What Is The Best Wood For Smoking Salmon?

Salmon may not be the first (or really near the top of the list) cut of meat I think about when I think about barbecue. But it’s a delicious way to prepare a healthy dish. If you’ve never tried it before, check out our recipe for smoked salmon with a honey sriracha glaze. You’ll never look at salmon the same way again. And in order to deliver the best experience, you need to know what the best wood for smoking salmon is. In my opinion, that’s alder wood. 

Alder wood will not overpower the flavor of salmon but it adds a subtle, delicate smoke flavor. It’s also a great option for other types of fish, poultry, and vegetables. It’s especially good for cold-smoking fish using the Fan-Only mode on the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro.  

What Is The Best Wood For Smoking Salmon And Why Is It Alder?

Whenever I’m smoking any cut of meat, there are two main things I’m concerned with. What’s the flavor I’m looking for and does the meat stand up to a lot of smoke flavor? When it comes to salmon, it’s quite easy to oversmoke it. Salmon is a fairly delicate flavor, at least when compared to beef brisket. So I want to avoid wood that will give it a strong smoke flavor like mesquite, oak, and hickory.

That’s why I think the best wood for smoking salmon is alder. It’s going to give salmon a hint of smoke flavor which is exactly what I want. I don’t want a heavy smoke flavor like I do when I’m smoking pork butts or beef ribs. My goal is to let the people I’m feeding know that the salmon has been smoked but I want all the flavors to shine through.

Alternative Woods For Smoking Salmon

Now just because I believe that alder is the best wood for smoking salmon doesn’t mean it’s the only wood you can use. So let’s dive into some of the alternatives.

• Oak – As I’ve said, I think alder is perfect because it has a light smoke flavor. But maybe you want a more smoky taste experience with your salmon. For that result, I have to recommend oak wood. It’s the wood I always reach for when I’m looking for a traditional smoke flavor experience. And it will deliver that with salmon. Just be careful not to oversmoke. To help that, you could mix oak with alder.
• Cherry – If you want to embrace a sweet glaze experience, cherry wood is a fantastic alternative. Not only will it give some sweet smoke flavor, but it will help your salmon develop a beautiful red color.
• Maple – Maple is another great choice for adding light smoke flavor to salmon. And like cherry, its smoke helps give the salmon some extra color. In the case of maple, you’ll add some beautiful golden color to the salmon.

What’s The Right Kind Of Wood For Smoking Salmon?

Now while the answer of the best wood for smoking salmon is subjective, the right kind of wood is objective. It’s based on the type of smoker you’re using. If you’ve got an offset smoker, grab some logs or splits for the firebox.

You can smoke salmon on your charcoal or gas grill. As for what type of wood you’ll need, it’ll either be wood chunks or wood chips. Check out our breakdown of the differences between the two to help you pick the right one for your needs. 

If you’ve got an electric or propane smoker, you’ll definitely be reaching for wood chips. And of course, if you’re smoking on a pellet grill or vertical pellet smoker, grab some Bear Mountain BBQ wood pellets for the best results! And they do have alder wood available.

Final Thoughts

I will admit, salmon is not the first thing I think of when I think of smoking. But if neither you nor I never consider it, we’re missing out on a great way to enjoy fish. And the best wood for smoking salmon is alder wood in my opinion.

But like in all things smoking and barbecue, it all comes down to our personal preferences. So feel free to give some other woods like oak, cherry, or maple a try. 

What’s your favorite wood for smoking salmon? Do you have a go-to recipe or trick? Let us know in the comments!