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Cedar-Planked Teriyaki Grilled Salmon

Cedar-planked teriyaki grilled salmon is my pickiest eater's favorite meal!  He requested it for his 7th birthday last summer.  And just this last Sunday he told his teacher at church that it was his favorite healthy food.  


My family doesn't really love seafood, probably because I didn't eat much of it growing up because I "didn't like it."  I still can't stand shrimp (unless it's so breaded and fried that you can't tell it's shrimp) and I've never eaten lobster or scallops.  We are slowly branching out beyond our favorite Broiled Parmesan Tilapia into other fish, like salmon.  I've been making this recipe for two years now and every one loves it.


This is the perfect non-fish lover recipe, because it hardly tastes like fish.  It is smoky from being grilled on a cedar plank and a little sticky sweet from being brused with teriyaki sauce.

I buy these cedar planks at Costco in a big package in the summer time or smaller ones at Winco other times of the year.  I reuse them if I don't get lazy and forget to keep an eye on the plank so that it doesn't start on fire.  If the plank is charred on the bottom I throw it into the firepit for our next hot dog roast and if it's not charred, I scrub it really good in soapy water and use it the next time we have salmon.

I buy salmon from Costco (in the frozen section, Kirkland Signature brand Farmed Atlantic Salmon 3 lb bag of individually wrapped 6-8 oz portions).  Since my family doesn't love the "salmon" taste I cut the pieces in half so they're thinner before I grill them.  We usually use 3 portions for our family of 6 and there's never any leftovers.  If I made more, I'd have to use another cedar plank and I'm lazy, so I don't.  

I usually soak the cedar plank on a cookie sheet filled with water (usually on top of my sink) with something heavy on it to keep it submerged under the water.   Soak your cedar plank for at least an hour (preferably two or more).  The longer it has soaked the less likely it will catch on fire.  Keep a spray bottle handy by the grill to put out any flames.

Next make this simple teriyaki sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh garlic and ginger.  Let it simmer for a few minutes.  I like to save half to for my family to drizzle over their plate if they'd like. I use the other half of the sauce to brush onto the salmon.  I like to keep them separate so I'm not dipping my basting brush back into the sauce after it's touched the raw meat.

Brush the salmon with sauce before you start grilling or you can do it later.

If you'd like you can preheat the cedar plank on the grill for a few minutes (watching for flareups and putting them out with a spray bottle of water) before you put the salmon on the plank. Or you can skip that step, like I did in this picture and put the cedar plank and the salmon on the grill at the same time.  It works fine both ways.

Grill the salmon for a few minutes on one side (I'm not going to tell you a time because you just need to watch it), When the edges are no longer pink, flip the salmon over and brush with teriyaki sauce.  Cook the other side until the salmon can be flaked easily with a fork and is no longer raw in the middle.


We usually eat this with cous cous, quinoa or rice, a green salad and green beans.  In a pinch, I've actually baked this in the oven when our grill ran out of gas.  


Cedar-Planked Teriyaki Grilled Salmon

printable recipe




  • 3 - 7 oz portions frozen salmon
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly minced ginger
  • cedar plank

      1. Soak cedar plank for at least two hours. (I usually soak my cedar plank on a cookie sheet filled with water (usually on top of my sink) with something heavy on it to keep it submerged under the water.) The longer it has soaked the less likely it will catch on fire. Keep a spray bottle handy by the grill to put out any flames.
      2. In a small sauce pan, mix together soy sauce, water, brown sugar, fresh garlic and ginger. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until it's starts to reduce and looks like watery and more syrupy, about five minutes. Reserve half the sauce for serving. The other half will be brushed onto the salmon while cooking.
      3. Brush the salmon with sauce before you start grilling or you can do it later.
      4. If you'd like you can preheat the cedar plank on the grill for a few minutes (watching for flareups and putting them out with a spray bottle of water) before you put the salmon on the plank. Or you can skip that step, like I did in this picture and put the cedar plank and the salmon on the grill at the same time. It works fine both ways.
      5. Place salmon on cedar planks. My family prefers thinner pieces of salmon so I cut them in half.  You can brush teriyaki sauce on the salmon now or wait until it's half way cooked.
      6. Preheat grill to medium heat, but feel free to adjust if it's not cooking fast enough.
      7. Place cedar plank topped with salmon on grill grates. Have a spray bottle handy to put out any flare ups. (You can also preheat the cedar plank for a few minutes before adding the salmon to it. Either way works great.)
      8. Grill the salmon for a few minutes on one side until the edges are no longer pink, flip the salmon over and brush with teriyaki sauce. Cook the other side until the salmon can be flaked easily with a fork and is no longer raw in the middle.
    We usually serve this with the leftover sauce, some cous cous, quinoa or rice, a green salad and green beans.

    In a pinch, I've actually baked this in the oven when our grill ran out of gas.

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