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–+ servings
smoked salmon fillets on the grates of a traeger pellet grill

Traeger Smoked Salmon with Sweet BBQ Rub

Mads Martigan
These Traeger Smoked Salmon Fillets are first dry brined and cured overnight then seasoned with a simple but sweet BBQ rub.
We then show you step by step how to slow smoke the salmon to perfection on a Traeger pellet grill.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Dry Brine Time 6 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Mediterranean, Seafood, Smoked
Servings 4 people
Calories 450 kcal

Equipment

  • Traeger Pellet Grill
  • Wood Pellets preferably a fruitwood like apple or cherry; or oak
  • Fillet or Boning Knife
  • Tweezers
  • Cutting Board
  • Paper Towels
  • Baking Dish
  • Plastic Wrap or Lid to Baking Dish
  • Large Baking Sheet with Wire Rack
  • Instant Read and/or Leave in Probe Thermometer
  • Grill Mat optional

Ingredients
  

  • 1 2 lb Large Salmon Fillet

Dry Brine

  • 6 Cups Water
  • ¾ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Kosher Salt

Sweet BBQ Rub

  • 1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Course Ground Black Pepper
  • Zest of ½ Lemon optional for brightness

BBQ Sauce

  • ½ cup Blues Hog Champion Blend or your favorite BBQ sauce

Instructions
 

Rinse, Dry, and Fillet the Salmon

  • Rinse the salmon under cold running water.
    1 2 lb Large Salmon Fillet
  • Place it on your cutting board and pat it very dry with paper towels
  • Once it is dry, run your fingers along the salmon checking for any bones that were not removed previously.
  • If you feel any, remove them with some tweezers and discard.
  • Lastly, slice your salmon into about 2 inch portion sized fillets.

Brine the Salmon

  • Dissolve the brine ingredients in boiling water. Chill the brine in the refrigerator.
    ¾ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, ¼ Cup Kosher Salt
  • Pour the brine in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Submerge the fillets in the brine, skin side up, and then cover with more brine.
  • Cover the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap.
  • Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.

Rinse and Dry the Brined Salmon

  • After the salmon is finished brining, take the fillets out of the tray and rinse them off really well under cold running water.
  • Pat dry with paper towels, and place them on a wire rack to air dry.
  • Keep the seasoned salmon fillets on the wire rack in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours to allow the pellicle to form on the outside.

Start the Traeger Pellet Grill

  • Remove the fire pot from the bottom of the Traeger and clean out any ashes left over from the last cook. Replace it and make sure it is secured in place with the clips on either side.
  • Load the hopper of the Traeger with your chosen wood pellets.
  • Turn on the Traeger and move the dial to the "Smoke" setting.
  • Leave the lid open for 5-7 minutes until you start seeing white billowing smoke coming out of the grill. This means the initial pellets are igniting.
  • Close the lid and turn the temperature dial to 180°F. Allow 10-15 minutes for the grill to stabilize at this temperature.
  • Clean the grill grates with a good grill brush and close the lid again.

Smoking the Salmon on the Traeger Pellet Grill

  • Oil the salmon skin.
  • Place the salmon fillets on the Traeger with the skin side DOWN if they are skin-on. No need to flip during the cook.
  • Smoke the salmon for about 1 hour to infuse smoke into the pellicle.
  • Mix the Sweet BBQ Rub Ingredients together well in a bowl. Keep the lemon handy for squeezing juice on at the end if you wish.
    1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika, 1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar, 1 tablespoon Dried Basil, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Course Ground Black Pepper, Zest of ½ Lemon
  • Sprinkle and rub the BBQ mixture over all sides of the dried salmon fillets and continue the smoking process.

Sauce the Salmon and Finish Cooking

  • Once the salmon has reached an internal temperature of 110-115°F, brush on the BBQ sauce.
  • Turn up the Traeger to 250°F.
  • Continue smoking the salmon, rotating occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F internally.
  • Carefully remove the smoked salmon from the Traeger and rest on a wire rack for a few minutes.
  • Serve with fresh lemon if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal
Keyword barbecue, bbq, bbq salmon, Dry Brine, hot smoked salmon, pellet grill, pellet grill salmon, pellet grills, pellet smoker, smoked fish, smoked salmon, smoked seafood, traeger, Traeger Fish, Traeger Recipes, Traeger Salmon, Traeger Seafood, Traeger Smoked Salmon
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