Cedar Plank Salmon with Citrus Rub

My family loves this cedar plank salmon made with the easiest citrus and brown sugar rub! The salmon stays soft and juicy in the middle and takes on the most delicious smoky flavor from the cedar plank.

I love cooking salmon fillets on cedar planks. They add a delicious smoky flavor and make clean-up so easy! The rub used for this recipe is similar to the one used for our brown sugar baked salmon. It’s fast to put together and works perfectly with salmon!

I use my outdoor grill for this cedar plank recipe, but you can adapt this recipe for your oven. See my tips below for how to do it! This salmon makes me think of summer, so I love serving it next to some of my favorite summery sides, like this incredible corn salad, our avocado salad, or these roasted fingerling potatoes with a potato salad-inspired dipping sauce.

Key Ingredients

• Cedar Plank: When choosing a cedar plank for cooking salmon, make sure it’s untreated, large enough for your fillet, and sold specifically for cooking. It’s essential to soak the plank in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the plank to absorb moisture and create the fragrant steam that flavors the salmon.
• Salmon: Any salmon fillet will work for this cedar plank salmon recipe. I especially love salmon with higher fat content, like sockeye, king, and coho. After cooking, salmon with a higher fat content stays soft and moist. I also prefer using skin-on salmon. The skin acts as an extra barrier to the heat below and easily slides off once the salmon is cooked.
• Homemade Citrus Rub: I love this easy rub made with brown sugar, lemon zest, salt, and smoked paprika. It’s amazing with the salmon! I like rubbing it all over my salmon and letting it sit for 15 minutes before cooking.
• Thyme: This is optional, but I love sneaking a few thyme sprigs underneath the salmon. It adds a bit more flavor to the fish and works really well with the flavors in the rub.

How to Make Cedar Plank Salmon

Grilled salmon can be tricky, so I am excited to share this practically no-fail way of cooking salmon on the grill. The cedar plank protects the fish from the heat and prevents it from sticking to the grill grates, which, if you’ve experienced it, is a real pain!

You’ll prepare the cedar plank first. Remember, you really want to soak it before using it. Thirty minutes is a minimum. You need the plank wet inside so it steams and releases all the smoky, cedar flavors.

Add the rub about 15 minutes before you cook your salmon. I use my fingers to massage it into the salmon, then set it aside for 15 minutes to let things marinate a bit. While the salmon sits, get the grill ready. You are looking for medium-high heat.

Since the salmon only takes 15 to 20 minutes to cook, I like putting the previously soaked cedar plank on the grill for a few minutes before adding the salmon. This way, the plank gets a little color and begins to smoke.

Once the grill smells like smoky cedar (amazing, by the way), I flip the plank, add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and then lay the salmon right on top.

You’ll also notice lemon halves to the side of the plank. If you’ve never roasted or grilled lemon, you are missing out. In the time it takes for the salmon to cook, the lemon halves become lightly charred and sweet. They are perfect for squeezing over the cooked salmon.

The salmon should take between 15 and 20 minutes, depending on the type of salmon you choose and the thickness. And that’s it! The salmon is tender, incredibly moist, and so flavorful. The sweet citrus rub on top works so nicely against the woodsy cedar smoke.