• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Little Ferraro Kitchen logo
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Flavorful Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Flavorful Summer Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

Cedar Plank Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Published: Aug 6, 2024 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Cedar plank salmon is a summer favorite! A wild-caught filet of salmon is layered with a tangy, lemony dill sauce that gently cooks over the hot grill.

Cedar plank sockeye salmon topped with a creamy lemon dill sauce.
Jump to:
  • About This Recipe
  • 📋 Ingredients
  • How to Cook Salmon on Cedar Planks
  • Can you Cook Cedar Plank Salmon in the Oven?
  • Recipe Tips
  • Serving Suggestions
  • More Grilling Ideas
  • Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe with Creamy Dill Sauce

About This Recipe

This cedar plank salmon is a summer staple in our house! A wild caught filet of sockeye salmon gently cooks on a cedar plank, which embarks a slight layer of smokiness while keeping it tender and flaky.

The creamy dill sauce is flavored with lemon and garlic and coats the entire filet, adding a delicious creamy layer to the salmon. The lemony dill sauce would be fantastic served alongside air fryer sea bass as well!

If you love grilled fish as much as I do, try my grilled branzino with lemon and fresh herbs or my other favorite way to eat salmon, in this Greek salad with Grilled salmon.

📋 Ingredients

Ingredients for salmon with dill sauce including yogurt, sour cream and lemon.
  • Salmon: Look for wild caught salmon that does not have any added dyes. Depending on what type of salmon you are using, some filets will be thicker or thinner, so adjust the cooking time as needed.
  • Sour Cream and Yogurt: Both create a tangy and creamy sauce that gently cooks on top of the salmon filet. You can use all yourt or all sour cream.
  • Garlic: Look for tight garlic bulbs, which means the garlic is fresh. Use a microplane to grate the garlic into a fine consistency.
  • Dijon Mustard: A touch of Dijon mustard gives the sauce a savory layer of flavor and works well with the fresh lemon and tangy sour cream.
  • Lemon: Both the lemon zest and lemon juice are used to brighten the creamy sauce. Save the other half of the lemon for slicing and layering onto the salmon.
  • Dill: Fresh dill is added to the creamy dill sauce and as as garnishing the salmon. Dill gives the cedar plank salmon a fresh and slightly earthy flavor.
  • Cedar Planks: Look for Cedar Planks that are not treated and are safe for cooking. Make sure to soak the planks in water for at least 2 hours before cooking.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Cook Salmon on Cedar Planks

You can find wood planks at many grocery stores and even home improvement stores and Amazon has cedar planks as well. I have also seen oak wood planks, hickory wood planks and apple wood planks, just make sure it is safe for cooking and not treated.

All you need to do is soak the planks in water for at least 2 hours before cooking. Then remove the planks from soaking and place the salmon fillets onto the planks and grill as usual.

Add fresh dill, lemon zest and juice to the creamy dill sauce.

Step 1. To a bowl, add the yogurt, sour cream, grated garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper.

Give the creamy dill sauce a good mix so everything is combined and taste for seasoning.

Step 2. Give the sauce a good mix, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Place the sockeye salmon filet onto the soaked cedar plank.

Step 3. Place the salmon filet, skin side down onto the soaked cedar plank.

Top the salmon filet with a layer of dill sauce and a few lemon slices and fresh dill.

Step 4. Spread a thin layer of the creamy dill sauce onto the salmon and top with lemon slices and fresh dill.

Place the cedar plank salmon right onto the grill and cook until salmon is just cooked through.

Step 5. Place the plank directly onto the grill over medium heat.

Cook the cedar plank salmon on the grill until the fish is just cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.

Step 6. Cook the cedar plank salmon for 12-15 minutes until the fish is just cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.

Can you Cook Cedar Plank Salmon in the Oven?

Yes, instead of placing the planks on a grill, follow the same method and place the planked salmon in the oven on a baking sheet, for easier transporting.

Bake the salmon at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes until the salmon is just cooked though.

Recipe Tips

  • Soak the Cedar Planks: The most important tip is to soak the planks for at least 2 hours before cooking. This will prevent the wood from burning.
  • Dry the Fish: Before seasoning the fish, pat the fish dry with paper towels.
  • Prep the Fish: Remove any pin bones from the fish before cooking.

Serving Suggestions

Cedar plank salmon goes alongside just about anything! Serve the salmon with yellow Mediterranean rice, grilled panzanella salad or grilled potato salad.

Cedar plank salmon with fresh dill and lemon.

More Grilling Ideas

  • Grilled Tomahawk Steak with Chimichurri Compound Butter
  • Grilled Kofta with Eggplant and Tomatoes
  • Grilled chicken shawarma kebabs are served on top of hummus and saffron rice.
    Chicken Shawarma Skewers
  • Mediterranean grilled branzino with lemon and olive oil.
    Grilled Branzino with Lemon and Fresh Herbs
Grilled cedar plank salmon topped with a creamy dill sauce and lemon.

Cedar Plank Salmon Recipe with Creamy Dill Sauce

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Cedar plank salmon is a summer favorite! A wild-caught filet of salmon is layered with a tangy, lemony dill sauce that gently cooks over the hot grill.
4.86 from 14 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Soaking 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 246 kcal

Equipment

  • Cedar Planks
  • Microplane
  • Nesting Bowls
  • Charcoal Grill

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pound sockeye salmon fillet pin bones removed
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 2 garlic cloves grated or chopped finely
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ lemon zested and juiced
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup fresh dill chopped + more for garnish
  • Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Soak the cedar planks in water for at least 2 hours. This will prevent the wood for burning during cooking.
  • Make the creamy dill sauce. To a medium sized bowl, add the sour cream, yogurt, grated garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, and chopped dill and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and adjust seasoning.
  • When planks are done soaking, place the salmon filet on top, skin side down.
  • Reserve about ½ cup of yogurt sauce and spoon the rest of the sauce over the salmon. Top with additional lemon slices and extra fresh dill.
  • Place the planked salmon on a heated grill over medium heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes, depending how thick salmon is. The edges of the planks will slightly char and salmon should be tender in the middle.
  • Once done, remove the plank from the frill and flake into serving sizes. Serve with reserved dill sauce.

Notes

  • Soak the Cedar Planks: The most important tip is to soak the planks for at least 2 hours before cooking. This will prevent the wood from burning.
  • Dry the Fish: Before seasoning the fish, pat the fish dry with paper towels.
  • Prep the Fish: Remove any pin bones from the fish before cooking.
  • To cook planked salmon in the oven: Place the soaked planks on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 15-18 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 25gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 407mgPotassium: 691mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 487IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

More Fresh Seafood Recipes

  • Grilled shrimp skewers with olives and preserved lemon.
    Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Preserved Lemon & Olives
  • Zarandeado fish is flavored with guajillo chili, garlic, onion and mayo and grilled until just cooked through.
    Zarandeado Fish (Mexican Grilled Fish with Chile Sauce)
  • This salmon shawarma salad is full of bold flavors with a spiced salmon filet on top of bright greens.
    Salmon Shawarma Salad
  • Tuna empanadas with green chimichurri.
    Argentinian Style Tuna Empanadas

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BrightLemonyKitchen says

    July 23, 2023 at 12:16 pm

    5 stars
    Salmon is our Go-To fish for summertime grilling. We did the Sazon Tacos and now we are loving the plank cooking method. Soak the plank in almost any liquid. We used a can of beer and mixed it with water. It was WONDERFUL, Super moist!

    Reply
  2. Karen Ching says

    July 09, 2018 at 1:29 am

    5 stars
    Can I just say.. this is so mouth-watering! This is perfect for our next family get-together. My mother would love this for sure!

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      July 09, 2018 at 9:04 am

      Hi Karen!! Thank you so much! I hope you do make it and please let me know how it comes out! I am planning on grilling more fish recipes this summer 🙂

      Reply
  3. Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says

    May 08, 2012 at 5:00 pm

    5 stars
    I know I told you this on Twitter, but the blog looks great! Kita did an excellent job. And you did a great job with this salmon! It looks delicious! The creamy dill sauce is perfect!

    Reply
  4. Liz says

    May 07, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    5 stars
    I adore salmon...and this looks like an amazing recipe! I have some cedar planks waiting to test out your recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      May 08, 2012 at 7:43 pm

      Awesome! Would love to hear how it turns out!

      Reply
  5. Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says

    May 07, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    Oh. em. gee. I am literally drooling and refraining from licking my screen! Beautiful pics, too!

    Reply
  6. Griffin's Grub says

    May 07, 2012 at 11:31 am

    5 stars
    Love cedar planked salmon, but have never had a creamy dill sauce before. Will definitely try that next time.

    Interesting you say that you soak your planks 2 hours? I've always heard, and done< 30 minutes. Do you think the longer soak time benefits it at all?

    Reply
    • admin says

      May 08, 2012 at 6:18 pm

      I've never done it for less because the directions on the wood say to soak for at least 2 hrs 🙂

      Reply
4.86 from 14 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Samantha! I started this blog for my love of world cuisine and cultural flavors! You’ll find everything here from Jewish recipes, Middle Eastern, Italian and more!

More about me →

Summer Favorites

  • Easy lemon orzo salad is tossed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, grilled corn, creamy feta and lots of fresh basil.
    Lemon Orzo Salad with Corn and Basil
  • Italian zucchini flower fritters.
    Zucchini Flower Fritters
  • Grilled chicken shawarma kebabs are served on top of hummus and saffron rice.
    Chicken Shawarma Skewers
  • Cherry tomato pasta with basil and garlic.
    Cherry Tomato Pasta with Garlic and Basil
  • heirloom tomato caprese tart with basil.
    Peach Caprese Tart with Puff Pastry
  • Mediterranean Watermelon Salad
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from IndieBound
Buy from Barnes and Noble
Buy from Amazon
One Pot Mediterranean
Buy now!

Order My Latest Cookbook!

One Pot Mediterranean cookbook cover

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and a FREE Mediterranean Dinner Meal Plan!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Follow on Bloglovin

Footer

↑ back to top

Featured In

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · Samantha Ferraro · Little Ferraro Kitchen · All Rights Reserved

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.