Traeger Smoked Salmon with Honey Garlic Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links.
This is the BEST pellet grill smoked grilled salmon recipe for your Traeger Grill you’ll ever make! Garlicky & sweet with a touch of heat, this healthy dinner comes together quickly and is the perfect way to get some Omega 3 fatty acids.
Honestly, I never liked salmon much. I didn’t grow up eating it, and as far as fish varieties go, sockeye salmon isn’t the most neutral-tasting one out there.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to like it for the healthy fats and to be a good example to my kids about how our tastes and preferences can always change.
The process of liking salmon was a slow one. I started with recipes that were a little too “healthy” since that’s typically how I would cook. Well, I could not stomach hardly any of those recipes.
Finally, we found a recipe that changed my world: the Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon from The Chunky Chef.
That recipe was the first time I ate an entire salmon filet. It is so good, and I recommend giving her recipe a try, too! But if you want to make your salmon on the Traeger or other pellet grill, keep on reading!
Making Salmon on the Traeger
As much as I loved the original recipe from the Chunky Chef, for this Traeger grilled salmon recipe, I reduced the amount of added fat and honey used, and I played around with different flavors and spices.
We came up with an incredibly flavorful, sweet, garlicky smoked salmon recipe with a touch of heat. My husband and I gobbled this down…and when I say gobbled this down, I mean my husband ate three filets! It’s that good.
This pellet grill smoked salmon is the perfect salmon recipe to serve to someone who thinks they don’t like fish. It has a great smokey flavor and will show them just how juicy salmon can be.
You can even serve this for special celebrations alongside recipes like my spiced Swedish Limpa bread recipe.
Smoked Honey Garlic Salmon Ingredients
To make this Traeger grilled salmon recipe, you need:
- Salmon Fillets – We prefer to use Alaskan wild-caught salmon, but you can use any type of salmon you prefer or can find at your grocery store. This recipe requires four 5-6 oz filets.
- Honey – We use local raw honey.
- Garlic – You need 1 tbsp minced garlic. You can mince 3-5 cloves to get that amount or use jarred minced garlic.
- Soy Sauce
- Orange Juice
- Olive Oil
- Spices – Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Creole Seasoning, and a bit of Cayenne
How to Smoke Salmon on the Pellet Grill
Make sure your pellet grill or Traeger is stocked with pellets or wood chips. Turn your pellet grill knob to “Smoke” to get it warmed up. Once it starts smoking, set the Traeger or grill temperature to “High.”
While your grill is heating, prepare the salmon filets and glaze.
1. Make Glaze
After getting your grill started, add your honey, soy sauce, orange juice, and garlic to a small pot on your stovetop.
Turn on your stove to medium heat and cook your sauce, stirring frequently, until it has reduced by about half. Turn off the heat and set glaze aside.
2. Prep Filets
Rip off four sheets of aluminum foil large enough to make a foil pouch for the filets. Set a piece of salmon skin side down in each of the foil squares. Curl up the sides to create a sort of bowl/pouch to keep the oil & glaze contained. Brush 1 tsp of olive oil onto each filet.
3. Season Filets
Add all of your seasonings and spices to a small bowl and whisk together. Divide the seasonings evenly across each filet. Rub the seasonings in with your fingers.
4. Glaze Filets
Add about 2 tbsp of the glaze on top of each salmon filet. Prepare to transfer to the grill. Do not fully close off the foil pouch–you want to leave it open to get some smoky flavor from the grill.
5. Grill Salmon
Add each salmon foil pouch directly to the grill grates. Grill them on high for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Serve
Once the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, remove the salmon from the heat and serve immediately. This salmon has great flavor the entire family will love!
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Tips for Picking the Best Salmon
If you can not get fresh salmon, choose a high quality frozen salmon. While this recipe will work with any salmon, wild salmon is typically better quality.
If your package says Atlantic Salmon on it, make sure it also says “wild-caught.” Unless specified, Atlantic salmon is often farmed.
Wild-caught salmon is naturally pink from the diet that the fish eat in the wild. Farm-raised salmon has color added to get the pink color.
Serving Ideas for this Pellet Grill Smoked Salmon
This is such a great easy meal to have any weeknight. While I think the Traeger is the best way to prepare it, you can make this on a gas grill or charcoal grill, too.
On a cold or rainy day, you can make this using your oven instead:
- Preheat your oven to 450° F.
- Follow the same steps to prepare the foil packs.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145° F.
The amount of time may vary for different grills & ovens as some ovens run hotter than others.
Serve this delicious Traeger grilled salmon recipe with a green salad like my Kale Crunch Salad.
Some other side dishes that would work great are my orange-glazed roasted Brussels sprouts, sourdough garlic bread, or another favorite starchy side dish, such as our air-fried sweet potato wedges, mashed potato squash, or easy Instant Pot wild rice.
Reheating & Storage
Salmon is always best the day it is cooked, but you can store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three or four days per the USDA.
Salmon is best reheated in the oven or air fryer. Preheat either one to 300 degrees F, place your salmon inside on a baking sheet, and then cook for 12-15 minutes or until heated through.
Other Traeger Recipes
Want some other great Traeger recipes?
You won’t regret making my easy Traeger Ribeye Roast recipe.
Some other options are:
Smoked Salmon FAQ
The USDA recommends a temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit for salmon.
I like to use foil because it will help the salmon stay moist, keeping all its juices, seasonings, and glaze from escaping. If you would like to smoke the salmon without the glaze, then foil is not needed.
Now Smoke Up that Fish!
If you make this delicious pellet grill salmon, please come back to leave a comment and review! It means the world!
📖 Recipe
Traeger Grilled Salmon with Honey Garlic Glaze
Equipment
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 4 Salmon Filets 4-6 ounces in size
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Orange Juice
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 4 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill to high heat.
- Prepare the glaze by adding honey, soy sauce, orange juice, and garlic to a small saucepan on the stove. Cook on medium heat until it has reduced by half, about 7-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and set glaze aside.1/4 cup Honey, 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoon Orange Juice, 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- Rip off 4 pieces of foil large enough to make a foil pouch for each salmon filet. Place a salmon filet skin-side down on each piece of foil and fold up the edges to make a pouch, but don't close off the top. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil on each filet and spread the oil around with a basting brush.4 Salmon Filets, 4 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Whisk together the salt, pepper, paprika, creole seasoning, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and distribute them equally among the 4 filets. Rub the spices all over the top and sides of the salmon with your fingers.1/4 teaspoon Salt, 1/4 teaspoon Pepper, 1/4 teaspoon Paprika, 1/4 teaspoon Creole Seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Distribute the glaze evenly among each salmon foil pouch. This is about 1.5-2 tbsp of glaze per filet.
- Transfer each foil pouch, keeping the foil open on top, to the grill grates of your Traeger grill. Close the grill lid and cook on high heat for 10 minutes, or until a meat thermometer shows the internal temperature to be 145 degrees F.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
This is so good! Love how it comes together so quickly but tastes fancy! The smoky flavor from the Traeger is the perfect touch.