Are You Cooking Salmon Wrong? This Clever $1.50 Hack Takes Fish ‘to the Next Level’

I don’t know about you, but I love salmon. It’s a protein I eat at least once or twice every week, making enough to eat for dinner, then topping a crisp salad the next day. I’ve tried baking, poaching, and grilling, and it’s a hit or miss on how well it turns out — too often, it comes out dry and chewy. So, I started scouting around to discover the secret of how to cook salmon perfectly.

It turns out that over 7,700 Amazon shoppers have found a smart way to cook salmon: These cedar planks by Grill Gourmet. Shoppers say that their salmon is “never overcooked” when they use these planks, so I’m going to put these clever grilling accessories in my shopping cart and give them a try. Shop the set now for less than $1.50 apiece at Amazon.

Grill Gourmet 12-Piece Cedar Grilling Plank Set

The Grill Gourmet cedar plank set includes 12 rectangular-shaped pieces of cedar wood. Each one measures 11 x 5.5 x 0.34 inches and is “big enough to do two or even three fillets at a time,” according to shoppers. If you’re not sure how to grill salmon on these cedar planks, instructions are included with the set, but it’s pretty straightforward how to do it.

Whether you put it in a clean sink or on a sheet tray, the plank should be soaked in water for at least four hours before using. Then, put the salmon fillet(s) on the plank, add whatever seasoning you’d like — lemon juice, dill, mustard — and place it on a hot grill. The USDA recommends cooking salmon until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Shoppers have found that using these cedar planks makes salmon taste “so much more flavorful,” and they’re less than $1.50 apiece. They’re not just for cooking salmon, either, as Amazon shoppers have used them to grill halibut, scallops, pork chops, burgers, asparagus, and more.

Shoppers love how well these cedar planks work for cooking salmon, and over 2,000 sets have been purchased in the past month alone. “These planks are perfect. They fit the width of my fillets and provide that great smoke flavor that takes salmon to the next level,” said one reviewer. “[Salmon] turns out perfect and delicious every time,” said a second shopper. “They truly lend that incomparable cedar flavor to the fish,” wrote a third. 

Grab a set of these cedar planks and you’ll soon be grilling salmon to perfection.

Shop More Grilling Accessories at Amazon

NewStar Foodservice Fish Spatula

ThermoPro Digital Meat Thermometer

Ordora Fish Grill Basket

Alpha Grillers Grill Tools Set

Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serve Trays

At the time of publishing, the price was $17.