Cedar Planked Salmon with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
You may also like
- Grilled Salmon with Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Pan-Seared Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil
- Restaurant-Style Pan Seared Salmon
- Slow-Roasted Salmon with French Herb Salsa
- Crispy Pan Fried Fish Fingers
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I really want to make this but am serving 5 adults and 4 toddlers. Will 2 planks fit on a standard gas grill? Do planks come in different sizes? Sorry for my ignorance but I am new(er) to grilling and never used a plank. Thank you.
Hi Lily, Yes two planks will definitely fit. You may also be able to find a larger plank – they do come in different sizes. Hope you enjoy!
This is my go-to recipe when I have company. It’s amazing.
We picked this based on the 5⭐️ with a lot of reviews and was not disappointed! My kids don’t even want to try other marinades. They just want this now! KUDOS
Excellent! Lots of flavor, and fish was moist. My salmon was a little thinner and cooked in 8 minutes. I marinated for about 45 minutes. I’ll make again!
Delicious!
It’s tough to get salmon cooked *just right on the BBQ, but the plank helped maintain an even heat. Thanks to the marinade, no dry salmon!
YUM.
Love every single thing that i make from your blog! Does this work with other fish? Maybe swordfish or mahi mahi?
Yep 🙂
sounds great! here is another, if you don’t mind, I made it up myself.
I take a lemon, slice it and lay it down on sesame oil in an iron skillet.
then turn on the heat to medium.
lay the salmon down on the lemon slices – this cushions the fish so that it
does not get too well done.
put a lid on the pan, turn down heat.
cook 4-5 min. depending on thickness of fish and what you like.
turn fish over – making sure you keep fish well on the lemon slices and
cover pan again.
turn off heat.
add sesame seeds. squeeze a lemon or a half of a lemon (your choice) over
the fish.
Serve.
Items needed;
sesame oil to cook the fish in
sesame seeds (just because 😉
lemon (one to slice to cushion the fish as it’s cooking)
lemon (to squeeze on top after cooking the fish)
*keep heat lowered, watch it, doesn’t take long, keep a lid on to “poach” salmon.
this is how I like to do mine. (*you could add some fresh ginger bits as you are cooking too).
Is it correct that the the skin side is down on the board?
Correct!
Jenn, could I put a cedar plank in the oven and roast it
Hi Carol, I think it will work, although I’m not sure you’ll get as much smoky flavor. I would bake it at 350°F; cook time will be about the same. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!
How did this turn out, Carol? I was wondering the same thing, thinking I might have to put a sheet pan under it in case juices drip?
This is a great recipe that I make frequently. My personal additions are bay leaf, tarragon, and capers. I prefer using a single large piece of salmon, although that may take longer to cook. Marinating the salmon in miso with beer also works really well.