Pit Log Maple Cedar Salmon
Sweet, smoky, balanced, on a soaked cedar plank. Maple syrup, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice and smoked paprika. The page prints 145 F as the federal minimum and labels anything lower as preference.
Test kitchen, draft 1. Not yet cooked and logged.
- Yield
- Serves 4
- Prep
- 15 minutes, plus 1 hour to soak the plank
- Cook
- 15 to 20 minutes on a plank at 350 F, or 45 to 60 minutes smoked at 225 F. Estimate.
- Wood
- Alder, Apple
Safe first. Then done.
145 F (62.8 C)
Fish and shellfish. Thermometer in the thickest part of the fillet; or the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
Pit temperature: Low and slow for collagen cuts (brisket, pork butt) means 200 to 250 F pit air so the outside does not overcook while the centre catches up (Texas A&M). FSIS's food-safety band for a smoker is 225 to 300 F. Poultry skin crisps better at the top of the band or above it.
Fish
- 1.5 to 2 lbcenter-cut salmon fillet, skin on
- 1untreated cedar grilling plank
Glaze
- 1/4 cuppure maple syrup
- 2 tbspDijon mustard
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 1garlic clove, grated
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1/2 tspcoarse black pepper
Pantry items to check before you start. Print the page and tick them off.
- Maple Syrup Maple Grove Farms Organic Pure Maple Syrup
- Dijon Mustard Grey Poupon Mustard, 10 oz
- Soy Sauce Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce (16.9 oz
- Smoked Paprika La Dalia La Dalia Authentic Spanish Smoked Paprika, 2.46 oz
- Cedar Planks Wildwood Grilling Wood Fire 12-Pack Cedar Grilling Planks
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- 01
Soak the plank in water for at least 1 hour. Weigh it down so it stays under.
- 02
Whisk the glaze. Set a third of it aside for serving.
- 03
Pat the salmon dry. Lay it skin down on the plank. Brush on half of the rest of the glaze.
- 04
Grill: heat to 350 F, indirect. Put the plank on and close the lid. Smoker: run 225 F with alder or apple.
- 05
Brush on the rest of the glaze after 10 minutes on the grill, or after 30 minutes in the smoker.
- 06
Check the thickest part with a thermometer through the side. USDA FSIS and FDA say 145 F, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork. Many cooks pull it earlier for a softer center. That is a preference below the federal minimum, and this page says so.
- 07
Rest 3 to 5 minutes on the plank. Spoon the reserved glaze over the top. Serve from the board.
- Untested draft. Concept from the approved Pit Log salmon graphic.
- Cedar planks are one use on the grill. Rinse and reuse only for low smoking.
- Cedar grilling planksSalmon recipe; consumable, repeat purchase.
- Instant-read thermometerThe single tool FSIS says is the only reliable way to know food is safe. Appears on every cut page.
- Fish spatulaEvery salmon page.
As an Amazon Associate, Pit Log earns from qualifying purchases. We pick these by name and type, checked against Amazon’s own records. Not by what pays best. We show no prices. A price on a page goes stale fast. Checked 2026-09-03.
- Salmon center cut guide, in the works
- Alder smoke
- Apple smoke
- The full temperature chart
Open it in Pit Master Log
The log opens with fish, alder, 225 F and none already filled in. Change anything. Then cook.