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Easy Brined Smoked Salmon – Low Carb Brine Recipe Too!

May 3, 2019 by Denise 15 Comments

Once you’ve had this brined smoked salmon, you won’t want to have it any other way. Eat it hot one night and on bagels the next morning. It melts in your mouth. Let me show you how to brine salmon for smoking.

You might like this smoked turkey & brine recipe too!

white platter with smoked salmon and lemon slices

My husband and I fell in love with smoked salmon in Latvia. We lived in England for a year which made visiting different places in Europe very affordable. Hubby had a good friend Alvis who lived in Latvia and he and his family were wonderful hosts.

One day, he took us to a huge market in Riga that was held in old blimp hangers and had all kinds of crazy good food. Alvis bought some fresh salmon from one of the stalls and when we got home, he brined it with salt and sugar and left it in the refrigerator over night. Then next morning we ate it over a brown bread spread with butter and topped with thinly sliced onions, black pepper and a few squeezes of lemon. It was so absolutely delicious!

I am still not adventurous enough to try our friend’s method for smoked salmon which is more of a cold smoking but thought we could handle a hot smoking of salmon. So I bought my husband a small smoker for Christmas to try and he’s been a smoking everything since.

Steelhead Trout vs Salmon

We make this recipe quite often. It’s a big hit for parties and usually the first dish to go. I wanted to update the photos on this post and today we used steelhead trout instead of salmon.

We use it because it tastes just like salmon and is sometimes cheaper but note you can use either fish with this recipe. Here is what they both look like. The steelhead trout is on the left and the salmon on the right.

 

Two pictures with smoked steelhead and smoked salmon

 

Steelhead is actually a trout and not a salmon but it looks and taste just like salmon and often much cheaper. So if you see any at the market give it a try. I know I bought it at Costco by accident because it was cheaper and was pleasantly surprised with the taste.  

 

white platter with smoked salmon and other plates with sliced onions

 

 We smoke either salmon or steelhead at least once or twice a month and eat it for dinner. With the leftovers, my hubby prepares an Alvis-like dish on an everything bagel for breakfast and I eat the fish on top of my salad for lunch. We get many meals from this fish and it’s oh so good.

Easy Brined Smoked Salmon Recipe 

Step 1: The first thing you have to do is make a brine for smoked salmon. You use a lot of salt but it also gives it a lot of flavor.

I originally got the recipe here and adapted it a bit. I’ve decreased the salt and added a few things and I suggest you do too. 

Mix the ingredients in a 4 cup measuring cup or large bowl. Place your salmon in a marinading container or a large ziplock (if it will fit…you may need two) and then pour the brining solution to cover the fish.

Step 2: Refrigerate overnight and until 1 hour before you are ready to smoke take it out and lay on a cookie tray.

 

collage of how to brine a salmon to smoke

 

How Long To Smoke A Salmon

It takes us about 2 to 2 ½ hours to smoke a 2.5lb salmon so I take it out at 1pm or 2pm and let it sit on on a cookie tray for an hour. (See pics above)

You let the salmon dry before smoking in order to form a pellicle which is a coating of proteins on the surface. This allows smoke to adhere on the surface while smoking. It’s an important step so please don’t skip it.

Smoking times will vary from smoker to smoker. As I’ve mentioned it takes us 2 to 2 ½ hours to smoke in his bullet smoker.

 

bullet smoker with a brined salmon

The Easy Salmon Brine Recipe

I love this brine recipe but let me tell you from brining both fish and chicken with this, you can break it down to the basics :

4 cups of water to ¼ cup of sugar to ⅛ cup of salt

If you just use these you will be fine. In this recipe I use water, brown sugar, salt, garlic, bay leaf, fennel seed, celery, onions, cayenne and mustard seeds. The extra spices and vegetables just give it a little more depth of flavor. If you have them use them. If not, don’t sweat it. 

Keto Smoked Salmon Brine

 To make this low carb I used Lakanto golden sweetener for the sugar. Below are 4 low carb brown sugars I use a lot in my low carb or keto cooking.

  • Just Like Sugar Brown is made mostly from chicory root fiber and has no calories or carbs.
  • Lakanto Golden is made from monkfruit and also has no calories or carbs.
  • Swerve Brown Sugar is made from erythritol and has no calories or carbs.
  • And finally Trivia Brown Sugar uses erythritol and molasses and has 10 calories and 2g net carbs per ½ cup.

 

4 different low carb brown sugars for brining keto salmon

 

What Kind Of Smoker We Use

We have two smokers right now. For this recipe we used our older smoker, an inexpensive bullet smoker and the easiest to use for fish. It’s electric and has no controls, just on and off.  It uses a paddle heater on top of lava rock to generate heat.

The second is a “box” smoker.  It uses propane and has a knob for gas feed control and a thermometer for internal box temperature.  This smoker allows you to maintain a certain temperature for longer periods of time compared to the electric one. We use this for beef, chicken, pork, etc.

How We Like To Eat Our Smoked Salmon

This is how we like to eat our smoked salmon or steelhead. Just a squeeze of lemon, salt, course black pepper, thinly sliced onions and capers. My hubby eat this smoked salmon over an everything bagel and I have to admit it’s awesome. My son just likes smoked salmon with cream cheese on an everything bagel.

I however, just eat it like it is below for a low carb dish. Sometimes I add avocado which goes great with smoked salmon. And I also like to eat it on a salad.  

You can also use the leftovers to make this easy low carb smoked salmon spread!

 

white plate with serving of smoked salmon with capers, onions and lemon
How we like to eat this easy smoked salmon recipe; thin sliced onions, a squeeze of lemon, capers and a lot of ground pepper.

 

As I mentioned before we use this easy brine recipe on other things such as chicken, cornish hens, turkey breasts, etc. As a matter of fact I’ve used a version on a very successful brined rotisserie chicken in the air fryer recipe. Worked out great!

I hope you enjoy this smoked salmon and steelhead recipe. Just comment below if you have any questions.

5 from 2 votes
Print

Smoked Salmon

Once you’ve had this brined smoked salmon, you want to have it any other way. It melts in your mouth and has a tasty smoky flavor. Eat it hot one night and on bagels the next morning.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword brine, smoker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 8
Author Denise Wright (MyLifeCookbook.com)

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lbs fresh salmon
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 Tablespoons salt
  • 4 Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. I used a 4 cup measure bowl.
  2. Pour over your salmon and brine over night in the refrigerator.
  3. One hour before cooking, take out your salmon and let set out on your rack.
  4. Cook in your smoker until done. Different smokers work differently so I can’t give you an exact time. Ours takes about 2 to 2 ½ hours.
  5. Enjoy hot or cold, on bagels, salads, etc.

More keto salmon recipes

I have plenty of keto salmon recipes as it is one of my favorite dishes and now my son likes it too. Here are a few of our favorite low carb salmon recipes to try.

  • This low carb bbq salmon is easily made indoors and has a creamy garlic herb sauce to top it off. A low carb bbq rub on the salmon is spicy and sweet and the creamy sauce is a cooling compliment to the dish.
  • Need quick and easy dinner? This chili soy salmon is awesome and only takes 4 ingredients and 15 minutes to make. I like it because it's fairly low carb and my family loves it. 
  • This lime margarita grilled salmon is a delicious and simple low carb dinner. The garlicky avocado mayo goes perfectly with the tangy lime infused salmon and has only 1.5g net carbs per serving.
  • These lemon jalapeño salmon cakes are a quick and easy, low carb dinner that you can make in minutes. The fresh lemon and jalapeño add bright flavor to canned salmon. Only 1.4g net carbs per cake.
  • This low carb smoky salmon spread is a tasty dish to eat with fresh veggies or crackers. Only minutes to make.

 

smoked salmon and raw salmon photos with text overlay

More Recipes

  • Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup in Slow Cooker
  • Keto Lemon Pound Cake
  • Ninja Creami Strawberry Ice Cream
  • Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Salad

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Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. You should always do your own calculations if you are concerned about the accuracy of this or any recipe. I use the Lose It app for all of my nutritional information because I have for years.

Comments

  1. Paul

    July 17, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    Try Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon instead of ham or Canadian Bacon.

    Reply
    • Denise

      July 18, 2020 at 9:15 am

      Hi Paul, that sounds really good!

      Reply
  2. Eva

    May 14, 2020 at 11:07 am

    If you double or triple the recipe how much do you increase the seasonings? (Other than salt and brown sugar-I know how to calculate those two).
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Denise

      May 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm

      Hi Eva, I have doubled this for a turkey once and I usually double everything. However to be honest, sometimes I just use water, salt, brown sugar and garlic. To me they are the most important elements. I hope you like it!
      Denise

      Reply
  3. Cynthia

    July 24, 2019 at 10:01 am

    Thanks so much for the recipe, it is exactly what I was searching for, Does your husband determine “doneness” of the fish by temping the fillets, or testing for flakiness?

    Reply
    • Denise

      July 24, 2019 at 12:32 pm

      We just test it by flakiness. It usually takes around 2 hours. My hubby said he can tell when the skinny end turns bright orange. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Dennis

    May 12, 2019 at 9:16 am

    What temperatures are you smoking and finishing at? Thanks, Dennis

    Reply
    • Denise

      May 12, 2019 at 7:14 pm

      Hi Dennis, the smoker that we have (A Brinkman Gourmet Electric Smoker) does not have a temperature gauge on it. So I can’t give you exact temperatures. My husband says that it takes roughly 2 -2 1/2 hours at 200°F. If you are cooking at a lower temperature it may take up to 3 hours. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  5. Karen M. Chapman

    August 31, 2018 at 1:22 am

    My Little Chief doesn’t have a temp gauge and I don’t have the instruction booklet. How long do I leave my salmon in there?

    Reply
    • Denise

      August 31, 2018 at 9:01 am

      I just asked my hubby who does all the smoking. He said to keep it on the lowest setting for 2 hours. Check it and see if it is done. The thin edges will cook faster so you want to make sure the middle is done. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Karen M. Chapman

        August 31, 2018 at 9:35 am

        Thank so much!

        Reply
        • Denise

          September 01, 2018 at 7:24 am

          You are welcome!

          Reply
  6. Ntina

    June 23, 2015 at 4:48 pm

    Thanks for sharing this to the bloggers brags pinterest party. Pinned!

    Reply
  7. Tara Siudy (Little Miss Dexterous)

    June 22, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    I am a smoked salmon addict! I have never made my own though! I can’t wait to try this! Pinning and sharing! Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Jennifer Stewart

    June 11, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Never been a salmon fan but my friend makes a great smoked salmon that I love! I have never though to brine AND smoke! That is genius. I want to make this recipe since I know that salmon is so good for you!

    Reply

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