Lemon Herb Cedar Plank Salmon

Juicy, buttery cedar plank salmon is a very simple dinner but has a lot of delicious flavor. This salmon recipe features simple ingredients like herbs, butter, and lemon that complement the natural salmon flavor perfectly. You also get a hint of smoky, wood flavor infused from the cedar plank. 

Salmon is a great fish to prepare on the grill, whether you’re cooking it directly on the grate or on a wooden plank. Both ways have its benefits and different reasons to use them. When you grill directly on the grate, you get a beautiful crunchy skin and it takes much faster to cook.

A wooden plank is a different cooking process altogether. Steam is actually what cooks the salmon on the plank and high heat all around as opposed to grilling over direct heat. The wood plank heats up by the direct heat underneath and since the wood plank is soaked, it steams the salmon. Salmon will be wonderfully tender, moist, and juicy in the end.

And of course, you can’t forget about the smoky wood flavor infused into salmon. It’s a great compliment to the natural flavor of the fish.

HOW MUCH SALMON PER PERSON

Whether you’re buying a whole salmon filet or one already sliced into portions, you can easily estimate how much you need. The average cut of salmon filet that you will find in the restaurant or pre-cut at the seafood counter is 6-8 oz, which is about 1/3 or 1/2 pounds. So plan to get about 1/2 pound per person/adult, which is 1 pound for 2 adults, and 2 pound for 4 adults.

ABOUT THE PLANK

Do I have to soak the wood plank before grilling?

Yes, absolutely. It’s very important that you soak the plank because if it’s dry, it will catch on fire over the hot charcoal or fire. The reason to cook salmon on the plank is to steam it, so the wood should be thoroughly wet. Give it at least an hour submerged in water, but you can also soak it for 2 hours before cooking. Fill a dish that is bigger than the plank, like a casserole pan or an aluminum baking pan, with water and then place the wooden plank into it. The plank will float so you want to put something heavy on top and make sure the plank is submerged under water.

Can I Use Other Wood?

Yes. There are several types wood plank options like cedar, pecan, hickory, cherry, maple, apple and alder. Alder is a nice and mild option for seafood. Hickory has a very strong wood flavor so make sure that is what you want before using it. Cedar is the most popular one that you will most likely find it at any grocery store.

Can I Reuse My Cedar Plank?

I don’t recommend it. It’s tricky to reuse a cooking wood plank because it will be have residue from food seeped into the wood and it might be too singed. It’s important to make sure that you use the same plank for the same type of meat and you may forget what meat you used before.

If the plank is not too singed and you will use it for the same exact meat or vegetable, you can reuse it. Clean the used wood plank with a clean soft scrub sponge and hot water only, no soap. Wipe it with a towel, dry it, and store in the freezer.

HOW TO GRILL SALMON ON THE PLANK:

Soak the plank:

Soak the wood plank! Fill a dish that is bigger than the plank, like a casserole pan or an aluminum baking pan, with water and then place the wooden plank into it. The plank will float so you want to put something heavy on top and make sure the plank is submerged under water. Soak it for 1-2 hours.

Prepare salmon:

Rub bottom of the salmon skin with some oil. Season salmon with salt and pepper on all sides and sprinkle herbs over the top and sides evenly. Place a couple of slices of butter on top of each salmon and a couple slices of slices of lemon. Set it aside until ready to put on the plank to grill.

Prepare grill:

Preheat the grill to medium heat with a two-zone fire just in case. Place soaked wood planks on the grill and heat it up for about 5 minutes. Flip the plank and place salmon on it, skin down.

Grill salmon:

Close the lid and cook salmon until it’s done. I prefer to cook it until it reaches 135° in the thickest part. (USDA recommends salmon safe temperature to be 145° but many people feel that it is overdone.)

Depending on the thickness of salmon piece, that could take from 12-20 minutes. A whole salmon filet that is thick could take well over 20 minutes. You will have to check the temperature with an instant read thermometer.

WANT TO TRY MORE SEAFOOD RECIPES ON THE GRILL?

Spicy grilled shrimp is one of our favorite easy and fast dinner recipes.

Another great salmon on a cedar plank recipe is one rubbed with a sweetened mustard sauce.

And who would ever say no to delicious Grilled Lobster Tails?!

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