Dry brining salmon is a fantastic technique that results in incredibly moist, flavorful fish with a beautifully seasoned crust. But how long should you dry brine salmon to achieve the best results? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about dry brining times for salmon.
What is Dry Brining?
Dry brining involves coating salmon fillets with a salty sugary dry rub and letting them rest in the fridge for several hours. During this time the salt penetrates deep into the flesh, seasoning it throughout. The salt also draws out moisture from the fish, making it firmer and better able to hold its shape during cooking.
The added sugar balances out the harshness of the salt, giving the salmon a lovely sweetness and caramelized exterior when seared. Dry brining makes the salmon incredibly flavorful, locks in moisture so it doesn’t dry out, and eliminates the need to season right before cooking.
How Long Should You Dry Brine Salmon?
When dry brining salmon you’ll want to let it rest in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Here are some more specific guidelines
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For salmon fillets around 1 inch thick, dry brine for 12-18 hours.
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For thicker fillets of 1.5-2 inches, dry brine for 18-24 hours.
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Regardless of thickness, salmon should not dry brine for less than 12 hours or more than 24 hours.
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After 24 hours, the salt will make the salmon too salty and begin drying it out.
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Cook the salmon within the 12-24 hour brining window for best texture and flavor.
Dry Brining Steps
Dry brining salmon is surprisingly easy with just a few simple steps:
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Make a dry brine by mixing equal parts kosher salt and brown sugar. Use about 1/4 cup of each per 1 lb of salmon. You can add spices like black pepper, herbs, garlic, or lemon zest.
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Rinse the salmon fillets, pat dry, and place in a baking dish or sealable bag. Generously coat all sides with the dry brine, pressing to help it adhere.
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Refrigerate for 12-24 hours based on thickness, flipping halfway through.
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After brining, rinse off excess salt and sugar and pat very dry.
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Let rest at room temp for 30 mins before cooking to form a tacky surface for better searing.
And that’s it! With these easy dry brining steps, your salmon will be perfectly seasoned and ready to cook.
Cooking Dry Brined Salmon
Thanks to dry brining, the salmon is already seasoned throughout so you can simply cook it without much additional seasoning needed. It works great with almost any cooking method like baking, pan searing, grilling, broiling or smoking.
Just keep in mind that the drier salmon flesh will cook a little more quickly after brining. Aim for an internal temp of 125°F for medium-rare doneness and let rest before serving.
Tips for Dry Brining Success
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Use fresh, sushi grade salmon for best flavor and texture
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Kosher salt sticks well to the fish; avoid fine table salt
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Flip salmon fillets during brining to evenly distribute salt and spices
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Rinse off brine if too salty; skip rinsing for more concentrated flavor
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Add herbs, citrus, pepper, soy sauce, garlic to customize the brine
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Prevent overcooking as the drier flesh cooks faster
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Air dry after rinsing for 2+ hours for an even crispier skin
Benefits of Dry Brining Salmon
Dry brining has many advantages over wet brining salmon:
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Deeply seasons the salmon with concentrated flavor
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Makes the flesh incredibly moist yet firm
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Flavors penetrate fully into the fillets
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Reduces splatter as less moisture is lost
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Forms a delicious caramelized crust when seared
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Prevents overcooking and drying out
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Easier portioning before or after cooking
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Allows preparing salmon ahead of time
For incredible salmon that’s packed with flavor and moisture, dry brining is a must-try technique. Follow these guidelines on brining times and tips for success. In 12-24 hours, you’ll unlock incredible salmon that’s perfectly seasoned, tender and foolproof.
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Theres nothing quite as good as smoked tri-tip if you have a hankering for tender, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, beef! If you dont agree with that statement then maybe beef is not your thing or you havent had good smoked tri-tip yet.
I can help you fix that second issue!
Lets jump right in!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Dry Brine Time: 2 hours (up to 24 hours is fine)
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Smoker Temp: 225°F (107°C)
- Meat Finish Temp: 130°F (54°C)
- Recommended Wood: Oak or Pecan
- 1 or more tri-tips (2 to 3 lbs each)
- Coarse kosher salt (Mortons blue box works great)
- Jeffs Texas style rub
This tri-tip was around 2 lbs and was trimmed really nice on one side but the other side had a bit of a fat cap. If you were cooking this really hot, it might make sense to leave the fat cap but since we are smoking it and only cooking it to medium rare, its best to remove the fat to get the seasoning closer to the meat.
Of course if you like to eat the fat, then feel free to leave it on.
Another thing to think about is that when dry brining, salt does not absorb into fat. It will sit there all day long, no melting, no absorption. By removing the fat, you are increasing the surface area for dry brining.
Dry brining is simply sprinkling a layer of salt onto the meat and letting it do its thing. The salt immediately begins to draw moisture to the surface when then causes the salt to melt or dissolve. That salty solution is then absorbed down into the meat a little ways.
Its the same concept as wet brining, only better, in my opinion.
Professionals will tell you to use ½ teaspoon per lb of meat when dry brining. Im not a professional so I just eyeball it. Ive done this enough to know about what it needs to look like in order to get a good result.
For this tri-tip, I coated one side and then flipped it over to do the other side.
This will give you an idea of the salt coverage I used.
I then placed the meat in a covered container and put that into the fridge for 2 hours while I went to the gym to try and offset what I was about to do later
It is perfectly fine to leave it dry brining for 12-24 hours if you want to. The salt will find its way deeper into the meat the longer you wait but salt also has a tenderizing affect which is a good thing but this can change the texture of the meat if its left too long.
When I returned from the gym, I pulled the meat out of the fridge.
I simply seasoned the top side of the tri-tip lightly with my Texas style rub and it was good to go.
The ONLY reason, I can season the tri-tip with the Texas style rub is because it is low in salt. My original rub is even lower in salt.
I never did like a rub that was based on salt!
I always get the question: why not just use the Texas style rub for dry brining since it contains salt. Well, like I said, its fairly low in salt so it woudnt do as good of a job and its not intended for that.
In my opinion its usually best to add the correct amount of salt to the meat first and then season with a low salt rub on top of the salt or you can wait until right before youre ready to cook.
Once the Texas style rub is applied, its a good idea to leave it sitting to let the meat and the rub get to know each other and of course, I like to let the meat warm up a little as well.
This is a great time to go get the smoker ready.
It does not matter whether you are using a stick burner, charcoal, electric, gas or a pellet smoker or even a grill. As long as you set it up with indirect heat and you are getting around 225°F (107°C) at grate level, you can cook this tri-tip successfully.
If your smoker uses a water pan, fill that up as well.
Lay the tri-tip right on the smoker grate or you can use a pan with a rack to make it easy to move it to and from the kitchen.
Heres a pan/rack setup that Ive been using for a few months and I love that it works so well AND keeps my smoker a little cleaner. Less cleanup= a good thing
Use oak and/or pecan for smoke if you have it and keep that smoke going the entire time if possible.
Keep a CLOSE eye on the temperature since that is the ONLY way to truly know when its perfect.
Note: If youre looking for a digital meat thermometer, m y guide called “6 best digital meat thermometers” will help you decide which one is best for you.
For keeping a close eye on the temperature I normally use the Thermapen ONE or the ThermoPop by ThermoWorks
Check the temperature once its been on for about an hour and then every 10 minutes or so after that.
This time I was trying out the Meater which is a wireless probe that sticks in the meat and connects to your phone via bluetooth.
I have also been using the MeatStick 4X a lot lately which is very similar.
You are probably going to be looking at about 2 hours but this will vary a little from smoker to smoker and, of course, depending on the thickness of the meat.
This is optional but I think its well worth the trouble and adds a lot of flavor to the meat.
When the smoked tri-tip reaches about 110°F (43°C) its a great time to remove it from the smoker and place it over some hot coals. There are several ways to do this if you dont have a charcoal grill with a grate over it.
- Use a gas grill – if you have a gas grill, turn it on high about 30 minutes before the tri-tip is ready to sear and get the grates as hot as you possibly can. If you have a set of GrillGrates, this is what they were made for. Let them get searing hot then place the tri-tip on the grate for a couple of minutes on each side.
- Use a charcoal chimney – Seems crazy I know, but you can place a small grate over the top of a charcoal chimney and put an excellent sear on steaks, smoked tri-tip, etc. . You may have to move the tri-tip around a little bit to get all of it since the opening at the top of the charcoal chimney will probably be a little smaller than the size of the meat.
- Use the broiler on your electric oven – This is searing from the top down but it works quite well. Place the smoked tri-tip in a pan to keep the mess to a minimum and place the tri-tip on a rack that is about 8-12 inches from the broiler on top of your oven. On gas ovens you normally place the meat in a special broiling drawer below the flame but same concept.
- Use the griddle on the Camp Chef Woodwind sidekick.
When the temperature of that smoked tri-tip is reading 130°F (54°C), its time to remove it from the heat.
For best results, loosely wrap it in foil for a little rest time. I usually allow about 10-15 minutes before slicing but anything you give it is better than nothing at all.
Slice the smoked tri-tip up into pieces about the thickness of a pencil but for the best tenderness, be sure to cut it according to the proper grain direction. You will notice that on the long narrow end that faces right, the grain runs down the length. On the piece on the left, the grain direction runs front to back.
I like to cut it into (2) pieces first:
Then since I took note of the grain direction, I sliced it according to the pattern below to give me the best tenderness.
Use it as an entree with other sides, place small pieces of the smoked tri-tip on top of a great salad or use strips of it for fajitas (one of my favorites). You are only limited by your imagination so dont be afraid to try something new and if you come up with something thats crazy good.. let me know in the comments below.
This is Why You Need to Brine Your Fish
FAQ
FAQ
How long do I dry brine salmon?
After dredging the fish in the salt, place in a bowl. The dry brine will pull moisture from the fish. 30 t0 45 minutes is all it takes – don’t leave it longer or it will be too salty. Some folks recommend putting the salted fish on racks to drip, others layer them in a bowl or container.
How long to leave salmon in brine?
Place salmon and brine in baking dish or zippered plastic bag and place in refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Heat grill to 325 degrees.
Can you dry brine in 2 hours?
Duration of Dry Brining
A: For best results, a steak should be dry brined for a minimum of 3 hours. However, you can leave the steak to dry brine for up to three days to enhance its flavour and tenderness further.
How long to dry brine salmon reddit?
Personally I find that at least 24h gets me the results I want, especially with cold smoked salmon, but if I am in a super big hurry just a couple hours is …Feb 11, 2023