Brown Sugar–Cured Smoked Salmon

Name: Brown Sugar–Cured Smoked Salmon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 cups Brown Sugar; 3 cups Cinnamon Baking Chips; 24 fl oz Coca-Cola; 0.5 cup Honey; 3 lb Salmon; 1 cup Salt

Appetizer 🧄Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American High-Protein 💪Gluten-Free Halal 🕌Pescatarian 🐟

Brown Sugar–Cured Smoked Salmon balances deep sweetness with a gentle salinity, yielding silky slices kissed by aromatic wood smoke. A hint of cola and honey rounds the glaze with caramel notes, making it special for brunch platters, bagel spreads, or elegant appetizers. Serve chilled or room temperature with fresh herbs, cream cheese, and lemon.

Prep15 mins
Cook2 hrs
Serves12
DifficultyMedium

1

Combine 1 cup brown sugar and kosher salt in a small bowl.
2

Spread a thin layer of the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch baking pan. Arrange 2 to 3 salmon fillets on top; cover them with some of the brown sugar mixture. Repeat the layers until all the salmon fillets are coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
3

Preheat a smoker to 195 degrees F (91 degrees C) following the manufacturer's instructions.
4

Rinse the brown sugar mixture off the salmon fillets. Brush the fillets lightly with honey and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar on top.
5

Pour the cola-flavored beverage into the smoker's water pan; add water until it is within 1 inch of the top. Arrange half of the wood chips around the edge of the hot charcoal. Place the salmon on the cooking racks.
6

Cook the salmon, adding more wood chips if needed, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 2 hours. Cool before serving for at least 15 minutes.