Smoked Cod

Smoked Cod brings together the sweetness of the fish with cherry wood smoke to create a delicious well-balanced flavor. Beautiful white flaky flesh with a mild flavor is a perfect introduction to eating fish. Cod also is a great fish to absorb flavor from seasonings, sauces, and of course smoke. Give Smoked Cod a try. You will be happily satisfied.

Smoking Fish

Smoking seafood can be tricky at times. There is a fine balance of cooking time and time needed to allow the smoke to permeate the fish. Cold smoking allows you to get a ton of flavor into your food. Whether it's fish or cheese, the cold smoking process adds a ton of flavor. When we hot smoke, we challenge this delicate balance of flavor and doneness. Keeping your smoker at a low steady temperature becomes an art of gauging the vents, the fuel, and the maybe even position of your meat on the smoker. Pellet grills and other electric smokers can take some of the guesswork out of it, but learning to control your smoke and temperature is a fun process where you get to smoke, cook and consume all of your trials. Never get disappointed if your first time doesn't meet your expectations. With time you will master the art of smoking.

How to Dry Brine Cod Fillets

Prepare the cod with a simple dry brine. In a small bowl, mix equal parts of kosher salt or coarse sea salt with white or brown sugar. Generously coat both sides of the cod fillet with the brine mixture and place them into a tray. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least an hour.

Once the fish fillets have been in the refrigerator for at least an hour, remove the fish from the tray and rinse fish under cold water. Be sure to get all the brine off, or your fish will be very salty. Once the fillets are rinsed, pat them dry with a paper towel and place them on a cooking pan or cutting board.

Smoked Cod Recipe Ingredients

Cod - You can easily smoke a whole fish but I find you get more of the smoky flavor into the fish when you use fillets. Brining them will help to remove any excess moisture in the fish. The brine helps the fish to retain on to its good fattiness to keep it moist and delicious.

Olive oil - A little olive oil helps to flavor the fish but also keeps it from sticking to the grill grate. It also allows any seasoning to adhere to the fillets.

Freshly Ground Black Pepper - I love black pepper to provide an earthy kick of flavor. You do not need salt on here because of the dry brine. The fillets will have been seasoned well enough with the salt from the brine.

Instructions for Smoked Cod

After brining, rinsing, and seasoning your cod fillets, preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 225 degrees F. Place the cod fillets directly on the grill grates and close the smoker lid. You are going to smoke the fillets for about 60 minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees F. It takes no time to smoke cod. The thin fillets make the cooking process go very quickly. The lower you can get the smoker's temperature to go, the more smoky flavor you will achieve.

When the fillets are done, remove them from the smoker. If you aren't serving the smoked cod immediately let the fish rest on a tray and tent it with foil. I like to serve smoked cod very simply with some freshly squeezed lemon juice. The tart citrus offers a bright fresh bite of acidity to the sweetly smoked fish. Serve it with a light salad or a side of veggies for a super healthy meal.

Common Questions

Is cod good to smoke?

Cod is a great fish to cook on the smoker. Since it has a mild flavor you can really taste the smoky flavor of the type of wood you choose.

What temperature do you smoke cod at?

We like to smoke cod at 225.

How long does cod take to smoke?

Cod is a pretty quick meal to smoke. It only takes 60 minutes.

What to Serve with Smoked Cod

Since cod is a light protein option it is typically paired with other light foods such as a spinach salad or green beans.

This doesn't have to be the case. You can pair it with richer sides like Smoked Scalloped Potatoes or a bowl of Gluten Free Potato Soup.