Lemon Herb Cedar Plank Salmon (video)
Say ‘hello’ to your new favorite seafood recipe! This lemon herb cedar plank salmon is perfect for warm summer evenings! The salmon is super juicy, flaky and smoky from the cedar plank. I love to serve it with a side of zesty and crunchy asparagus. You’ll be enjoying this salmon recipe again and again!
Watch My Salmon Video!
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions and watch me make this salmon recipe! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Making the Lemon Herb Topping:
What makes this salmon recipe so incredible is the flavored butter topping! To make the topping, I combined melted butter with loads of fresh lemon zest, fresh dill, and capers. The lemon zest adds so much flavor! After mixing all the topping ingredients together, I place the melted butter into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes, to allow it to thicken. It’s much easier to spread the thickened butter over the salmon, and it will stay in place! Just use a small spatula or spoon to spread the butter onto the salmon.
I used a fairly large salmon fillet – 2 1/2 pounds, which will make 6 to 7 servings. You can cut this recipe in half for less servings.
How to Make Cedar Planked Salmon
Once you have the salmon seasoned with the prepared lemon herb spread, it’s time to get it on the grill!
- Place the salmon onto a presoak cedar plank and preheat your outdoor grill to 450F. Once hot, add the salmon, close the lid and cook for about 20 minutes.
- The cooking time depends on the thickness of the salmon. Thicker cuts may take longer.
- The salmon can be served right off the cedar plank with lemon wedges on the side!
Tips for using cedar planks:
If you’ve never tried using a cedar plank for your seafood, you’re seriously missing out! I fell in love with cedar plank grilling many years ago and it’s still my favorite way to prepare salmon. It infuses the fish with an incredible smoky flavor that you just can’t get from a pan or regular grill. I also used my Traeger wood-pellet grill for this recipe with Hickory wood pellets to add even more flavor. More about my grill below!
- Make sure to soak the boards before using on the grill! This is important to avoid catching the plank on fire.
- Soak the boards for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 4 hours. Just fill up your sink and place a heavy tray on top to keep the boards submerged. Or, do the same in a large pan if you don’t want to occupy your sink.
Lemon Asparagus Recipe
I always add veggies to my grill whenever I’m making anything! I love this cedar plank salmon with zesty lemon asparagus. Just season the asparagus with olive oil, salt and lemon zest. This recipe will work great with other veggies, such as portobello mushrooms, zucchini, corn or even bell peppers.
Or, try this lemon salmon with this delicious and refreshing salad! Check out my ‘Avocado Salmon Salad’ for the full recipe!
More Recipes!
- Mango Teriyaki Salmon – one of my favorites, with homemade teriyaki sauce and mango avocado salsa on top!
- Russian Salmon Coulibiac – the most delicious fish pastry ever with flaky salmon, mushroom rice and a zesty dill and lemon sauce!
- Wild Sea Bass Dinner – buttery, flaky sea bass with garlicy spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms! Easy, 30-minute meal!
- Avocado Salmon Salad – this delicious salad is with salmon, eggs, avocado and cucumbers!
- Smoked Salmon Potato Salad – amazing seafood salad with flaky smoked salmon, salmon roe, 7-minute eggs and zesty dressing!
Enjoyed this recipe? Save it to Pinterest for later!
Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- I love my classic Wusthof Ikon chef’s knife! Get a small set or just the knife.
- These Epicurean cutting boards are amazing! Plus, you can wash them in the dishwasher.
- Get a bundle of cedar planks to last you all summer.
- And I love this sturdy lemon zester.
Thank you Traeger Grills
HUGE thank you to Traeger Grills for sending me one your wood pellet grills. I’m over the moon with the grill and have been using it and testing recipes from day one. If you haven’t heard of Traeger, they make wood pellet grills – it’s like a smoker and grill in one. There’s an option to ‘smoke’ your food, or to ‘grill’ it, without the risk of flare ups. The flavor you get from the wood pellets is beyond amazing!! Check the grill that I have HERE
Lemon Herb Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe (video)
Ingredients
- 2 to 2.5 pound salmon fillet
- salt to season
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
- 1 tbsp capers, minced
- zest from 1 large lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- ground black pepper
For Asparagus:
- 1 large bundle asparagus
- 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt to season
- zest from 1/2 lemon
For Grilling:
- 2 cedar planks, presoaked
Instructions
- Presoak the cedar planks for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat your grill when ready to prepare the dish. If you’re using a Traeger grill, set it first to ‘smoke’ and preheat for 10 minutes. If using a conventional grill, preheat the grill to 450F.
- Prepare the butter topping: melt the butter in a large bowl. Finely mince the garlic and capers, then add to the melted butter along with the fresh dill, lemon zest, salt and a bit of ground black pepper. Stir all the ingredients together, then place the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The butter needs to thicken into a spread.
- Prepare the salmon: the fish can be grilled with the skin on or off. Use a very sharp knife to remove the skin; watch my video recipe to see how it’s done. The salmon can be prepared as a whole piece or cut into serving size pieces. Season the salmon all over lightly with salt before arranging on the pre-soaked cedar planks.
- Wash the asparagus and cut off the hard ends. Place the asparagus on a flat sheet pan or tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and lemon zest.
- Head out to the grill! For the Traeger grill, I first smoked the salmon and asparagus for 20 minutes, then turned the temperature up to ‘grill’, about 425F for another 15 minutes, until the salmon was done. If using a conventional grill, grill the salmon over a low/medium flame at 450F with the lid closed for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges of the salmon are golden. Grill the asparagus for 10 minutes over a low flame, turning occasionally.
- The salmon can be served directly off the plank with a side of asparagus and a few lemon wedges.
Absolutely delicious! Great recipe
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!