Cedar Plank Salmon is amazing when coated with a sweet and spicy dry rub, cooked on the grill giving it that smoked influence, and finished with a maple syrup glaze.
Sweet, spicy, and absolutely incredible. And if you don’t have a grill you can easily do this in a hot cast iron pan and finished in the oven.
One of my kids recently declared to us he wants to be a vegetarian. So I ask him, “Well what does this mean for you? What kinds of things can you eat now?”
He says, “Well, it means I can eat halibut, and salmon, and also pepperoni, and bacon. But no meat.” 🤣🤣
Yeah, good luck with that one, kid.
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So to keep the newly discovered pesca-bacon-tarian happy we’ve been cooking a lot of fish, though not wrapped in bacon.
We love playing around with different flavors when it comes to salmon, especially on the grill. Salmon doesn’t take much time to grill, so cooking it on a cedar plank can help you get some of that great smoky flavor when you cook it hot and fast.
This is a fantastic option if you want a nice salmon dinner on a weeknight (or weekend too when you just don’t feel like smoking it low and slow).
How to make Chipotle Maple Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon
Simply prepare your dry rub. *Note: you may not use all of the dry rub on your salmon depending on the exact size of your salmon. Just save the rest in a small jar and use for future recipes. This rub is also great on pork and chicken (or tofu if you’re avoiding the other “meats” like my son).
Soak your cedar plank fully submerged in water.
I should emphasize the importance of soaking your cedar plank in water for at least 30 minutes, otherwise you’re gonna have a fire on your hands, and not the good kind of fire if you know what I mean!
Pat dry your soaked cedar plank and prepare your grill for indirect cooking. Start by coating the salmon with olive oil and liberally season it with your dry rub, then place on the the cedar plank and place on direct heat. Cook for approximately 12-15 minutes, monitoring it for flames, until the internal temperature of the salmon reached 120 degrees using a digital thermometer.
(You will want to be sure you soak the plank to avoid it going up in flames. It may catch a little on the sides (which is okay!), just be prepared to move it early to indirect heat to finish.
After the salmon has reached 120 degrees move to the indirect side leaving grill uncovered, and then coat with the maple syrup, and let sit for about 1 minute to caramelize. Remove from heat and rest for roughly 5 minutes.
The salmon will keep cooking to 125 degrees (medium rare) over that time and the maple syrup will firm up slightly. Serve!
Serve away and enjoy this pesca-bacon-tarian friendly meal.
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Cedar Plank Salmon is amazing when coated with a sweet and spicy dry rub, cooked on the grill giving it that smoked influence, and finished with a maple syrup glaze.
Sweet, spicy, and absolutely incredible. And if you don’t have a grill you can easily do this in a hot cast iron pan and finished in the oven.
- 1 cedar plank
- 1 1/2 pounds salmon
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dry rub (give or take, see notes)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
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Soak the cedar plank, fully submerged in water, for 30 minutes. Pat dry after removing from water.
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Prepare grill for indirect cooking.
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Combine dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
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Coat salmon with olive oil, and then sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the dry rub over the salmon liberally (you may have some dry rub leftover).
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Place seasoned salmon on the cedar plank, and place on direct heat for up to 15 minutes or until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees.
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Transfer the salmon and cedar plank to indirect heat, and glaze with the maple syrup using a brush. Remove after one minute.
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Let rest for five minutes and then slice and serve.
*Notes: you can also cook the salmon in a cast iron pan. It will need to be cut into smaller filets to fit into the pan. Cook on the stovetop until the salmon reaches 120 degrees, then coat with maple syrup and finish under the broiler for one minute to caramelize the maple syrup.
** Depending on the size of your salmon, you may have some leftover dry rub. Make sure to liberally coat the salmon though. Don't be shy!
WINE PAIRING
I have two go-to pairings for this dish – a semi-sweet Riesling and new world style Pinot Noir.
Salmon, in general, tends to have delicate flavors and textures, but this one, coated in that sweet, spicy, and savory rub and maple glaze, offers the opportunity to pair it with something a little bolder. If you go for a medium-bodied fruity Pinot Noir from California, for example, you’ll find a nice match up in bold fruit balancing out the flavors in the rub, yet smooth enough to pair with that tender delicate meat under the rub. We tried this with the 2015 Siduri Pinot Noir, Parsons’ Vineyard from the Russian River Valley, in Sonoma County, and it was a great matchup for all of the above reasons.
Alternatively, we love Riesling with this. If you find the dry rub to be on the spicy side (this will depend on the strength of the chipotle powder you have), the Riesling will provide a refreshing and sweet contrast to the heat. It will also balance well with the sweetness in the dry rub and maple. It’s a pretty versatile wine that works great with the flavors in this dish. Just look for one on the slightly sweet side (you don’t want a bone dry Riesling for this, and nothing on the sticky sweet side). This was nice with a Dr. H. Thanisch, Müller-Burggraef, Bernkasteller Badstube Riesling Kabinett from the Mosel, Germany. It had great acid to counter balance the sweetness.
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This looks like a more flavorful way to enjoy salmon, if only I could get someone to do all the work and bring it to me:)
We still have never cooked salmon on a cedar plank, but your post makes it look soooooo good—and not intimidating!
Hi! Just pinned this from FBC, and had to come over to look at the recipe. Your gorgeous photo lured me in — it just looks SO incredibly delicious! Yum!
Look at that gorgeous maple glaze! This salmon looks AMAZING, Mary!!
I’ve long been a fan of cedar planked salmon but your version, with the delicious maple chipotle glaze sounds extra fantastic Mary!
Oh my gosh! This made me so hungry, Mary! I’ve done a similar salmon glaze with honey, but maple syrup would be awesome, too. P.S. I love your son’s interpretation of “vegetarian.”
Thank you and I seriously cannot make this stuff up!!!
I wish we had a bbq! This sounds so good. We love salmon but don’t make it at home very often. That glaze sounds delicious!