How to Make Smoked Marlin (Smoke Your Own Catch at Home!)

You go on a fishing trip with your buddies and catch a marlin!.

Now what? It’s time to smoke your marlin.

Smoking marlin is a great experience, and the fish marlin is tender, moist, and full of flavor.

Some people say it tastes like tuna but with a strong flavor.

The preparation process of smoking marling is a bit time-consuming. It requires patience. Since marlin is a rare delicacy, you need to learn the art of smoking it to perfection.

Keep reading to see what you need to smoke a marlin in the right way.

How Long To Smoke Marlin In a Smoker

The time to brine and soak depends on the weight, size, cut, and type of fish.

For example, a 1/4 lb piece needs 30 minutes to brine. An extra 1/4 lb weight requires another extra 15 minutes to brine.

If you’re smoking a magnificent marlin like 5 lbs then, soak it in brine for hours, which is similar to carp.

Smoking the marlin after the brine depends on the weight and size of the fish.

A piece of marlin weighing 1/2 lbs should smoke for 1.5 hours. An extra 1/2 lbs, should smoke for an extra 30 minutes. Remember to smoke your fish at 190 degrees or more.

Soaking your fish in brine for 8-10 hours and smoking it for 8 hours ensures it cooks perfectly.

How To Smoke Marlin at Home

Wondering how to infuse some smoky goodness into your majestic, beautiful marlin fish? You need to get a few supplies first. 

 What You Need

• An electric smoker, gas grill, or classic offset smoker. 
• Fruit wood-adds flavor without overwhelming the taste of the marlin.
• Charcoal

Note: If you don’t have a smoker you can use cedar planks for whitefish, or a pellet grill, it gives you fish a smoky flavor in under 10 minutes.

Brine Ingredients For Smoked Marlin

You need these brine ingredients to prepare marlin. Use your favorite brine recipe to test different batches. The quantity depends on the size and weight of your fish.

• 3/4 gallons of water 

• Kosher salt- 1/4 cup

• whole peppercorns- 1 tbsp

• Garlic- minced. One clove.

• 5 pieces of bay leaves.

• Apple juice- 2 cups

• Soy sauce- 1 cup

• Brown sugar -3/4 cup

• A few zip-lock bags

• A Cutting board with a knife and serving tray.

Quick Tip

Never use table salt if the recipe shows kosher salt.

Preparation For Smoking Marlin 

Step 1 – Create Your Brine

Mix and blend all the ingredients in a big bowl to make the brine mixture. Allow the brine to settle for a while.

Step 2 – Cut Your Fish

Cut your marlin as the brine settles for it to smoke right. Experiment with different cuts of fish. For example, strips, fillets, steaks, big chunks, jerky fillets, or whole roast.

Step 3 – Brine

Dip the cut marlin into the brine. Use 1-gallon zipper bags for each cut. Place your fillets, chucks, and strips into the bags, and add 1 to 2 cups of brine mixture into each bag.

Seal the brine bags and store them in the refrigerator. Leave your cuts of fish soaking for 8-12 hours. You can also prepare a dry brine of Kosher salt and brown sugar and brine in layers in a container.

Step 4 – Prep Your Smoker

As cuts of fish are soaking in the brine, light up and preheat your smoker.

Step 5 – Dry The Fish

Now it’s time to take the marlin out for the fridge and zipper packs. Pat dry the marlin with paper towels to remove the brine. Drying off the brine allows the smoke to draw into the fish.

Step 6 – Prep The Smoker

Before smoking your marlin, make sure the brine has infused into the fish. Once your smoker has reached 225 degrees you can place the fish in it.

Step 7 – Smoke The Fish

It usually takes 2 – 4 hours for for the fish to reach an internal temperature 140°F

Step 8 – Serve Your Fish

Serve your smoked marlins along with pilaf rice, wine, or beer.

How Long Does Smoked Marlin Last

Eating your marlin after smoking ensures you savor all the fresh flavor. If you have leftovers you wish to consume later, then store them for 2-3 weeks.

Seal the leftover smoked marlin and put it in the refrigerator. The smoked fish still keeps the fresh flavors from the date you seal it. 

Wrap the leftovers with airtight aluminum foil zipper bags. Make sure you’re using plastic bags specific for freezing and store them in the freezer.

Freezing the leftovers ensures they stay fresh for 3 to 6 months.

But, when you open your stored package, consume the leftovers within three days. Whether you’re storing it in the freezer or fridge.

The fish can stay fresh for this time if the seals are not open.

To achieve a good balance of smoky marlin flavors, brine your fish and allow it to soak for some time.

Before preparing your brine, check the weight of your fish. If you follow the steps and timings, you’ll enjoy a well-cooked smoked fish. Sounds good?

Smoke On!

Charlie

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