Smoked Salt: 3 Best Cooking Methods

From making to using: all you need to know about smoked salt and its flavors
By
Jeremy Bivens
Jeremy Bivens
Research Writer
Jeremy Bivens is a passionate writer and grilling enthusiast. He's been working as a freelance journalist for over 15 years now and has a particular interest in food writing read more
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Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Claims that grilling is the art that he has been learning all his life long and is not planning to stop. Has been grilling for as long as he can remember. Author of numerous read more
Last updated: September 07, 2023
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Barbecue lovers know that smoked salts can add an extra layer of smoky flavor to numerous foods cooked on the grill. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your own smoked salt, you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s not difficult to obtain excellent results in your own backyard. Learning how to make smoked salt is not only easy, but it also allows you to obtain various the exact level of smokiness you want.

What is smoked salt

Smoked Salt: 3 Best Cooking Methods

Smoked salt is an excellent ingredient that allows you to add extra flavor to your cooking. The process of making smoked salt involves smoking sea salt or rock salt over a wood fire. Smoked salt is typically infused with smoke from untreated wood and no colors or flavors are used to make it.

Smoked salt is ideal for enhancing dishes that could benefit from the smokiness that’s inherent to burnt wood. It’s an ideal addition for meat-eaters who want to enhance their BBQ’s flavor, but also for vegetarians and vegans looking to add some flame-grilled flavor to their meals.

How to make smoked salt

Making smoked salt at home is cheaper than simply buying ready-made smoked salt and comes with the added benefit of controlling the level of smokiness. The good news is that you can use whatever type of smoke you like to make smoked salt and you can play with various types until you find the flavor you like best.

What you’ll need

To make smoked salt, you need a grill (charcoal, gas and stovetop all work fine), flakey sea salt or rock salt, and your favorite wood for smoking. There are different methods for smoking salt, so here’s how to do it for different types of grills. An example of salt that’s excellent for smoking is Maldon Salt, Sea Salt Flakes.

Gas grill

To make smoked salt on gas grill, light it up and take it to a temperature od 300-350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, use a splatter screen Trusted Source Splatter guard - Wikipedia A splatter (or spatter) guard is a device placed over a frying pan to prevent hot oil from spitting out of the pan, which often happens when pan frying at a high temperature. en.wikipedia.org to spread out the salt. Make sure it’s spread evenly. Smoke the salt for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the level of smokiness you want to achieve. If you want your salt to be really smokey, you can leave it in the smoke for up to 24 hours. Once your salt has the flavor you like, remove it from the splatter screen and store it in an airtight container.

You can also use a pellet tube smoker such as the LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube to cold smoke salt in a gas BBQ.

Charcoal grill

Smoked Salt: 3 Best Cooking Methods

The process of making smoked salt on the charcoal grill is similar to making it on a gas grill. The Fill your grill with charcoals and bring up the heat. Fill an aluminum foil pan with two cups of sea salt or rock salt and shake the pan to distribute it evenly. Put all the hot coals on one side of the grill and them toss the wood chips over them. Place the pan containing the salt on the grill, on the side without coals. Cover the grill and smoke the salt for one hour on medium heat.

Stovetop

If you want to smoke salt on the stovetop, all you need is a deep pan, a baking wire rack and an aluminum dish. Line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil, and place some sawdust on the bottom (about 1 inch should be enough). Put the wire rack over the pan and then the aluminum dish on top. Spread a thin layer of coarse salt on the bottom of the dish, then cover the pan and cook over high heat until you see smoke coming out. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the salt to smoke for about 20 minutes.

How to use smoked salt

Smoked salt is ideal for those moments when you’re cooking and want to enhance the aroma and richness of your meals. Some of the ways you can use smoked salt include:

  • Use it sauces and garnishes — smoked salt is a welcome treat to chilis, backyard BBQ, and southern cooking.
  • As a rub for your meat — you can use smoked salt or a mix of smoked salt and herbs as a rub for chicken, tuna, salmon, steak, or even veggies. You can basically use it for just about anything that would benefit from a bit of a smoky aroma.
  • Season your snacks with sea salt — a bit of smoked salt can do wonders for a quick salad or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Final thoughts

Smoked salt is a great addition to any gourmet’s kitchen. Besides being a great addition for many dishes that could do with a bit of smoky flavor, smoked salt is also the perfect gift for a barbecue afficionado. The good news is that you can make smoked salt at home easily, which allows you not only to save money, but also control the flavor and make the salt as smokey as you wish.

References

1.
Splatter guard - Wikipedia
A splatter (or spatter) guard is a device placed over a frying pan to prevent hot oil from spitting out of the pan, which often happens when pan frying at a high temperature.

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