Bacon wrapped salmon is the perfect bite! Whether you are looking for an easy game day snack, maybe you want an elegant appetizer for a special occasion, or maybe you are in search of a delicious main course, these perfectly cooked treats will deliver flavor in a big way.
One of my favorite uses of bacon is using it as a way to keep moisture in the dish and to baste another protein while cooking. These delicate salmon bites are perfectly protected in these little bacon wraps. The bacon keeps the salmon moist as it cooks and adds that perfect crunch of texture to the dish. It really is the perfect bite. I have made these a few times now. We had them for a party with high schoolers. They completely gobbled them up. And then we also had them for an elegant wine and cheese night with several adults. These adults seemed just like the teenagers completely devouring them. They are super delicious and so easy to make.
Ingredients for Bacon Wrapped Salmon
All you need is about a 4oz piece of salmon to make about 10 of these. I recommend having about 5 to 8 pieces per guest. So if you are having a party of 10 adults, you will need about 20 oz of salmon filets. Each bacon-wrapped salmon bite uses half a slice of bacon, so you would also need about 25 oz of bacon (25 strips of bacon).
Salmon - I prefer wild salmon over farmed salmon. If you are using frozen salmon fillets as I did, you need to make sure they are completely thawed. Placing them frozen into the refrigerator overnight is typically enough time to thoroughly defrost them. You can of course use fresh salmon as well.
Bacon - So here is the deal. Bacon cooks at a different total time than salmon. I recommend using thin slices of bacon for this recipe so that you have a better chance of getting crispy bacon and perfectly cooked salmon. The bacon adds a ton of flavor to the dish, so you don't need thick bacon slices. A little goes a long way.
Toothpicks - Use a toothpick to hold the bacon around each piece of salmon as it cooks. The toothpicks also make them easy to serve as a finger food item. Another great option is to make these into salmon skewers and put a serving of five of the bacon wrapped salmon bites on each skewer. You just want to make sure there is enough space between them so that you get air flowing between them to make crispy bacon.
Instructions for Bacon Wrapped Salmon
Step One - Cut the salmon filet into small cubes, about ½ an ounce each. If you dice up an entire salmon filet, you will have some very thin pieces. I just stack them up to make them similar in size to the others. Once you wrap it in bacon you don't even notice that it is two smaller pieces of salmon in there.
Step Two - Wrap each salmon piece in bacon. You will use about half a slice of bacon per salmon piece. Use a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.
Step Three - Once all the salmon bites are wrapped in bacon, place them directly onto the grill grate in a preheated smoker. Smoker at no more than 225°F(the lower the better here) for about 20 minutes. You want to smoke these bites until the salmon's internal temperature is 110°F. Then remove them from the smoker.
Step Four - Finish them on a hot grill, the broiler, or in the oven. The salmon is almost done at this point, but we want crispy bacon. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot, turn one burner off. Place the bacon-wrapped salmon bites over the off-burner. Turn them every 30 seconds or so. You will be watching the edges of the bacon. Once the bacon gets crispy, it is done. This should take only about 2 to 3 minutes. The internal temperature of the salmon shouldn't get to be more than 125°F. You will only cook these on the grill for about 2-3 minutes.
Safety Pro Tip: whenever you are cooking bacon on a grill, I recommend not cooking it over an open flame. This will greatly reduce the chance of a grease fire which could cause a safety issue and ruin your meal.
Get a dish or a tray and place a paper towel on it. as the salmon is done on the grill, place the bites onto the paper towel. This will help to absorb any excess grease from making it to your serving platter.
Common Questions
How to Serve Bacon Wrapped Salmon Bites
You can serve these just as they are as a snack or an appetizer. You can also serve them as the protein of the meal. Add your favorite sides like rice, potatoes, maybe a green salad or green beans. You can also use maple syrup to make a sauce or glaze, or even lemon zest and sour cream as a dip. It is really whatever the final flavor combination is that you are looking for. Because salmon is delicious and the bacon adds a ton of flavor, you don't need much more than that.
What if I don't have a smoker or a grill?
The smoker does add a nice level of flavor to this dish, but if you don't have one, don't worry. You can roast salmon, use a cast iron skillet or even use an air fryer or instant pot. The key to all of these is making sure the bacon gets crispy without overcooking the salmon. Use an instant read thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the salmon. You don't want to cook it over 125 degrees F.
Ingredients
- 4 oz salmon
- 5 oz bacon
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 225.(You can go as low as 190°F)
- Cut the salmon into 8-10 ½ ounce cubes.
- Wrap each with half a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Season with pepper.
- Smoke for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 110°F
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Turn off one burner.
- Transfer the salmon to the grill above the burner that is off.
- Grill for only about 2 to 3 minutes. The goal is to have the bacon crispy and the internal temperature of the salmon to be done at 125°F
- Remove the bacon wrapped salmon bites from the grill and serve.
Nutrition
Love Salmon? Try one of our other Salmon Recipes:
Smoked Salmon Recipe, Crispy Salmon Bites, or our Salmon Ball.
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