What Wood Should You Use for Smoking Salmon? A Complete Guide

Smoked salmon is a delicious way to enjoy this healthy and flavorful fish. When hot smoked, the salmon takes on a lovely smoky flavor while still retaining moisture and tenderness. Cold smoked salmon has a more delicate smoky note while the interior remains raw.

Choosing the right wood for smoking salmon is key to getting the best results The wood imparts subtle smoky flavors that complement (rather than overwhelm) the natural flavor of the salmon This guide will explore the best woods for smoking salmon and provide tips for success.

Alder Wood – The Traditional Choice

Alder wood is the traditional and most popular choice for smoking salmon. Native to the Pacific Northwest, alder has been used for centuries by Native Americans to smoke salmon and other fish.

Alder provides an elegant, delicate smoky flavor that doesn’t overpower the salmon. It allows the natural flavor of the fish to shine through while adding a hint of woodsmoke. Alder’s light touch makes it an excellent choice for both hot and cold smoked salmon.

For the traditional Pacific Northwest taste, you can’t go wrong with alder wood when smoking salmon. Its sweet and delicate smoke flavor is a perfect complement.

Fruit Woods – A Sweet Kiss of Smoke

Fruit woods like apple, cherry, and peach provide a sweet, mild smoke that also pairs beautifully with salmon. The fruit woods add a touch of sweetness that complements the fatty richness of salmon.

Cherry wood is a great option that provides a hint of fruit and slightly sweeter smoke. Along with alder, cherry is a popular choice of salmon-smoking Pacific Northwest Native Americans.

Apple wood smoke imparts a delicate, sweet flavor that allows the salmon’s flavor to take center stage. It gives salmon a lovely golden color as well.

Peach wood is more aromatic, floral, and fruity than alder. It provides a sweet kiss of smoke flavor that works wonderfully with salmon.

For salmon that is going to be glazed or brushed with a fruity sauce or chutney, a fruit wood smoke can provide the perfect background flavor.

Oak Wood – A Hearty Smoke

While oak is often considered too robust for delicate salmon, when used judiciously it can be a great option. Oak provides a hearty smoke flavor that gives salmon a rich, smoky taste.

Oak smoke can easily become overpowering, so limit its use to shorter smoking times. Try mixing oak with a lighter wood like alder to strike a balance. This allows some of the oak’s intense smoky essence to season the salmon without overwhelming its flavor.

For those who want a more robust wood smoke flavor with their salmon (rather than a delicate hint), oak is an excellent choice. Just take care not to oversmoke with this hearty wood.

Maple Wood – A Touch of Sweetness

Like the fruit woods, maple provides a sweet, mild smoke that pairs beautifully with salmon. Maple wood smoke imparts subtle notes of sweetness that complement salmon’s richness.

Along with adding flavor, maple smoke helps give salmon a gorgeous golden color that looks so appetizing. Mix some maple in with alder to lightly sweeten its delicate smoke.

Maple pairs wonderfully with glazes and marinades that include maple syrup or other sweet ingredients. If you’ll be basting your salmon with a maple sauce while smoking, maple wood is the perfect choice.

Other “Lighter” Hardwoods

Woods like pecan, hickory, mesquite, and oak have assertive smoke flavors that tend to overwhelm delicate salmon. However, woods like maple, alder, apple, cherry, and peach are milder “lighter” hardwoods that pair beautifully with salmon.

Some other lighter hardwoods that provide a mild, sweet smoke for salmon include:

• Pear
• Plum
• Grapevine trimmings
• Mulberry

These types of woods allow the natural flavor of the salmon to shine while contributing elegant smoke notes. Feel free to experiment with lighter fruit and nut woods to find your favorite.

Best Practices for Smoking Salmon

Once you’ve chosen your wood(s), keep these tips in mind for smoking success:

• For hot smoking, use drier wood that provides thin smoke. For cold smoking, go for damper wood that produces thicker smoke (this prevents drying out).

• Allow 2-3 hours of smoking time for hot smoked salmon. Cold smoking can take 6 or more hours.

• Use cured salmon for cold smoking to prevent spoilage.

• Keep your smoker temperatures between 150-180°F for hot smoking and under 100°F for cold smoking.

• Glazing salmon while smoking adds flavor and helps keep it moist.

• Rest smoked salmon before serving; tent with foil and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Final Thoughts on Wood Selection

When smoking salmon, you want woods that provide subtle, delicate smoke flavor rather than strong, tarry smoke. Lighter hardwoods like alder, fruit woods, and maple allow the salmon flavor to take the spotlight while contributing lovely background smoke notes.

Alder is the traditional choice that offers light, sweet smoke perfect for salmon. If you want a hint of fruit flavor, opt for cherry, apple, peach, or other fruit woods. Maple also provides a delicate sweetness. Oak and other hearty woods can work but must be used judiciously to avoid oversmoking.

Experiment with wood combinations and smoking techniques until you find your ideal wood(s) for smoking luscious, flavorful salmon. With the right wood and methods, your smoked salmon will be a big hit!

For smoking salmon, alder, apple, and cherry woods are generally considered the best choices. Alder provides a mild, slightly sweet smoke that complements the salmon’s delicate flavor.