Fresh salmon generously slathered with a sticky, sweet, fruity and slightly spicy blackberry-chipotle glaze and grilled on a cedar plank. This salmon is easy, elegant and perfect for summer entertaining!
Hi-ya friends!!! I missed you guys… even though I did enjoy my time spent unplugged and away from all things internet related. Don’t get me wrong, I love you guys, but sometimes I love a little break too. #SorryNotSorry 😘
If you are in the US, how was your 4th of July?? And for all my friends to the north, how was your Canada day? Please tell me you guys ate so much you had to put your fat kid, stretchy-waist pants on.
We had a really great weekend, I worked a bit (like always) and we grilled a lot. I’m talking afternoon and night grilling sessions. It was awesome, but then again I’m pretty easy to please. 
Oh, and I absolutely cannot forget to thank you guys for all the birthday wishes!! You all rock my world!
I had a nice, quiet birthday. We didn’t do anything super special, but that was by my choice. Staying home in my pajamas with Boy and our fur child is my jam. I told you – easy to please. There was also a 2 pound lobster tail involved, so maybe I’m easy to please as long as you feed me delicious things.
OUR LATEST VIDEOSAnyways, I’m going to keep things short today. (Minus all the rambling I did up there ⬆️, obviously) I don’t know about you, but I’m still recovering from the long weekend. And my brain is already set to idle into the next weekend. I blame it on summer. This season is no good for productivity. Or maybe it’s my new older age. Either way, I’m going to cut to the chase food.
Blackberry-Chipotle Cedar Plank Salmon
So I’m just going to be honest here. These photos are not my favorite and I’m less than thrilled with how they came out. But, this salmon – it is insanely delicious (so don’t judge the salmon from these photos)!
The Asian inspired blackberry-chipotle glaze is savory, sweet, a tad smoky, slightly spicy, superbly sticky and fantastically fruity with nuances of ginger and garlic. When generously slathered on luscious, rich salmon and grilled on a cedar plank this dish becomes an umami flavor bomb.
But, not only is this dish glorious in the taste department, it is also a cinch to throw together. Simply simmer and reduce the glaze, place a side of salmon on a soaked cedar plank, liberally smear the glaze on top and grill.
Viola.
Stellar summer salmon dinner served!
The Notes:
- I left the skin on my salmon because it peels right off after cooking, but if you are fussy about that simply remove the skin prior. No harm, no foul.
- If you are using an entire side of salmon, like I used here, you will need a large cedar plank. My plank was 7’’x16’’ to give you a rough idea. No matter what size plank you use, you will need to soak it for at least 1 hour prior to grilling. I soaked mine in sake to give it a crisp Asian flavor, but I’ve used orange juice before, which will add an essence of citrus. You can also use water if you are watching your budget. Just make sure you soak it in some kind of non-flammable (<–duh) liquid for at least one hour.
- The glaze is a bit spicy. If spicy isn’t your thang, use ½ a chipotle pepper instead of a whole.
- When the salmon comes off the grill you can caramelize the glaze by running it under the broiler for a minute or two. To do so, transfer the salmon, still on the plank, directly to the oven. Place a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any drippings. Broil for a minute or so, watching it very carefully to prevent burning. I actually did this with my salmon, but this step is completely optional.
Step up your salmon game in an easy and elegant way with this Blackberry-Chipotle Cedar Plank Salmon. Until Monday friends, cheers – to stress-free grilling!
-xoxo-
Cheyanne
Fresh salmon generously slathered with a sticky, sweet, fruity and slightly spicy blackberry-chipotle glaze and grilled on a cedar plank. This salmon is easy, elegant and perfect for summer entertaining!
- 1 large Cedar Plank
- Sake (can substitute Orange Juice or Water), for soaking
- 1 (about 2 pound) Whole Skin-on Salmon Filet , pin bones removed*
- 1/3 Cup + 1 TBS Blackberry Preserves
- 1 Chipotle Chili in Adobo - minced
- 1 TBS Ginger – grated
- 3 Cloves Garlic – minced
- 1 TBS Hoisin
- 1 TBS Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
- Serving Options:
- Fresh Blackberries
- Lemon – slices or wedges
- Chives – sliced
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- At least 1 hour before grilling: Soak the cedar plank in sake.
- In a small sauce pan: Add preserves, chipotle chili, ginger, garlic, hoisin, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine well. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool completely.
- Heat charcoal or gas grill to 425 degrees F.
- Place the entire piece of salmon, skin side down, on top on cedar plank and make sure it is completely on the plank and not hanging off. Generously brush the preserve mixture on top of the salmon. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Place the cedar plank on the grill grates and cover grill. Grill for 12-15 minutes, or until desired doneness (salmon is done when it is pink in the center).
- Use a large spatula to transfer the salmon still on the plank to a clean surface to rest for 3-5 minutes. After resting transfer salmon to a cutting board.
- Cut into desired portions, serve immediately and enjoy!
*You can substitute a salmon filet with the skin already removed, however after grilling the skin will easily peel off.
*Glaze can be made 2 days in advance
*You can marinate the salmon, brushed with preserves for 30 minutes if desired.
*Optional: To caramelize glaze, adjust oven racks to highest and middle positions. Place a large sheet pan on middle rack to catch drippings. Pre-heat oven to highest broil setting. When finished cooking salmon on the grill, place salmon still on plank directly in the oven on the top rack. Broil 1-2 minutes, watching salmon carefully to prevent burning.
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I am drooling..Cheyanne. The salmon is my absolute favourite…either raw, grilled, or roasted.
Sometimes it is nice to just get away from everything and especially the internet 😉 I also need this every now and then. Glad you had a nice Birthday – good company and food are always the best combination. This salmon with its sticky glazing sounds incredible! ♡
Salmon is my favorite fish and I love it grilled on a cedar plank, and this fruity + spicy + umami-filled glaze has me seriously drooling! (So do the pictures, so don’t worry about those – they look fabulous!) This sounds like a perfect summer dinner and a must try! Pinned!
Also, so glad to hear you had a lovely, quiet holiday and birthday and somewhat of a work break 😉 And at least it’s already almost Friday again! XO
These pictures are gorgeous!!! I think we all notice “bad” pictures on our own blogs when no one else does. This salmon sounds even better than it looks, though. I’ve never tried a cedar plank before. And now I really want to! Glad you had an awesome 4th!
This looks absolutely delicious, Cheyanne! I do love salmon meals!
Sounds like you had a nice weekend and relaxing birthday! Just the way I like it, too. And, of course, lots of grilling, which is much needed during the summer! This salmon…wow. Just wow! I’ve never seen a more gorgeous glaze on top, Cheyanne! My husband and I literally eat salmon almost once a week, so I’m always looking for new ways to prepare it. This version looks incredible! I wish I could just reach through my screen and take a bite. Pinned, of course! Hope you have a great weekend, friend!
Loving these flavors so much Cheyanne! I think I’ve said it before – but salmon is hands down my favorite protein ever, I could probably eat it for dinner every night and be happy – and this one definitely needs to be added to my list, those sweet and spicy flavors together sound to die for. PS – I think your pictures are gorgeous!
Pajamas and lobster tails sound like the ONLY thing possible better than this glorious salmon! Summertime delicious, my birthday friend! Pinning, pinning, pinning! xo
Glad you had a great 4th and a totally relaxing birthday! I love how you spent it….in pjs chilling and lots of food! My kinda relaxing! And. I think your photos look the bomb, Cheyanne (as usual)! Ok, funny story, there once was a time (the one and only time) years ago that I thought I would make cedar planked salmon. So, silly girl over here totally forgot to soak her boards, placed them on the grill and caught it all on fire. No cedar planked salmon since 😀 Soooooo…..maybe it’s time I redeem myself, what do you think? I’m LOVING this combo of blackberry and chipotle with the salmon. My mouth is watering right now! I have to try this one soon so Pinning, of course. Have a great weekend, girl! xo
Absolutely beautiful! Love, love the spicy blackberry glaze and must be perfect with the salmon. I took a mini-break this past week, too. Must be something in the air 😉
This salmon looks amazing!! What a combination! I seriously need to cook with salmon more often.
I love salmon and this one looks amazingly delicious, flavorful. 🙂
I soooo missed you too! <– this is me pretending that you were exclusively talking to me when you said you missed us. Lol. But I'm the ONLY one with a BFF bracelet, right??? Haha. I'm so happy to hear that you had an awesomely relaxing birthday. Especially the no-internet part. Gurl. Sometimes you just need to unplug.
Okay, but afternoon and night grilling sessions?? Why, oh why do I punish myself by not living near you? Why????
The photos for this post were just incredible. Chey, you always inspire me to take MUCH better photos. Lol. These photos were just a feast for my eyes. 🙂 Happy, happy birthday my dear. Muah, muah, muah! xoxoxo
That is one huge and gorgeous salmon! Shut your mouth about the photos! I’m loving these flavor combos and never would have thought to put blackberries on salmon! So glad you had an awesome birthday and 4th. A quiet day at home with a 2 pound lobster tail sounds good to me! XOXO
Yay! So glad you had a great birthday!! And I hear you – summer is absolutely no good for productivity! I blame it on the heat! haha 🙂 I am loving the sound of this glaze!! I love the sweet and spicy thing this has going on – that’s the best combo in my opinion!!!
Holy goodness, such a cool idea for a salmon glaze. I’m way intrigued by the hoisin/blackberry/chipotle combo (and conveniently have all the supplies at home, minus salmon….. 😉 ) Dying to try this! I feel ya too, my brain is already idling into weekend mode. The down side of long weekends and summer, eh?
My mouth is watering! This is such a rockin’ combination of flavors! Chipotle, blackberry preserves, and ginger?! Flipping amazing!
Wow mama! This salmon is gorgeous and that blackberry glaze – heart eyes for days.
Happy (belated) Birthday, Chey! Glad that you enjoyed your day (Not to mention those lobster tails). But I’m kind of nervous because you didn’t mention any cake. Your birthday cannot be complete without a cake being involved too. And if you happen not to have a sweet tooth, remember: you can always share this cake with your friends. So look forward to hearing from you:) Now about real food. This salmon looks fantastic (Well you might not be 100% excited about these pictures, but that doesn’t matter to me – the fish makes me hungry). Well done!
Totally understand about needing a little break too – but, so glad you are back! Btw, I love how you celebrated your birthday – staying in jammies all day and feasting on lobster tails sounds like a dream to me! But, Cheyanne, you do jest when you say you aren’t happy with your pictures right? Cos, they have me drooling! And “blackberry chipotle”? Why that’s simply brilliant! I would never have thought about this flavor combo – but can see how well it complements that salmon!
Cheers to the lazy days of summer – hope you enjoy them my friend! xoxo
Girl… I’ve never seen you take a bad photo. This salmon looks and sounds sensational! That glaze… I want to slather that on everything! And happy belated birthday! Anytime lobster is involved, it’s a good day 🙂 So glad to hear that you, boy, and little fur child had a nice time and relaxing time.
Happy to know that you had an awesome 4th July. Your birthday sounds fun. And I completely understand that summer screams for a break! Less work more fun. 😉 This plank salmon looks mouth-watering good, Cheyanne. And that blackberry chipotle glaze is ah-mazing. Sweet and spicy flavors are always in winner in my book. To me; these pictures look wonderful, Cheyanne. Have a great weekend my friend! 🙂 <3
Uhm I definitely thought these photos looked great,… i think we are our own worst critics sometimes 🙂 This recipe sounds and looks freaking amazing. I have made a salmon blackberry recipe before, but it was a little too fussy so I definitely would be interested in trying your version. Perfect dish for this time of year!
So glad you enjoyed your 4th and your birthday Cheyanne! I absolutely LOVE this salmon! That sauce sounds sweet, savory and just PERFECT all around! Cedar plank salmon happens quite often during the summer at our house, so I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a try! Pinned! Have a great week!
Happy belated b-day! Your celebration sounds perfect to me! But let’s talk about this salmon, salmon has to be prepared really special for me to eat it and this is it!! Not only is it gorgeous but I love the sweet touch of the blackberries . Take care!
Glad you had a nice birthday and 4th of July! Time away from the computer and offline sounds great! This salmon looks awesome! Love the idea! Need to try it soon! The photos are gorgeous!
Salmon is my jam. Love that stuff and eat it almost every day for lunch. Can’t wait to try it with the blackberry and chipotle sauce. And spicy is my thang so it’s all good 😉 Happy you had a great bday too & that big ass yummy lobster tail 🙂
Happy belated birthday girl!! Relaxing weekends are the best and the way to spend birthdays 🙂 This salmon looks amazing with the sweet and smoky spicy flavor going on. I missed reading your posts while I was under. So glad to be back!!
So happy you got some time to relax and enjoy your birthday. Jammies, boy and fur child sound like the best way to spend it. Summers are no good for productivity here too. We’ve had family staying with us for the past few weeks so it’s been a bit cray cray trying to finish up some work projects and photoshoots with them here. I know this gorgeous salmon would be a hit with everyone here though! Love the umami packed blackberry chipotle glaze!
I love salmon, my favorite fish, but I have never cooked such a large piece. I have been meaning too a few times, but the thought scares me a little bit. You’re making it sound so easy. I don’t have such a fancy grill though (just an iron rack sitting on top of bricks), could I make this in the oven? Would the cooking time be the same?
Hey Adina!! You can absolutely make this in the oven! I would recommend putting a sheet pan on the rack below the cedar plank, to catch any drippings that may happen. Other than that, follow the recipe as instructed and you are good to go! Hope you love this salmon as much as we do if you try it! Cheers!
Since salmon is my all-time favorite food choice for dinner, and cedar planks are the best invention ever, this is very exciting to me. I love the sweet and smoky! I hope your long weekend was awesome, because here we are headed into another one. Yay!
I think these photos turned out absolutely beautiful, Cheyanne! I love making salmon for dinner, but I’ve never tried a glaze like this one before. I love the idea though, it sounds perfect!
Dear Cheyanne – I am so glad you chilled on your birthday and the 4th. Good for you. I like the holidays quiet myself, it’s all these boys that don’t always agree with the quiet part. Ha ha.I love this cedar plank salmon. So pretty. What a gorgeous slab of fish you found. Seriously. I can almost taste that melt in your mouth salmon. Mmmmm mmmm good.The blackberry glaze was a great choice. I have always been curious about cedar planks, haven’t used one. Do you buy it, and where? And is it a one time use kind of thing? I know, twenty questions. Sorry. I’ve always wondered though. Cheers to the weekend almost here, hope you can relax and enjoy some downtime. XOXO
Hey lovely!! I can imagine with boys that you never really get a quiet moment, let alone a quiet holiday!! But I know they are worth all the noise! 😉 I bought my cedar plank at the grocery store in right where they sell fresh seafood. But, they also sell them online. Amazon has a ton of them, and I have purchased from them before too! As far as how many uses you can get out of them.. it kinda depends on what you make. If you make this salmon, I would recommend not using the plank again, because a bit of the glaze will drip on to it. I normally discard my planks after using them anyways, BUT I have heard of people re-using them. It will just depend on what you use it for and how messy the plank gets. You should try using a cedar plank sometime, it is an especially delicious way to cook salmon. AND you don’t have to worry about salmon sticking to the grill grates. 😉 Always a win in my book! I hope you have a great weekend, dear! xoxoxo
I love salmon but don’t eat it as often as I’d like. I run out of ways to prepare it and it gets a bit boring. I’m loving the idea of blackberry chipotle glaze. It sounds wonderfully sweet and smokey. I’m filing this one away for the next time we purchase salmon!
I am so glad you had a wonderful birthday!! I am very easy to please too so I totally get it! Love the glaze here, sounds great!
Glad your birthday was spent how you liked it to be and the lobster isn’t a shabby way to indulge either. This spicy blackberry-chipotle glaze has be drooling. I just picked up a beautiful salmon from Costco last night, although I don’t have a cedar plank, this might have to happen tonight! Looks like each bite gets it all in. Cheers and enjoy the weekend.
I’ve made salmon countless ways, but never with blackberry! This looks amazing, Cheyanne, and I need to try it! I’m so glad you had a nice relaxing birthday unplugged…with a lobster tail. haha Sounds like a great way to celebrate to me!
I need this salmon!!! Oh my gosh, that bbq sauce looks amazing!
I love this glaze! It sounds just perfect with salmon. I need to give this a try 🙂
I can’t believe you said that you don’t like the pictures. I was just looking at them thinking how awesome they are! Seriously. The salmon looks so freaking delicious!!
I want yo make this salmón for a dinner party , but wont be able to grill it! What do you suggest?? Oven baked?or broli???
Help!
Hi Aline! You can absolutely bake the salmon, just follow the same instructions as for the grill – 425 degrees f. If you want to run the broiler after baking for a couple minutes to carmelized the glaze a bit, you can do that as well (I actually recommend it, but keep a CLOSE eye on the salmon)! Hope you and your dinner guests love this as much as we do! Cheers and thanks for stopping by!