Description
These candied smoked salmon bites are sticky and sweet on the outside, juicy and smoky on the inside—perfect for cookouts, appetizers, or snacking any time.
Ingredients
4–5 lb salmon (whole side)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
¾ cup 100% maple syrup
¼ cup honey
2 cups water (for marinade)
Instructions
- Slice the salmon into roughly 1-inch cubes (about 35 bites).
- In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, kosher salt, maple syrup, honey, and water to create a marinade.
- Stir in salmon cubes and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Preheat smoker to 180 °F (82 °C). Line smoker grates with aluminum foil.
- Arrange salmon cubes on the grates about 1 inch apart. Reserve the marinade.
- Smoke the salmon for 1 hour.
- Simmer reserved marinade in a saucepan for about 10 minutes to reduce into a glaze. Skim off any protein film.
- After the first hour, flip the salmon cubes and brush with glaze.
- Continue smoking for another 4–5 hours, brushing and flipping every 45 minutes.
- Once salmon reaches 160 °F and is caramelized, remove from smoker and serve warm or cooled.
Notes
- Add black pepper or chili flakes to the glaze for a spicy kick.
- Use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar for a molasses flavor.
- Try fruitwood chips like apple or cherry for a fruity smoke.
- Cool and refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheat in a 300 °F oven or enjoy cold.
- Can be made in a low oven with soaked wood chips if a smoker isn’t available.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon bite
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
