Seafood

Serving

Cedar-Plank Salmon

Name: Cedar-Plank Salmon
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 1 salmon fillet (about 2 pounds), skin on; 1 cedar grilling plank; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 lemon, sliced

A salmon fillet grilled on a soaked cedar plank that infuses the fish with woodsy smoke while keeping it moist under a sweet maple and Dijon glaze.

90 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

31 min prep

50 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish mustard Seafood

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Instructions

6 steps

1
Soak the cedar plank in water for at least 1 hour so it smolders rather than burns on the grill.
2
Whisk together the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, and olive oil to make the glaze.
3
Season the salmon with salt and pepper, then brush the flesh side generously with the maple-Dijon glaze.
4
Heat the grill to medium-high, place the soaked plank on the grates until it begins to smoke and crackle, then set the salmon skin-side down on the plank.
5
Close the lid and grill until the salmon flakes easily and reaches 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6
Top with lemon slices and serve the salmon straight off the smoky plank.

Cedar-Plank Salmon — plated and served — Serving moment. How Cedar-Plank Salmon looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

60/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 50

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 44

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

155

Calories

9 g

Protein

9 g

Carbs

9 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Cooking salmon on a cedar plank traces back to the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, who lashed split fish to cedar boards and angled them beside an open fire. The wood does double duty: it shields the fish from direct flame so it cooks gently, while the smoldering surface perfumes the flesh with a resinous, campfire aroma. Modern grill cooks adopted the technique because it turns an ordinary fillet into something that tastes unmistakably of the outdoors.

Listahan note

This version keeps the seasoning deliberately simple so the cedar smoke and the salmon itself stay in the foreground. It leans on a soaked plank and a covered grill to do the heavy lifting, which makes it forgiving even if you rarely cook fish.

Technique cues

Soak the plank for at least an hour before grilling so it smolders and steams instead of catching fire, which is what carries the smoke into the fish.
Leave the skin on and place the fillet skin-side down on the plank, since the skin acts as a buffer that keeps the delicate flesh from sticking and overcooking.
Pull the salmon at 125 to 130F in the thickest part and let carryover heat finish it, because the line between silky and chalky is only a few degrees.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start the plank soaking and the grill heating first, then season the fish and slice the lemon while the board absorbs water.
Make-ahead: Soak the plank and season the fillet up to a few hours ahead, keeping the fish covered in the fridge until the grill is ready.
Leftover move: Flake cold leftover salmon into a grain bowl or fold it through scrambled eggs the next morning.
Cleanup rhythm: Let the spent plank cool completely on the grill, then discard it; the fish lifts cleanly off so there is little to scrub.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Salmon fillet, skin-on

the centerpiece

Purpose: A center-cut fillet of even thickness cooks at one rate, so no part dries out while the middle catches up.

Handling: Pat the surface dry and bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes so it cooks evenly.

Adaptation: Steelhead trout or arctic char behave almost identically and work on the plank without any change.

Cedar grilling plank

smoke source and heat shield

Purpose: The wet board smolders under the lid, releasing cedar aromatics while protecting the fish from direct flame.

Handling: Submerge it in water for at least one hour, weighting it down so it stays under.

Adaptation: An untreated alder or maple plank gives a milder smoke if cedar is too assertive for your table.

Olive oil

moisture and adhesion layer

Purpose: A thin coat helps seasoning cling and keeps the surface from drying as the smoke works in.

Handling: Brush a light film over the flesh side just before seasoning.

Adaptation: Avocado oil handles the grill's heat just as well with a more neutral flavor.

Lemon

brightener

Purpose: A squeeze of acid at the end cuts the richness of the fish and lifts the smoky notes.

Handling: Slice half into thin rounds to lay over the fish and reserve half for squeezing at the table.

Adaptation: Lime or a splash of white wine vinegar gives a similar brightening lift.

Fresh dill

herbal accent

Purpose: Dill's grassy, slightly anise note is a classic match for salmon and reads clean against the smoke.

Handling: Roughly chop and scatter over the fillet in the last minutes of cooking.

Adaptation: Tarragon or flat-leaf parsley both pair well if dill is not on hand.

Technique notes

Preheat the empty plank on the grates for two to three minutes until it just starts to crackle, then flip it and lay the fish on the warmed side for a faster, more even start.
Keep the lid down the entire cook so the trapped smoke surrounds the fish; lifting it to peek releases the aromatics you spent an hour building.
If flames flare from the plank edges, mist them with a spray bottle of water rather than moving the fish, which keeps the smoke going without scorching.

Ingredient swaps

Weeknight shortcut: Skip the plank and cook the seasoned fillet on a sheet of foil over the grill or under the broiler for a faster, smoke-free version.
Lower-sodium direction: Season with the herbs, lemon, and a little smoked paprika instead of salt to keep the flavor without the sodium.
Dairy-free option: This dish is already dairy-free; finish with a drizzle of olive oil rather than a butter baste to keep it that way.

Serve alongside

Grilled asparagus with lemon
Wild rice pilaf with toasted almonds
Cucumber and dill yogurt salad
Charred corn on the cob
Dry Riesling or unoaked Chardonnay
Sparkling water with cucumber and lime
Crisp pale ale

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftover salmon in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat or eat it cold, since high heat will dry the flesh and dull the smoke. Cooked salmon freezes for up to two months; thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Equipment

Cedar grilling plank
Charcoal or gas grill with a lid
Instant-read thermometer
Fish or wide offset spatula

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