West Coast Smoked Salmon Recipe: Step-by-Step Curing & Smoking Guide

Originally published in 2014, this smoked salmon guide was fully updated and expanded in 2026 with new tips.

Smoked salmon has always been one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. I have been making it for years, and over time I have settled on a simple process using brown sugar, coarse salt, smoke, and a final coating of pure maple syrup.

There are plenty of ways to make smoked salmon, and everyone has their own preferences. You can leave the skin on or remove it, pull the pin bones or leave them in, change the smoking wood, or add different seasonings to the cure. The method I use is straightforward, produces consistently good results, and can be adjusted depending on how you like your smoked salmon.

This guide walks through the complete process I use, from preparing and curing the salmon through drying, smoking, glazing, and storing the finished fish.

Of course, before you can make smoked salmon, you need to catch some salmon. For more information on finding and catching salmon on the B.C. coast, check out the FishinBC.com Ultimate Guide to Salmon Fishing.

Smoked Salmon: The Ingredients List

This West Coast smoked salmon recipe is straightforward to prepare. To get started, you will need to gather the following ingredients:

• Salmon: Four 5-pound Coho salmon fillets.
• Brown sugar: One standard bag (approximately 7 cups).
• Coarse salt: Two cups of coarse or kosher salt to properly cure the fish.
• Maple syrup: Two cups of pure maple syrup for that signature glaze.

The Gear

I make my smoked salmon on a Bradley Digital Smoker. I like the Bradley because it allows me to control both the temperature and smoking time throughout the process. Other types of smokers can work just as well, as long as you can maintain the temperature and smoke consistently.

For more information on the smoker I use, check out the FishinBC.COM Bradley Digital Smoker Review.

To make this smoked salmon recipe successfully, you will also need the following tools and equipment on hand:

• Smoker: An outdoor smoker of your choice (electric, propane, or wood pellet).
• Processing tools: Sharp fillet knives and a large, sturdy cutting board.
• Brining container: A large plastic bin with a lid (~10L capacity) to hold the salmon.
• Measuring tools: Standard kitchen measuring cups for accurate proportions.
• Basting brush: A clean silicone or bristle brush for applying the glaze.
• Clean up: Plenty of paper towels for drying the fish and managing messes.

Timelines for Smoked Salmon

When I make a batch of smoked salmon, I usually take the fish out of the freezer on Friday evening and let it thaw safely overnight. On Saturday morning, I process, clean, and fillet the catch, which typically takes an hour or two. The fish then goes into the brine on Saturday afternoon to cure overnight. Finally, on Sunday morning, I take the salmon out of the brine, rinse it, and smoke it for about 6 hours. By Sunday evening, I package up the finished smoked salmon and put all the gear away.

Prepping the Salmon for Smoking

The first thing you want to do is give your salmon a good washing with cold water. Once it is clean, take a sharp fillet knife and slice the fillets off each side. At this point, you can optionally pluck out the pin bones, or you can leave them in—it is entirely your choice. If you decide to pull them, a clean pair of pliers or special fish tweezers work great.

During this preparation phase, you also have the option to skin the fillets. Some people prefer to skin theirs, while others choose to leave the skin on. Again, this comes down to personal preference. Personally, I like to remove the skin from mine. If you do leave the skin on, you will find that it is incredibly easy to peel off after smoking, so it is no big deal either way. However, by removing the skin in advance, you might get a slightly better cure, especially on thick fillets.

Once your fillets are prepped how you like them, cut them into small strips. The exact size of the strips or chunks is up to you, but I like to cut mine into pieces that are about 5 inches long. Generally, I will cut a Coho fillet into three equal-sized pieces, which creates the perfect portion size to serve.

Salt and Brown Sugar Cure

Understanding the Cure

The salt and brown sugar cure does a few important things. The salt draws moisture out of the salmon, which firms up the meat and helps preserve it. At the same time, the fish absorbs some of the salt and sugar from the cure. The combination works particularly well with salmon, giving it the sweet and salty flavour that I am looking for in this recipe.

Mixing the Smoked Salmon Brine

My recipe for the cure is incredibly simple. I take a full bag of brown sugar (approximately 7 to 8 cups) and dump it into a large bowl—an empty ice cream container is ideal for this. Next, I add two cups of coarse canning salt. Make sure to use non-iodized salt here, as iodized salt can negatively affect the final flavor. These are your two primary ingredients, so mix them together thoroughly.

You can also add other spices to the cure if you want. Garlic, onion powder, mustard seed, chili flakes, and black pepper are all options, and everyone seems to have their own favorite combination. I prefer to keep mine simple and generally use just brown sugar and coarse salt.

Layering and Timing the Salmon Cure

Once your cure is fully mixed, grab your large plastic container and scatter a thin layer of the dry mixture across the bottom—just enough to cover it completely. Next, lay down a single layer of salmon pieces, followed by another generous layer of the cure, then more salmon, and so on. Continue alternating these layers until all your fish and curing mix are used up. If you are processing a massive batch and run out of space or cure, simply mix up a little more and grab a second container to ensure every piece is taken care of.

Pop the lids onto your containers and place them into the refrigerator. It takes a minimum of 8 hours for the salmon to cure properly, but leaving it overnight is highly convenient. If you are dealing with exceptionally thick fillets from a large Chinook, you might want to leave them in for a full 24 hours. I do not recommend going much past the 24-hour mark, as the longer the fish sits in the brine, the saltier it will become.

Ultimately, smoking salmon is all about managing your personal timeline. I generally leave mine in overnight and get right back to work the next morning. However, life happens. If you get busy with the family on Sunday morning and need to leave the fish in the brine for a few extra hours, don’t sweat it. The salmon will wait for you just fine—just try to keep the total brining time to around 24 hours or less.

Drying the Salmon and Creating the Pellicle

Once the salmon has cured overnight, remove the container from the fridge. You will notice a thick brown sugar water mixture inside because the salt has successfully drawn the moisture out of the fish. At this point, you need to rinse each piece under cold running water to wash off the excess external salt. You definitely do not want a lot of leftover coarse salt sitting on the fillets, as that will make the final product way too salty. After a thorough rinsing, lay all the pieces out onto paper towels and give them a gentle pat down to dry.

Following the rinse, you need to dry the fish on racks for about two hours—preferably in a cool place or directly under a fan. This critical process forms a pellicle, which is a tacky, slightly rubbery outer skin on each piece. The pellicle helps keep the fish moist throughout the smoking process and gives the smoke a perfect surface to adhere to.

My Pro Tip for Bradley Smoker Users

If you are using a Bradley Smoker, lay some paper towels on your kitchen table and place the smoker trays upside down on top of them. Flipping the trays creates about a one-inch air gap underneath, which allows air to circulate around the salmon while it dries. There is no need to flip the trays back over before smoking—the trays fit into the Bradley upside down just fine.

You can spray the trays with non-stick cooking spray, oil, or butter before adding the salmon, but this isn’t necessary. The fish may stick a little without it, but I generally don’t find it to be much of a problem.

Arrange the salmon on the trays and check each piece for any remaining water. If you see water sitting in cracks or pockets in the fish, blot it dry with a paper towel. Leave the salmon on the trays for about two hours to dry. A ceiling fan or portable fan can also be used to increase the airflow and help the pellicle form.

Smoking Time!

Once the salmon has dried for about two hours and formed a good pellicle, it is time to put it in the smoker. There are lots of different woods you can use for salmon. I prefer milder woods such as apple, cherry, or alder. Stronger woods like mesquite and hickory can overpower the salmon, so I generally save those for things like ribs or brisket.

Once you have the fish loaded into the smoker, use the following three-stage smoking process:

• First two hours: Run at a low temperature (approximately 110°F to 120°F).
• Next two hours: Raise the temperature to approximately 140°F.
• Last two hours: Finish the smoke at 170°F.

Raising the temperature gradually helps prevent the salmon from cooking too quickly. If salmon gets too hot too fast, you will often see a white substance called albumin forming on the surface. A little albumin is normal, but gradually increasing the temperature over the six-hour smoking period helps keep it to a minimum.

The Secret Ingredient

The secret ingredient in this recipe is pure maple syrup. This step is optional, but I find it adds just the right amount of sweetness and gives the finished salmon a nice glaze.

After about five hours in the smoker, take the racks out one at a time and use a clean basting brush to coat the salmon with a layer of pure maple syrup. Put the racks back in the smoker and let the maple syrup glaze onto the salmon during the final hour.

This extra bit of sweetness works really well with the salt and brown sugar cure and is one of my favorite parts of this recipe.

Time to Serve and Store Your Catch

Once the full 6-hour smoking process is complete, bring the trays inside—your salmon is officially ready to eat!

For short-term storage, transfer the smoked pieces into airtight containers and keep them in the refrigerator, where they will stay fresh for a couple of weeks. If you want to store your catch long-term, pack the pieces into standard Ziploc freezer bags or run them through a vacuum sealer to store them in the freezer for months.

Great Smoked Salmon Meals

Smoked salmon is great on its own, or simply served on a platter with cheese, crackers, and sweet pickles. There are also plenty of ways to use it in meals.

One of my favorite ways to use smoked salmon is to flake it into a hot, creamy Alfredo pasta sauce. You can also use it in homemade sushi rolls, or make wraps with smoked salmon, fresh vegetables, and cream cheese.

Smoked Salmon Video

Here is a short video that shows all the steps to making delicious smoked salmon.

Notes on Quality

The quality of your smoked salmon is related to the quality of the fish you start with, but smoking is also a very forgiving way to prepare salmon. Fresh-caught salmon works particularly well, and Sockeye is one of my favorite choices for smoking. Pink and Chum salmon also smoke very well, as do salmon caught in rivers.

Don’t worry if your filleting isn’t perfect or some of the pieces are different sizes. Once the salmon is cut into pieces, cured, and smoked, those imperfections really don’t matter. Smoking is also a good way to use older salmon that has been sitting in the freezer.

If you prefer your smoked salmon a little firmer and chewier, you can leave it on the racks for an extra hour to dry it further.

West Coast Smoked Salmon Recipe Card

Your Turn!

There are a lot of different ways to make great smoked salmon, and everyone seems to develop their own preferences over time. If you have a favorite smoking wood, ingredient you add to the cure, or another tip that works well for you, share it in the comments below.

And if you have any questions about this recipe or any part of the brining, drying, or smoking process, leave a comment and I will do my best to help.