There’s nothing quite like summer cooking, grilling outside with a cold drink and surrounded by friends and family. The grill isn’t just a great social experience, either. Some of our favorite grill dishes take full advantage of that bold, smokey flavor that you just can’t get from a stovetop or oven. One of our very favorite smoky grilled dishes? A delicious, flakey, fillet of salmon.
When it comes to flavorful, smokey fish, there’s just no better way than using a cedar plank to get as much flavor as possible into your fillet. They’re easy to prepare, easy to use, aesthetic for plating, they make cleanup easier, and just automatically infuse your fish with all of that smokey, woody flavor we all love.
Prepping Your Cedar Planks
One of the great things about cooking with cedar planks is how hassle-free they are, and prepping them before use is no different. All they need is a bit of a soak to make sure they don’t catch fire while cooking—a good soak should make sure this doesn’t happen, but it’s a good idea to keep a spray bottle of water on hand while grilling just in case.
Some planking veterans swear by soaking overnight, which is a great way to make sure you don’t forget to soak in advance. Soaking for an hour before grilling should be just fine, however. You only need to use water, but feel free to experiment with other things like beer or spirits, or even just putting some sugar and spices in the water, to see how you can spice up the flavor profile of your final dish.
The other important prep work to do is getting your spice blend ready. Everyone has their own secret weapon when it comes to the spice blend, and fish is a great to show it off. When in doubt: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and whatever amount of heat you might want to add is a great base.
Grilling Your Salmon with Grilling Planks
- Soak your cedar plank in water for at least one hour. Make sure the plank is entirely submerged.
- Prepare your spice blend: combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and thyme (for example).
- Season the salmon, coating it evenly and thoroughly with the spice blend. You can do this right before grilling, but seasoning 30-45 minutes before grilling will help make sure your salmon comes out looking and tasting phenomenal!
- Preheat your grill to about 400˚F (about 200˚C). Take your plank out of the water and lightly dry it off. Once the grill is up to heat, place the plank on the grill and close the lid. When the plank begins to char, remove it and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Place your salmon on the charred side of the plank and return the plank to the grill. Cook with the lid closed for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature has reached 140˚F (60˚C).
- Remove the plank from the grill and serve, garnish with lemon slices!
Reusing Your Cedar Grilling Planks
Every mouthwatering, smokey bite of this cedar plank grilled salmon is going to leave you wishing for more, and luckily, you can reuse your planks to make that happen! Just like with other tools that impart flavor, however, the plank is going to give you slightly less intense smokey and woody notes every time you use it. We’d say around 4-5 uses is the sweet spot. If you do plan to reuse your plank after this grilling session, make sure to wash it off and dry it before storing it.
Hopefully these quick tips on how to properly grill salmon on cedar planks will help you get the most flavorful meal you can, and if all goes well, maybe cedar planks will turn into your newest secret weapon. Happy grilling!
Grilling Salmon on cedar planks is done by many renowned chefs, and we have been providing many of them with our high-quality grilling planks. Learn more about our white cedar planks, oak planks, and grilling papers. Also, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.