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–+ servings
Two finished smoked salmon fillets on butcher paper with caramelized garlic herb butter and lemon slices on a grill

Smoked Salmon with Lemon Pepper Garlic Butter

Smoked salmon with lemon pepper garlic butter, scored with a crosshatch pattern, smoked at 275°F on butcher paper over apple or cherry wood until flaky and tender.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Seafood
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon
  • 2 whole salmon fillets 1-1.5 lbs each
  • Lemon slices optional, for finish
Lemon Pepper Garlic Butter
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika

Equipment

  • Smoker
  • Butcher paper
  • Instant-Read Thermometer
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Silicone Brush

Method
 

  1. Preheat smoker to 275°F with apple or cherry wood. Pat salmon dry. Score a crosshatch pattern about 1 inch apart into the flesh (not through the skin).
  2. Combine melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, lemon pepper seasoning, and paprika in a bowl. Stir until mixed.
  3. Place salmon on butcher paper. Brush butter mixture generously over the top, working into the crosshatch cuts.
  4. Transfer to smoker on the butcher paper. Smoke at 275°F until internal temperature hits 135°F, about 20-30 minutes.
  5. Spoon extra butter over the top. Add lemon slices. Rest 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

Score deep: The crosshatch cuts trap melted butter and let smoke penetrate deeper into the flesh.
Pull at 135°F: This gives you moist, flaky salmon. Going past 145°F dries the flesh and pushes out albumin.
Mild wood only: Apple or cherry complement salmon. Hickory and mesquite overpower the fish.

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