How To Make Gravlax: Curing Salmon at Home

You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 

Since salmon is the star ingredient in gravlax recipes, it’s imperative you use the best quality fish you can find.

Ask your fishmonger for sushi-grade or sashimi-grade salmon. Or, look for quality skin-on, center-cut fillets of either Atlatic salmon (what I use) or king salmon. Both varieties are fatty, flavorful, and hold up to curing beautifully. And, if your grocery store doesn’t carry “sushi-grade” be sure to check that the fillet was previously frozen or freeze it for 7 days before curing. The freezing process helps kill any potential parasites or bacteria and is recommended by the FDA.

Contrary to popular belief, gravlax and lox are not the same thing:

• Lox is cold-smoked salmon, while gravlax is simply cured salmon and there’s no cold-smoking involved.
• Gravlax tastes like flavorful salmon sashimi with the firm texture of smoked salmon. It has a delicate, slightly salty, mildly herbaceous flavor with a firm, yet tender texture.

For evenly cured, silky gravlax results, you’ll want to choose the right salt for the job.

Coarse, non-iodized rock salt is the chef gold standard for curing salmon. Its large, slow dissolving crystals draw moisture gently and cure the salmon evenly, from edge to edge. However, you can use finer rock salt or kosher salt if needed. Just be sure to avoid table salt (the crystals are too fine and overly salty) and iodized salt (can leave a metallic taste).

If you need to substitute, use the conversion notes below to help:

• Coarse rock salt → Fine rock salt: Use 25% less fine rock salt (e.g., 1 cup coarse = ¾ cup fine).
  • If using fine salt, consider reducing cure time by 2–4 hours to maintain a tender texture.
• Rock salt → Kosher salt: Use 1½ times the volume of kosher salt (e.g., 1 cup rock salt = 1½ cups kosher).

✅ Take away: For perfect gravlax—I’m talking: pure flavor, gorgeous color, and that ideal luscious, melt-in-your-mouth texture—stick with coarse, non-iodized rock salt.

The best ratio of salt to sugar when salt-curing salmon (for gravlax) will truly depend upon personal taste. 

If you search the internet for “homemade gravlax recipes” you will find the ratios of salt to sugar vary greatly. Most of this wide variety is based upon “home cooks” with little-to-no culinary knowledge, spouting off words and stating them as facts. 

That said, a classic starting point is a 1.3:1 ratio of salt to sugar—being heavier on the salt than sugar. This traditional balance delivers a firm, flavorful cured salmon with a clean, savory edge and just enough sweetness to round out the cure beautifully. 

However, if you prefer a milder, sweeter gravlax with a softer, more sashimi-like texture, you can reverse the ratio and use 1.3 parts sugar to 1 part salt. But, I recommend avoiding equal parts salt to sugar. A 1:1 ratio tends to produce a flat, unremarkable flavor. I recommend experimenting to find the salt ratio that works for you when making homemade gravlax.

The precise length of time curing salmon takes will depend upon the thickness of your salmon fillet and how firm of a texture you’re after. While you can cure the fish anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, I’ve found that 48 to 72 hours in the fridge is the ideal amount of time:

• Light Cure: 24 hours, or 1 full day, in the refrigerator will lightly cure the salmon, resulting in a soft texture and very mild flavor similar to salmon sashimi. If you are in a rush you can absolutely lightly cure the salmon – just make sure you use a tail piece or very thin filet of salmon. However, if you are using a thick filet, I recommend a longer cure time for the best taste and texture.
• Medium Cure: 36 to 48 hours, or 1 1/2 to 2 days, in the fridge will yield medium salt-cured salmon. With this level of cure the delicate flavors are starting to develop and the texture is medium-firm.
• Hard Cure: 72 hours, or 3 full days, in the refrigerator will give you hard cured salmon. In the restaurant world, I used medium to hard cure to make salmon gravlax. Why? The flavors are fully infused and the texture is firm, yet silky and tender. Truly brunch worthy.

Pro-Tip When Deciding on the Amount of Time: Tail pieces or thinner filets will cure faster than thicker, center-cut sides of salmon.

You sure can. The great thing about making salmon gravlax at home is that it’s super customizable. While the traditional version uses just salt, sugar, and dill, you can definitely get creative:

• Scandinavian Cure for Salmon: Be sure to use a splash of aquavit, vodka, or gin. Omit the orange zest and add crushed juniper berries.
• Savory Spicy Blend: Omit the citrus from the salmon recipe. Instead use more crushed black pepper and add in crushed coriander seeds, fennel seeds, thyme, and a little garlic powder.
• Sweet and Spicy Twist: Swap the granulated sugar out and use brown sugar instead. And add chili flakes, crushed Szechuan peppers, or cayenne pepper.
• Herby Salmon Cure: Use a variety of fresh herbs, like dill, basil, and tarragon.
• Beetroot Gravlax: Add grated raw beet to this cured salmon recipe for a Scandinavian twist.

✅ Take-away: Think of the salt and sugar as your canvas—the rest is just awaiting your creative twist!

Yes! Once the salmon is done curing, you must rinse the cure off under cold water and pat the fish very dry. You’ll be left with a silky, beautifully seasoned piece of homemade gravlax that’s ready to dry out in the fridge and then slice.

There are three crucial keys to beautifully slicing your cured salmon—your knife plus the angle and thickness at which you slice.

• The Correct Knife for the Job. You need to use a very sharp, non-serrated knife to slice the salmon thinly. If you try using a dull knife, you’ll tear the salmon.
• Slice at an Angle. When slicing, make sure you carve the salmon on a bias. If you don’t slice at a bias or angle, your slices will come out as teeny-tiny little strips versus longer, beautiful slices.
• Cut Thinly. Slice the cured salmon as thinly as you possibly can! Slicing thin is a two-fold win. You’ll stretch the number of servings since you will yield more slices from the entire filet. And, thin slices also have a more delicate, delicious texture and make for a better appearance when serving.

✅ Takeaway: If you use have a sharp, non-serrated knife, carve it on a bias, AND slice it thin, you will yield more slices from the entire filet of gravlax salmon. Plus, bonus—the gravlax will look better.