Cedar Planked Salmon with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs
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Grilled cedar planked salmon has a delightfully smoky flavor and never sticks to the grill!
Cedar planked salmon is a mainstay on restaurant menus, yet it’s so easy to make at home. Marinating the salmon in lemon zest, garlic, and herbs in one of my favorite ways to prepare it. The citrus and garlic add zing while the cedar plank and herbs impart a smoky, woodsy flavor. To make life easy, I buy the salmon already skinned and portioned at the supermarket. Once home, I quickly whip up the marinade, refrigerate the salmon, and go about my day. Come dinnertime, all that’s left to do is soak the plank, fire up the grill, and make the side dishes. What’s more, not only does the plank prevent the fish from sticking to the grill, but it also makes clean-up a breeze. Serve the salmon with sautéed zucchini and cherry tomatoes or ratatouille and focaccia.
What you’ll need to make Cedar Planked Salmon
As you can see, the ingredients are very straightforward. The cedar planks are easy to find; most large supermarkets carry them near the seafood department.
How to make Cedar Planked Salmon
Begin by making the marinade: combine the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a dish large enough to hold the salmon. Add the salmon to the dish and turn to coat evenly. Let the salmon marinate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to grill.
Meanwhile, soak the cedar plank in a sink or bowl of water for at least one hour, otherwise, it will be more prone to catch fire on the grill. Then, pat dry and place the marinated salmon on the plank.
Grill over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the salmon is done to your liking.
Serve the salmon right off the plank with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
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Cedar Plank Salmon with Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary
Grilled cedar planked salmon has a delightfully smoky flavor and never sticks to the grill!
Ingredients
- Cedar plank(s) for grilling
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 2 lemons
- 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 (6-oz) salmon fillets, skin removed
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl or sink with water. Soak the cedar plank(s) under the water for at least 1 hour.
- In a baking dish large enough to hold the salmon, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Mix well. Add the salmon and turn to coat evenly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to grill (you can do this up to 4 hours ahead of time).
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400°F to 450°F).
- Pat the soaked plank(s) dry and place the salmon on top. Place the plank(s) on the grill grates, close the cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until salmon is done to your liking. Douse or mist the plank(s) with a bit of water if it catches fire. Serve the salmon on a platter right off the plank(s) with lemon wedges.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Calories: 478
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 392 mg
- Cholesterol: 94 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Can you use other types of fish? We get a lot of fresh mahi (dolphin) here in south Florida.
Sure!
Tried it and loved it.
Thanks for the easy recipe.
Kansas Salmon lover.
This was so delish and super easy. I’ve made cedar planked salmon many times and this recipe will go into the “favorite and repeat often” category. We also cooked corn on the cob (unhusked) on the grill with the salmon and it absorbed some lovely cedar smokiness.
Hi Jenn, love your recipes and tips, just wondered if I could make your cedar planked salmon with lemon and herbs and place on plank and cook in oven (?temp) or cook on a smokeless indoor grill. Thank you Ann B.
Hi Ann, I think it will work, although I’m not sure you’ll get as much smoky flavor. I would bake in the oven at 350°F; cook time will be about the same. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times now and it is spectacular. Well, I’ve been told so by guests wanting the recipe (I don’t eat fish). The most recent time was Easter 2020. I had to quadruple the recipe to accommodate all the fish we bought. Hubby did a fantastic job on the grill.. the planks can set fire so keep a watch on that. Used the recipe as-is… depending on the size of the lemons you have to make a judgement call on the amount of zest. This is definitely our go-to menu for guests.
I’m confused about the 2 lemons. That seems like too much for 2 tsps of zest. Are you supposed to use the lemon juice too?
Hi Sherry, I generally need two lemons to get 2 tsp. of zest, but feel free to use only one if necessary (and you don’t need to use any lemon juice). Hope you enjoy!
I’m not a huge salmon fan but thought I’d try it with this recipe. It is outstanding! I will most definitely make this again.
I have never tried to cook on a cedar plank before, I followed the recipe to a t and omg the fish was amazing. Moist and smokey yet not overpowering. Will definitely make again.
Amazing!!!! So flavourful. It is genuinely great salmon. I used dried spices because thats all I had and I just used a but less that the recipe called for. It was fantastic
Hi, just wanted to say my one year old and husband really enjoyed this recipe! Very similar to one of my chicken recipes. We will be using the leftovers combined with goat cheese for some awesome eggs tomorrow morning!