Cedar Plank Salmon Lemon Dill (Print version)

Salmon fillets grilled on cedar plank with fresh lemon and dill for a smoky, bright taste.

# Required ingredients:

→ Fish & Marinade

01 - 4 skin-on salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
04 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
05 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
06 - 1 garlic clove, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ For Grilling

09 - 1 untreated cedar plank (12 x 6 inches), soaked in water for at least 1 hour
10 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced
11 - Fresh dill sprigs for garnish (optional)

# How to make it:

01 - Soak the cedar plank in cold water for at least 1 hour, placing a weight on top to keep it fully submerged.
02 - In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped dill, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
03 - Pat salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Brush both sides evenly with the marinade and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
04 - Preheat the grill to medium-high temperature, approximately 400°F.
05 - Place the soaked cedar plank on the grill. Close the lid and heat for 3 minutes until it begins to crackle and smoke.
06 - Carefully arrange lemon slices on the plank, then position salmon fillets skin side down directly on top of the lemon slices.
07 - Close the grill lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
08 - Remove the plank from the grill and allow salmon to rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cedar plank does most of the flavor work, so you're really just showing up with good ingredients and letting the grill do what it does best.
  • Salmon cooks gently on that plank, staying impossibly moist while the skin gets just crispy enough to be interesting.
  • You look like you know what you're doing even if this is your first time grilling fish, which matters more than it probably should.
02 -
  • The first time I didn't soak the plank long enough, it caught fire and honestly scared me a little, so trust the water submersion step even though it feels like overkill.
  • Untreated cedar is non-negotiable because treated wood releases toxins when heated, and the difference in flavor between untreated and treated planks is genuinely noticeable anyway.
03 -
  • Buy an extra cedar plank just to keep on hand because once you start cooking this way, you'll want to do it constantly, and finding them mid-summer can be surprisingly difficult.
  • If your plank chars slightly but isn't burned through, you can rinse and reuse it multiple times, which makes this feel less wasteful than it might initially seem.
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