Cedar Plank Salmon

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Infused with light smoky flavor, this marinated cedar plank salmon is a wonderful way to cook fish in the summertime.

If you haven’t tried using cedar planks ^* for grilling fish, you’re missing out!

Our grill always gets a workout in summer, but for a long time we stuck to the standards like burgers, brats, and corn on the cob. But soon after we got our first gas grill, we decided to try out cedar plank grilling, and we were hooked!

This simple method for grilling salmon adds a light smoky flavor (even if you’re not using a charcoal grill) and helps keep any delicate fish intact so you don’t have to worry about making a mess on the grill.

With the addition of a miso-sesame marinade, the result is a meal with beautifully flaky, flavorful fish!

Ingredients for cedar plank salmon

Use salmon that has the skin still intact. It is much easier to work with!

There is a wide variety of white miso paste to choose from. This is a great opportunity to head to an Asian market and try one of the many options there (and get the rest of the ingredients for this recipe), but if you don’t have one near you, most large grocery stores carry miso now. A couple of major brands in the U.S. are Miso Master and Norita.

tools & equipment

You’ll need your grill, of course! This recipe works on charcoal, gas, or pellet grills with grates. Don’t use a flat-top grill.

Cedar planks for grilling are available at the grocery store or hardware store. Make sure to not just buy lumber wood, which may have been chemically treated—you want planks specially made for cooking. They come in different sizes, so choose what will work for the salmon pieces you have.

Note that cedar planks aren’t really reusable, so be prepared to toss these when you’re done.

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How to make cedar plank salmon

Before you’re ready to make this recipe, you’ll need to soak the cedar plank(s) for 1 hour or more. Just like with using bamboo skewers to make chicken kabobs, you want to make sure the wood won’t burn while it’s on the grill. A plastic kitchen tub is perfect for soaking so you aren’t taking up valuable sink space, but a shallow baking dish works as well.

While the planks are soaking, prepare the marinade. Pat the fish dry and place it on a rimmed tray or shallow baking dish. Whisk together the miso, soy sauce, mirin, honey, sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and some of the green onion. Spread this evenly over the salmon. Let it rest for 15 minutes to marinate.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (375°-400°F). Clean the grates and lightly oil to prevent the planks from sticking.

Take the soaked cedar planks from the water and brush one side with olive oil. Place oil-side down on the grill grates and close the lid. Heat for 2-3 minutes, until the plank is lightly smoking.

Carefully place the salmon fillets onto the planks, skin-side down. Make sure there is some space between each fillet so they can be evenly smoked on all sides.

Close the lid and grill for 10-14 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily. It should be 145°F in the thickest part of the fillet.

Remove from the grill and garnish with sesame seeds and the remaining green onion, serving with lime wedges for squeezing.

Tips for success

Soaking the cedar planks is critical! If we have enough time we soak them for 2 hours instead of just 1 to reduce the chance of flames.

We recommend keeping a spray bottle filled with water nearby when grilling, just in case you get any small flare-ups. You want the wood to smoke and smolder, not catch!

Don’t be tempted to marinate the salmon for a long time. If left too long, the acid in the marinade will start to break down the fish and make it mushy before it is cooked. While salmon is a bit firmer and can go longer, 30 minutes is more than plenty of time.

Serving suggestions

We love this miso cedar plank salmon alongside fluffy jasmine rice and roasted bok choy.

You can also flake the fish to make salmon tacos, or add to a citrus quinoa salad.

Upgrade your grilling game with this flavorful recipe!

Cedar Plank Salmon

Miso and sesame flavor this moist, smoky grilled salmon recipe. Great for entertaining or family dinners!

Author : Megan Myers

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Soaking Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 34 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories per serving 329 kcal

Ingredients

  

1/2x1x2x3x

• 1 untreated cedar grilling plank
• 24 ounces salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions, skin-on
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 green onions, (scallions) thinly sliced, divided use
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for serving, optional

Directions

• Submerge the cedar plank in water and soak for at least 1 hour.
  1 untreated cedar grilling plank
• Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and place on a tray or plate.
  24 ounces salmon fillets
• In a small bowl, whisk together the white miso paste, soy sauce, mirin, honey, toasted sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and half of the scallions until smooth.
  2 tablespoons white miso paste, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 green onions
• Spread the miso mixture evenly over the tops of the salmon fillets. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat, approximately 375-400 degrees F. Clean and oil the grates.
• Remove the cedar plank from the water and lightly brush one side with the extra virgin olive oil. Place the plank directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and heat for 2-3 minutes until lightly smoking.
  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Carefully place the salmon fillets skin-side down on the hot plank, spacing them slightly apart. Close the lid and grill for 10-14 minutes, depending on thickness, until the salmon flakes easily and reaches 145 degrees F in the thickest portion.
• Garnish with the remaining scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
  1 green onions, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, Lime wedges

Notes

• If needed, use more than 1 cedar plank to ensure there is space between each fillet.
• Discard used marinade.

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Nutrition

Calories: 329 kcalCarbohydrates: 9 gProtein: 35 gFat: 16 gSaturated Fat: 2 gCholesterol: 94 mgSodium: 570 mgPotassium: 890 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 6 gIron: 2 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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