Smoked Candied Salmon

Candied Smoked Salmon is a great snack for adults that hits the spot anytime of day.

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Smoked Candied Salmon is my nod to traditional Native American salmon candy and an old favorite recipe of mine. It takes time, but man, it’s worth every smoky second. That BBQ-honey glazed salmon? It’s a bite you won’t want to miss.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 15

Cure4

Total Time8 30

Course: Appetizer, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Salmon & Cure:

1 Whole Side of Salmon
1.5 cups Brown Sugar
¼ cup Kosher Salt
2 tbsp Honey

Honey BBQ Glaze:

2.5 tbsp Melted Butter
2 tbsp Favorite BBQ Sauce
1 tbsp Honey

Garnish:

Sesame Seeds
Chopped Chives

Instructions

Leaving your salmon on the skin, slice across to make “cubes” without cutting through the skin. Next, add it to a flat bottomed food safe plate.
In a separate bowl, mix together your brown sugar and kosher salt. Add a thin layer of that mixture to the bottom of a food safe dish, large enough for the salmon to lay flat on top of it.
Place the salmon in the dish, skin side down, on top of the salt/sugar layer.
Now, cover the salmon in the remaining brown sugar/kosher salt mixture.
Next, drizzle honey on top of the sugar/salt coated salmon.
Place the salmon into the fridge. Let cure for at least 8 hours but ideally 12-24 hours.
Optional: Flip the salmon every 4 hours so that it gets evenly cured.
When the curing is done, pull the salmon out and gently wash with cold water to release any excess cure.
Place the salmon on a baking sheet skin side down, and place in the fridge uncovered for 1-2 hours until the outside has developed a tacky texture.
Preheat your smoke for 185F-200F. Add some wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor.
Pull your salmon out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then place the salmon into the smoker and cook for about 3-4 hours until they have become browned and caramelized all over. Make sure to keep the temperature within 185-200F as the white protein inside the salmon will leak out if hotter.
About 1 hour before the salmon is done, mix together the honey bbq glaze. Glaze the salmon all over and let sit in the smoker until done. Once done, pull the salmon out and let cool for 5 minutes.
As the salmon cools, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

ProTip for Choosing the Best Salmon

Go for wild-caught if you can. King or sockeye are my top picks for flavor and fat content. Make sure the fillet is firm, bright in color, and has a clean ocean smell. No mushy fish here.

Nutrition