pinwheel recipes, my favorite holiday recipes and the best appetizer recipes!
Smoked Salmon Pinwheel Ingredients
- Salmon: We’ll make our smoked salmon pinwheels with a skinless whole side of salmon. If you buy salmon with the skin on, make sure to remove it for the pinwheels — it’s an essential step for a nice salmon wrap. Then, we’ll season the fish with my Cowboy Butter seasoning.
- Cream Cheese Filling: Because we want to take the typical cream cheese flavor up a notch, we’ll add bacon bits, chopped parsley, Dijon mustard, garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon juice.
- Glaze: To finish, we’ll brush our smoked salmon pinwheels with melted butter, FYR GLD Hot Sauce and chopped parsley.
How to Remove Skin from Salmon
If you bought a skin-on side of salmon, don’t worry one tiny bit — we’ve got you covered.
First, pat your salmon dry with paper towels so it’s not slipping all over the place. To remove the skin, get a sharp knife (I like my fillet knife here) and a cutting board. Place the salmon on the cutting board, then grab the corner end of the salmon on the short side. Slide your knife between the salmon skin and the flesh at the corner, angle the knife down toward the skin, then slowly cut down the side of salmon between the flesh and the skin.
After you’ve cut through about an inch or two, you can rotate your knife so it’s not angled anymore and runs parallel to your cutting board. Be sure to hold on to the end of the skin as you’re cutting and keep sliding the knife down. Once you’ve removed the skin, go ahead and toss it.
More of a visual learner? Check out this video tutorial from the Culinary Institute of America!
Get stoked for life
This sauce is FYR!
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How to Make Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
Let’s make some salmon roll-ups!
Preparing the Salmon and Filling
First, lay out your whole side of salmon for the smoked salmon pinwheels and trim any excess pieces of fat or meat. Then, slather on 1 tablespoon of canola oil and season both sides of the salmon with 2-3 tablespoons of my Cowboy Butter Seasoning.
In a small bowl, mix together your cream cheese filling ingredients: 1 block of cream cheese, 1 tablespoon bacon bits, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1.5 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes and juice of half a lemon.
Once everything is mixed together, slather a thin layer of the cream cheese filling over one side of the entire salmon.
Making the Pinwheels
Now, here comes the fun part of any pinwheel recipe! Beginning at one end of the salmon filet, roll the salmon into itself all the way to create the pinwheel shape. If you want, wrap the salmon in a big piece of plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes. With the help of the plastic wrap and this time to chill, we’ll make sure our salmon pinwheels stay together.
After 30 minutes, take the salmon out of the fridge and slice it to create that classic pinwheel shape. Season the top side of the salmon with more Cowboy Butter Seasoning, then place the smoked salmon pinwheels onto a skillet or wood plank. Put the salmon in the fridge until ready to smoke.
Grilling the Pinwheels
When you’re ready to cook, preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F for indirect cooking. Place some wood chips or wood chunks on your Cowboy Charcoal for added flavor during the smoking process.
Remove the salmon from the fridge and leave it out for 7-8 minutes to bring it to room temperature. Place the skillet or wood plank onto the smoker. Then, let the smoked salmon pinwheels cook for about 30-35 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135-140F internal.
About 10 minutes before the salmon is done, mix together 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 teaspoon FYR GLD Hot Sauce for your glaze. Slather the glaze on top of the salmon pinwheels. Let the salmon wraps finish cooking, then pull off to cool for 5 minutes.
Garnish the salmon pinwheels with chopped parsley and enjoy!
What to Serve with Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
To round out the meal, serve these with roasted potatoes or baguette slices and a simple vegetable, like grilled asparagus, green beans, sauteed spinach leaves or bell pepper strips. If you don’t have parsley, you could garnish with fresh dill weed for a classic flavor.
Leftovers and Reheating
Place any leftovers an airtight container to keep the pinwheels fresh and refrigerate for up to three days. If you have additional cream cheese mixture, store that in a separate container (and save for the perfect way to boost your breakfast bagel!).
When it’s time to reheat, our goal is to retain the salmon’s moisture and avoid drying out the fish. To do this, reheat your smoked salmon pinwheels in the oven at a low temperature, around 275 degrees F, until it warms through. This gentle reheating method helps maintain the tender texture.
For More Salmon
Smoked Salmon Pinwheels FAQs
Sure! The texture may be slightly different, but you’ll get basically the same flavor. Let me know in the comments section if you make this sub and how it worked out!
Depends on what you want! Wild-caught fish have more fatty acids than farmed salmon because of their varied diet out in the ocean. Farmed salmon has more of that buttery texture that you think of when you think of salmon. But, it has a little less nutrition because of the nature of the farm-raised diet.
Either way, you’re getting more than your daily value of omega-3 fatty acids with either option. If you use wild-caught salmon this salmon pinwheel recipe, cook it to about 125 degrees F because it’ll dry out more quickly. If you’re looking for good quality wild salmon, there are plenty of online markets like Wild Alaskan Company or Wulf’s Fish.
Cowboy Charcoal has built a well-earned reputation as some of the cleanest and best stuff around, so you can find it almost anywhere. Check out the company’s store locator to see which hardware stores carry it near you.
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Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 1 Whole Side of Salmon skin off
- 2-3 tbsp Cowboy Butter Seasoning
- 1 tbsp of Canola Oil
Filling:
- 1 block Cream Cheese
- 1 tbsp Bacon Bits
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 1.5 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1.5 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- ½ Lemon juiced
Glaze:
- 2 tbsp Melted Butter
- 1 tsp FYR GLD Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp Chopped Parsley
Instructions
- Lay out your salmon with the skin off and trim any excess pieces of fat or meat.
- Lather in oil and season both sides using my Cowboy Butter Rub.
- Add the cream cheese and all the other ingredients for the filling and mix together. Slather a thin layer over one side of the entire salmon.
- Beginning at the tail end, roll the salmon into itself all the way in order to create the pinwheel shape. Secure it with two pieces of butchers twine, leaving the middle of the salmon free of twine (since that's where you'll slice it, creating two pinwheels). If you want, wrap the salmon in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
- Pull the salmon out and slice it to create that classic pinwheel. Season the top side of the salmon with more seasoning, place onto a skillet or wood plank and set in the fridge until ready to use.
- Preheat your smoker to 275F to cook indirect. Add some wood chips or wood chunks to the coals for added smoke flavor.
- Pull the salmon out and bring to room temperature for 7-8 minutes. Place the skillet into the smoker and let cook for about 30-35 minutes until it reaches 135-140F internal. About 10 minutes before the salmon is done, mix together your glaze and slather on top of the salmon pinwheels. Let finish cooking and then pull off to cool for 5 minutes.
- Garnish the salmon with chopped parsley and enjoy!
