Or as I like to call them – Salmon Candy. These Candied Smoked Salmon Bites are smoky, sweet, savory bits of summer. If you have a smoker, you have to give these a try. So easy to make and even easier to eat. Smoked salmon is already a favorite of mine, for the intense salty, savory flavor it has. For this recipe, I’ve added a sweet and rich glaze that coats the salmon and gives it a maple-smoked bacon quality. You can eat these bites as is, or use them to top salads, flatbreads, or sandwiches. I think these would make a fantastic stand in for bacon in a salmon BLT.
This recipe begins, of course, with a beautiful salmon filet. Start with the best salmon you can find. I like to feel around for any remaining pin bones, then slices the filet into cubes. The more surface area these salmon bites have the better – we want them to soak up as much of that glaze as possible.
Then, the salmon cubes are marinated in water, brown sugar, salt, maple syrup, and honey. This first step allows the salt to begin to “cure” the salmon and infuse the flavor of the glaze into the meat.
Next, the salmon bites are slowly smoked over very low heat. We want to give the salmon time to absorb the lovely smoke flavor without becoming tough or dry. While the salmon smokes, I reduce the curing liquid into a glaze to brush over the salmon bites throughout the cooking. They get more tempting each time I check on them!
Finally, the bites are ready. Golden and sticky on the outside, juicy and smoky on the inside, these are a treat that immediately taste like summer to me. Go ahead and break out that smoker – because once you make a batch of these, you’ll be adding them to the menu for every summer cookout.
I hope you love these Candied Smoked Salmon Bites as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Candied Smoked Salmon Bites
Equipment
- Smoker
- Wood Chips, for smoking (I used cherry wood)
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs salmon (I use a whole side of salmon)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¾ cup 100% maple syrup
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Slice the salmon into approximately 1 inch by 1 inch cubes. I usually get about 35 pieces from a whole side of salmon.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar, salt, syrup, and honey with 2 cups water. Mix in the salmon cubes and allow them to sit, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to start cooking, preheat your smoker to 180°F.
- Cover the grates in your smoker with aluminum foil and place the salmon cubes onto the foil, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Save the extra marinade liquid.
- Add wood chips to your smoker, close, and smoke for 1 hour.
- While the salmon is smoking, add the remaining marinade liquid to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly reduced, forming a glaze. A film may appear on the surface of your glaze. This is excess protein from the salmon and is not harmful, though it can be skimmed off.
- After the first hour, flip the salmon cubes and brush with the reduced glaze. Continue smoking for 4-5 hours, stopping to flip the cubes and brush with more glaze every 45 minutes. Depending on the set up of your smoker, you may also need to rotate the racks to evenly smoke all your salmon cubes.
- When the salmon reaches at least 160°F internally and the glaze has caramelized around the cubes, they are done.
- Serve, as a snack, appetizer, topping, or however you'd like!
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