Smoked Salt Recipes: Your Guide to Mind-Blowing Flavor

Have you ever wanted to add a deep, authentic smoky flavor to your meals without firing up the smoker every time? Making your own smoked salt is the secret. This guide provides two of the best smoked salt recipes you can make at home, transforming a simple ingredient into a powerhouse seasoning that will elevate everything from steak to a simple grilled cheese sandwich.

Forget the expensive, store-bought jars. We’ll walk you through two different smoking processes—an easy hot smoke method and a delicate cold smoke method—to create deliciously smoky salt with a complex flavor that artificial seasonings can’t replicate.

Choosing Your Salt and Wood

The foundation of any great smoked sea salt recipe is using the right ingredients. The two elements you can control, the salt and the wood, will create wildly different flavor profiles.

• The Salt: For the best texture and flavor absorption, you must use coarse salt. Fine table salt is not suitable. Your best options are coarse sea salts or kosher salt. Both have large crystals that provide plenty of surface area for the smoke to adhere to.
• The Wood: The type of wood you choose is where the magic happens. A popular wood like apple or cherry will give a mild, sweet smoke. For a classic, bacon-like flavor, hickory smoked is the way to go. For a bold, Texas-style flavor, try mesquite wood. You can use wood chunks for a charcoal grill, or find your favorite wood pellets for smoker use if you have one of the best wood pellet grill models.

Method 1: Easy Hot Smoked Salt Recipe

This hot smoked method is the easiest and most common way of smoking salt in a smoker or on a standard grill. It uses a low cooking heat, which gently toasts the salt and gives it a deep brown color and robust flavor.

You Will Need:

• 1 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• A smoker or grill
• A shallow pan (disposable aluminum pan or a cast iron skillet)
• Wood chips or pellets

Instructions:

1. Preheat Your Smoker: Set up your smoker for indirect heat and preheat it to a low temperature, between 200-225°F (93-107°C).
2. Prepare the Salt: Spread the salt in a thin, even layer in your pan. This maximizes the surface area exposed to the smoke.
3. Smoke the Salt: Place the pan in the smoker. Let it smoke for at least 2 hours, stirring every hour to expose different salt crystals to the smoke. For a deeper smoke flavor, you can leave it for up to 4 hours.
4. Cool and Store: Once the salt has reached your desired color and aroma, carefully remove the pan from the smoker. Let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. Once you’re done, remember to follow proper safety procedures on how to put out a charcoal grill.

Method 2: How to Make Cold Smoked Salt

Cold smoked salt is considered more of a “gourmet” option. This method uses only smoke, with no direct heat (under 90°F), which preserves the salt’s pure white color and imparts a smoother, more delicate smoky flavor.

You Will Need:

• 1 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• A grill or smoker (that is NOT on)
• A cold smoke generator (like a smoke tube or maze)
• Wood pellets

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Salt: Spread the salt in a thin, even layer in a shallow pan, just like the hot smoke method.
2. Generate the Smoke: Fill your cold smoke generator with wood pellets and light it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place it inside your unlit grill or smoker.
3. Smoke the Salt: Place the pan of salt next to the smoke generator. Close the lid and let the salt absorb the smoke for 4 to 12 hours. The longer it goes, the more intense the flavor. Stir it once or twice during the process. This process of creating cold smoked salts is simple but requires patience.
4. Cool and Store: Let the salt air out for an hour after smoking, then store it in an airtight container.

Creative Smoked Salt Uses

Now that you have this amazing ingredient, what do you do with it? Here are a few ideas for smoked salt uses:

• Finishing Salt: Sprinkle it over a finished steak, like when you how to cook filet mignon on the grill, or on delicate seafood like how to grill oysters.
• Rubs and Meats: Use it as the base for a BBQ rub for large cuts. It’s fantastic on everything from a simple roast to a more complex tri tip vs brisket cook-off.
• Everyday Dishes: Elevate your morning eggs, avocado toast, or a simple grilled cheese.
• Cocktails: Run a lime wedge around the rim of a glass and dip it in smoked salt for an unbelievable Bloody Mary or margarita.

Conclusion of our Smoked Salt Recipes

Creating your own smoked sea salt is a simple and rewarding process that opens up a world of culinary possibilities. Whether you prefer the robust flavor of hot smoked salt or the delicate notes of the cold smoked version, making smoked salt at home puts you in complete control of the final product.

FAQs About Smoked Salt