Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon with Honey Brown Sugar Glaze

January 20, 2026

🐟 Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon Glazed with Honey and Brown Sugar

There’s nothing like the rich, smoky flavor of salmon gently cooked over a cedar plank. This easy recipe adds a touch of sweetness with honey and brown sugar, balanced by savory seasonings — and it’s one of our favorite ways to impress without the stress. Perfect for a weekend cookout or an elevated weeknight dinner.

🧠 Pro Tips

Soak your planks for at least an hour to prevent flare-ups and add moisture to the cook.
Try a flavored soak with beer, white wine, or apple juice for a subtle flavor infusion.
Add a dash of heat with crushed red pepper flakes if you want a spicy edge.

Soak your plank, prep your glaze, and let the smoke do the rest. Let’s get started!

🔥 Ingredients

1 large salmon fillet (skin removed, halved if needed)
Cedar plank (soaked in saltwater, beer, or wine for 1 hour)
Coarse ground black pepper
Granulated garlic
Sea salt
Honey
Brown sugar

👨🍳 Instructions

Pre-soak your cedar plank in salted water (or beer/wine) for at least 1 hour before cooking.
Remove skin from your salmon fillet and pat dry. Cut in half if necessary to fit the plank.
Season the salmon with a light sprinkle of coarse ground black pepper, granulated garlic, and sea salt.
Brush the fillets with honey using a silicone brush for an even glaze.
Sprinkle brown sugar on top (about ¼ cup total) and lightly press into the honey with your brush to form a sticky glaze.
Place the salmon fillets on the soaked cedar plank and set on your smoker at 275°F.
Smoke for 45–60 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F. We recommend checking with a ThermoWorks Thermo Pen.
Remove from smoker and serve hot. Expect a sticky, sweet, glazed crust with flaky perfection inside.

📸 Step-by-Step Visuals

🔪 Prepping the Salmon

Removing skin from salmon fillet before placing on cedar plank

🍯 Glazing with Honey

Adding honey glaze to salmon with silicone brush

🔥 Smoked to Perfection

Smoked cedar plank salmon fully cooked on the smoker

🤤 Glazed and Ready

Close-up of glazed cedar plank salmon with candied crust

🎥 Watch It Cook

Catch every step in our full walkthrough video:

📺 Watch on YouTube »

🛒 Gear That Made It Easy

🟠 Cedar Planks
Adds rich smoky flavor and keeps salmon moist.
→ Get cedar planks here

🟠 Silicone Brush
Perfect for brushing on honey and glazes evenly.
→ Get the silicone brush

🟠 ThermoWorks Thermo Pen
Nail the perfect internal temp every time.
→ Check it out at ThermoWorks

📌 Save or Print This Recipe

Click here to download the printable PDF

🔥 Frequently Asked Questions

🔥 Cedar Plank Salmon Questions

Can I use frozen salmon?
Yes, just fully thaw and pat dry before cooking.
Do I need to remove the skin?
Nope — but removing it helps the cedar flavor soak into the meat.
What wood smoke works best?
Pecan, alder, or fruit woods like apple and cherry are great choices.

🥩 Other Recipes to Try

🙌 Keep the Fire Lit

Thanks for reading, Biggs Crew!
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how yours turned out.

Until next time — keep the fire lit and the smoke rollin’.

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