Canadian Maple Cedar Plank Salmon

This rich, mildly smoky Canadian Maple Cedar Plank Salmon is glazed with maple syrup, balsamic, grainy mustard, butter & garlic. Easy and mouthwatering!

The salmon is exquisitely moist and tender with a mild wood smoky flavor. The glaze is so rich and scrumptious that I increased the amount in the recipe to allow for extra to soak into a side like rice or quinoa.

I got hooked on cedar plank grilling, the first time with our Cedar Plank Flattened Chicken and Cedar Plank Whole Chicken recipes and now with planked salmon. 

I got the inspiration for the glaze from a recipe by Jo Cooks. The glaze takes a few minutes to make and the salmon just 10 minutes to grill.

You do have to soak your plank in water first, but if you buy the thin planks (1/4 inch) like I do, then the soaking only takes 10 minutes.

So… pure maple syrup and salmon…how Canadian is this dish, eh? You won’t wait long for the groans and raves – it’s absolutely delish!

Ways to Serve Cedar Plank Salmon

• Full side of salmon: I often serve a full side of salmon for company right on the plank for a gorgeous presentation.
• Individual salmon fillets: For the most part, I use several single salmon fillets and serve it as as a main dish hot, cold or at room temperature.
• Appetizer: I love to serve plank salmon as an appetizer (big hit!). I either place it on a cutting board (skin removed) with a serving utensil and let my guests cut off small pieces. Or, I cut it into small pieces and serve it on cucumber rounds.

Tailor To Your Taste

• Although I LOVE and highly recommend the sauce/glaze in this recipe, you can of course, use others, even store bought ones.
• If you don’t have a plank and grill, you can bake the salmon in a conventional oven on a baking sheet at 425F/218C for 10-13 minutes (depending on thickness). Brush on half the glaze before baking and half after.
• Try a bit of lemon zest as a garnish for some tang.

Tips for Grilling With a Cedar Plank

• The thinner planks (1/4 inch) only take 10 minutes to soak (instead of 30 minutes for 1/2 inch planks) and you can toss them out after one use so no clean up.  They cost approximately $1.50-$1.80 each and you can get them anywhere that sells BBQs (Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Costco, Walmart, etc – even some grocery stores). They also only need about 3 minutes on the direct heat to begin smoking.
• You can add apple juice or white wine to the water for soaking to add a bit more flavor.
• There is no need to turn the food.
• Keep the BBQ lid closed as much as possible to keep in the smoke.
• Keep a spray bottle or water handy in case the planks catch fire.
• The experts say you can wash the thicker 1/2-3/4 inch planks with water  (not soap) and reuse them if they are not too charred. After a couple of uses, though, the smokey flavors diminish.

How to make this cedar plank salmon recipe

Grill salmon on cedar plank along with other vegetables if you like. 

Make Ahead

• Make the glaze a day or two ahead. Or, make full recipe a couple of hours ahead and served it at room temperature. It’s even delicious cold.

More delicious grill plank recipes to try

• Cedar plank chicken (spatchcock)
• Cedar planked grilled whole chicken
• Smoked chicken thighs recipe (without a smoker)

Or check out our summer Sunday dinner ideas.

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Canadian Maple Cedar Plank Salmon

This rich, mildly smoky Canadian Maple Cedar Plank Salmon is glazed with maple syrup, balsamic, grainy mustard, butter & garlic.  Easy and mouthwatering!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2

1x2x3x

Author: Cheryl

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• untreated cedar plank

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets with skin on one side – 3/4 to 1 pound (about 1-1.5 inch thick)
• chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
• sea salt for finishing

Glaze

• 2 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoon pure Maple Syrup (or brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoon grainy or old fashioned mustard
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 clove)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (this will help glaze adhere to salmon)

Instructions

• SOAK THE PLANK: Soak a plank in cold water for 10 minutes for a 1/4 inch plank (or 30-60 minutes for 1/2 inch plank). I use a thin plank and just toss it out when I'm done. Cedar planks are great for salmon as they provide a gentle smoky taste.
• HEAT THE GRILL TO HIGH.
• MAKE THE GLAZE: Place all glaze ingredients in a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup. Stir. Microwave for 1 minute on high. Glaze will be slightly thickened. Let cool for 5 minutes if using part as a marinade (Note 1).  Alternatively, place ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on medium heat for a few minutes until thickened.
• GRILL PLANKED SALMON: Note 2. Pat plank dry. Spray with oil. Place salmon on top of plank, skin side down. Brush salmon with 1/3 of glaze. Place plank on grate of barbecue, close cover and grill for 3 minutes for thinner plank (a little longer if using a thicker plank) until plank starts charring and smoking. Have a glass of water on hand in case of flare ups.

  Brush 1/3 more glaze on top of salmon. Turn off burner/heat under the salmon (salmon should now be on indirect heat) and close lid. The other burner(s) should still be left on high or med-high heat with the temperature of the BBQ at about 425F-450F/218-232C.

  Cook for another 7 minutes or until salmon just begins to turn opaque. Instant thermometer will show an internal core temperature of 130-135F/54.4-57C (temp will rise while resting). Salmon should be a warm pink in the thickest part. Drizzle with remaining glaze. Rest salmon for 5 minutes loosely covered with a foil.
• SERVE: Slide a spatula between the skin and the salmon. The salmon will lift right off leaving the skin on the charred wood plank. Transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired and some good sea salt and/or lemon zest. 

Notes

1. Marinate the salmon filet (optional): To boost the flavor even more, marinate the salmon for 15 minutes by placing HALF of the maple-balsamic marinade (glaze) and the salmon in a ziploc bag. Make sure flesh part of salmon is coated. I usually skip the marinating as the sauce is so flavorful and the mild smoke on the salmon has enough flavor. 
2. To bake salmon instead: If you don’t have a plank and grill, you can bake the salmon in a conventional oven on a baking sheet at 425F/218C for 10-13 minutes (depending on thickness). Brush on half the glaze before baking and half after. You won’t get a smoke flavor without the plank of course, but the fish will still be delicious.
3. Make Ahead: The glaze can be made a day or two ahead. Or, the full recipe can be made a couple of hours ahead and served at room temperature. It’s even delicious cold.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Canadian Maple Cedar Plank Salmon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 469 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 130mg43%

Sodium 566mg25%

Potassium 995mg28%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 37g74%

Vitamin A 422IU8%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 63mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This recipe was originally published in June 2017 and has now been updated with new pictures.