Homemade Hot-Smoked Pink Salmon
The simplest and fastest method - unbelievably tasty! You can make hot-smoked pink salmon at home if you have a smoker on hand, even a homemade one. I honestly haven’t seen a quicker recipe - the fish will be ready in just about 40 minutes!
Updated : 01 January, 2026
Easy
About 1 hour.
Ingredients
1 kilograms
Pink salmon
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to hot-smoke pink salmon at home? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. If possible, use chilled pink salmon. Frozen will also work - just thaw it properly. You’ll also need smoking wood chips: you can buy them, or make your own - simply use birch bark or bark from another tree. And of course, you’ll need a hot-smoking smoker, store-bought or homemade.
Step 2
Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30-40 minutes.
Step 3
Drain the water and squeeze the chips well.
Step 4
Gut the fish and be sure to remove the gills - they make the finished product bitter. Rinse the fish and pat it dry.
Step 5
I use this type of smoker with a removable lid.
Step 6
Remove the rack from the smoker and place hot coals on the bottom. Or you can heat the coals directly inside the smoker.
Step 7
Lay a thick sheet of foil over the coals. Pink salmon is fairly fatty, so fat will drip and the fire may flare up more than you need. You only need smoke, not flames.
Step 8
Arrange the damp, soaked chips around the foil on the coals and wait until they start smoking.
Step 9
As soon as they do, put the rack back in place and lay the cleaned fish on top. I’m using pink salmon, but you can smoke almost any fish this way.
Step 10
Cover the smoker with the lid, leaving the vent/hole open so the smoke can escape.
Step 11
After about 20 minutes, flip the fish. Pink salmon cooks quickly - 20 minutes on the other side is usually enough. With other fish, check doneness yourself; it depends on size and firmness.
Step 12
Serve the smoked fish hot right away or chilled. It keeps in the fridge for about a week. Enjoy your meal!
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