These Traeger smoked salmon burnt ends are little nuggets of deliciousness, with a caramelized, crispy outer layer and bursting with flavor.
The salmon is cured in brown sugar and salt, then slowly smoked before I coat them in a sweet and spicy glaze of sriracha, honey, and maple syrup; they are so freaking yum!
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Table of contents
Traeger salmon burnt ends
I bet you didn’t know that salmon burnt ends were the burnt ends you needed to try! These irresistible bites go by many names – smoked salmon bites, smoky salmon nuggets, honey salmon bites, or my personal favorite: salmon candy.
The best part? They cook in a fraction of the time it takes to make classic burnt ends, making them perfect for weeknight dinners, game day parties, summer BBQs, holiday appetizers, or any time you want to impress guests without the wait.
Not into seafood? No worries – try my spam burnt ends or brisket burnt ends for equally addictive alternatives.
What You’ll Need
- Salmon: Buy a whole skin-on fillet and remove the skin yourself — it’s easier to portion into even cubes from a whole fillet than from pre-cut pieces.
- Brown Sugar
- Kosher salt
- Honey
- Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Sriracha: This is the heat in the glaze. Start with 1 tablespoon and taste — you can always add more. The honey and maple syrup balance the heat significantly so the finished glaze is less spicy than it tastes raw.
How to Make Traeger Salmon Burnt Ends
Step 1: Cure
Remove the skin from the salmon, cut it into 1-inch cubes, and place it in a food-safe bag or bowl. Combine the brown sugar, and kosher salt and coat the salmon.
Cover the salmon and place them in the fridge to cure overnight.
Step 2: Smoke
Preheat your smoker between 200°F and 225°F and pick the wood pellets you will use. Also, to catch any drippings, place a sheet pan wrapped in foil beneath the rack you’ll use in the smoker.
For the wood pellets, light-flavored wood chips, such as fruitwood (cherrywood or applewood), are recommended to avoid overpowering the fish’s flavor. You could also go a little heavier with maple, pecan, or oak, but I wouldn’t recommend mesquite.
Remove the salmon from the refrigerator after it has cured overnight, and gently rinse it with cold water. Pat dry and place the pieces of salmon on a wire baking rack before returning them to the fridge for another hour (which forms a thin layer around the salmon to help adhere the smoke).
Place the baking rack in the smoker.
Give the Traeger 15 minutes to fully stabilize at 200–225°F before the salmon goes on.
Step 3: Make The Glaze And Baste
Make the glaze by melting 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of sriracha, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Stir until combined — it should smell sweet, spicy, and buttery. Taste it and adjust — add more sriracha for more heat, more honey for sweetness. It will concentrate and intensify when it hits the hot salmon so whatever you taste now will be amplified.
Step 4: Serve
There are many ways to serve these burnt ends. My favorite is to sprinkle the salmon bites with sesame seeds, green onions, and chili flakes and serve them hot!
You can enjoy these salmon burnt ends with white rice for a meal, or serve them as an appetizer.
How To Store Leftovers
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Avoid leaving the salmon at room temperature for more than two hours.
To reheat, place in a 275°F oven on a lined baking sheet for 8–10 minutes — low heat preserves the texture. Avoid the microwave — it makes the salmon rubbery and the glaze steams off. An air fryer at 325°F for 3–4 minutes also works well. These are also excellent cold straight from the fridge on rice or in a salad.
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What To Serve Them With
My favorite way to eat these burnt salmon ends is to sprinkle them with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve with rice or, for an appetizer, with a dipping sauce.
Here are some additional appetizers I enjoy pairing with these burnt ends at parties.
Want More Easy And Delicious Traeger Recipes?
Here are some of my favorite Traeger recipes you can try at home.
Traeger Salmon Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 1 2.5lbs salmon filet
Cure:
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
Basting:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
Instructions
- Remove skin. Cut into 1.5-inch bite-size pieces. Add salmon into an extra large ziplock bag or bowl
- Add curing mix and massage until coated.
- Sit in the fridge for 12-14 hours. Rotate every 4 hours or so to ensure even brining. The cure will draw out a lot of liquid.
- Empty the ziplock bag into a colander to strain out all the excess liquid. Rinse with fresh water for 1 minute to remove all cure.
- Sit in the fridge for 1 hour to dry (which forms a thin layer around the salmon to help adhere the smoke).
- Set the smoker to 200°F-225°F.
- Also to catch any drippings place a sheet pan wrapped in foil beneath the rack you’ll use in the smoker
- Place the baking rack in the smoker.
- Begin making your basting liquid of 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp sriracha , 2 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce. Melt the butter over low heat in a large mixing bowl, then add sriracha, honey, and maple syrup.
- After two hours, use a basting brush to spread this glaze across the salmon cubes.
- Then, close the lid and let the smoked salmon burnt ends continue cooking. Pull the salmon from the smoker once the internal temperature is 145°F and the salmon bites have darkened in color.
- Remove the salmon burnt ends from the smoker and serve
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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