This easy Smoked Cod recipe 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 smoked 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.
Cod is also a great mild flavor fish to absorb flavor from seasonings, sauces, and smoke.
If you love this recipe try some Smoked Scallops, Smoked Swordfish, or Smoked Tuna next time!
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 fresh cod 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. If you use frozen cod thaw it completely before starting.
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.
How to Dry Brine Cod Fillets
Step One: 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.
Step Two: 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 paper towels and place them on a cooking pan or cutting board.
How to Make Smoked Cod
Step One: 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.
Step Two: 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.
Top Tip
The lower you can get the smoker's temperature to go, the more smoky flavor you will achieve.
Step Three: 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.
Need a poultry-based main course? Try Traeger Turkey or Smoked Chicken Soup.
Make sure to try our Smoked Tilapia next!
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Recipe
Smoked Cod
Equipment
- Traeger Grill or other smoker
Ingredients
- 12 oz cod fillet two six ounce fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Dry Brine
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
Instructions for Dry Brine
- Combine sugar and salt in a small bowl. Place cod fillets in a tray and generously coat each side of the fish with the brine mixture.
- Cover tray and place in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.
- Remove fillets from the tray and rinse thoroughly under cold water being sure to remove any of the brine mixture. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Instructions for Smoked Cod
- Season the cod fillets with olive oil and black pepper. Then place them on the preheated smoker at 225°F.
- Smoke the cod for approximately 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Once the fish is done, serve immediately.
Nutrition
Originally Published March 4, 2022. Revised and Republished September 12, 2024.
Keith B Peterson says
The brine is excellent, and it produced a mild but delicious flavor. The recipe is concise and easy to use. I plan to use it to smoke all of the white fish varieties. I am confident it will work well the oily fish as well. Thank you.
Bonnie says
Very simple and easy recipe! I used brown sugar instead of white. Husband loved it; I found it a bit on the salty side but maybe I didn't rinse the brine off enough. Will definitely make again
Spotty says
Way tooooo salty for me I say cut salt by two thirds.
Trevor Mikkelsen says
Simple, straight forward and delicious. Used canola oil because I was out of olive oil. Dry brined for about 4 hours because I got distracted. Used a little lemon pepper seasoning along with the fresh ground black pepper. Grilled asparagus and wild rice pilaf went with the cod and was a hit for dinner.
Paul & Taryn says
Thanks Trevor! Glad you liked it.