Salmon on a cedar plank
Updated: 23 October 2026
The side or the two portions are on the board, the skin is still the question, and three recipes have given you three temperatures. Salmon on a cedar plank goes skin side down on a board that fits, and it comes off when the thick part is no longer translucent. There is no UK salmon-plank temperature in these sources. The packs and prices are on the [cedar plank comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/cedar-plank). Weber UK's plank recipes and the Food Standards Scotland page were read as of 21 October 2026. This was not a lab probe. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The side or the two portions are on the board, the skin is still the question, and three recipes have given you three temperatures.
The side or the two portions are on the board, the skin is still the question, and three recipes have given you three temperatures. Salmon on a cedar plank goes skin side down on a board that fits, and it comes off when the thick part is no longer translucent. There is no UK salmon-plank temperature in these sources. The packs and prices are on the cedar plank comparison. Weber UK's plank recipes and the Food Standards Scotland page were read as of 21 October 2026. This was not a lab probe. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Board size | Species stated | Heat named | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Landical Landical 6-pack cedar planks 15x5.5 | 15 x 5.5 inch | Cedar; species n/a | Gas, charcoal, or oven | 9.6 | about £31.10 | View offer |
| Best value |  Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack cedar planks 5x11 | 5 x 11 inch | 100% western red cedar | Gas, charcoal, or oven | 9.2 | about £21.72 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Weber Weber small cedar portion planks | Portion / small; spec line conflicts | Western red cedar | Gas, charcoal, and electric | 8.4 | about £11.19 | View offer |
On this page
Skin side down, and whether one board is enough
Weber UK puts the salmon skin side down and does not flip it. Stay with skin-on fish so the flesh stays visible. Flipping tears a fillet that has started to stick.
A 5 by 11 inch board is the portion size. A UK review on the Wildwood 12-pack, dated 30 August 2023, says a whole side needs a larger board. Landical is the long option, 15 by 7 inch or 15 by 5.5 inch. Weber UK's 1 kg side recipe uses their own shop planks, not ASIN B0813WXP18. The large shop pair, 15 cm by 40 cm at £29.99, is outside this set.
A simple seasoning, then onto the wet board
Weber UK's side recipe seasons a 1 kg side with salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar. UK timber pages add lemon, and some oil the board. A thick sugar paste darkens before the centre is done. Oil can feed a flame if it runs onto a hot bar, so use a thin film if you use any.
Lay the fish skin side down once the plank is wet. The side recipe soaks at least an hour. The argument between 15, 30, and 60 minutes lives on how long to soak a cedar plank. A portion on a 5 by 11 inch board will not take the same clock as a 1 kg side.
When the salmon is done
Time is thickness. Weber UK's side, on indirect heat, takes about 25 minutes at about 180°C, until the flesh is no longer translucent and the sides start to brown. The 200 g fillet recipe takes about 15 minutes at about 160°C, or until a core reads 55°C. Timber pages start checking small fillets at 12 minutes. Check the thick part. The tail looks done first.
The 55°C figure belongs to that fillet recipe, not the side. Keep a probe off the plank so you are not reading the wood. Food Standards Scotland's 75°C cue is for chicken, pork, burgers, sausages, and kebabs. It is not a salmon-plank law. Cooking salmon to 75°C because the barbecue page mentioned it will dry the fillet.
What this cook is not
This page is raw salmon on a plank, outdoors, on indirect heat. Cold-smoked packet salmon is a different food. Higher-risk people are told to cook that product until it is steaming hot because of listeria. If someone is ill after undercooked fish, get help.
A US recipe that finishes at about 52°C is not UK guidance from the FSA or NHS sources used here. Weber's UK fillet recipe, where it gives a number, says 55°C. Do not average 55, 63, and 75. Do not bring nails or an asado lean onto a gas-barbecue plank. The fish is done when the thick part has lost its translucent centre, on a board that held it.
Common questions
Skin side down or flesh side down?
Skin side down, and you do not flip it. That is Weber UK's side recipe and the fillet recipe, and it matches the UK timber pages. The skin sits on the wood and the flesh stays visible. A skinless US method is a different cook from the one on this page.
How do you know the salmon is done if nobody agrees a temperature?
Use the cue that matches the piece. For Weber UK's 1 kg side, the thick part is no longer translucent and the sides are starting to brown. For Weber's separate 200 g fillet recipe, the core is 55°C. Food Standards Scotland's 75°C figure is for chicken, pork, and minced products, not this salmon.
How long does a portion take compared with a side?
Weber's side is about 25 minutes at about 180°C after the plank is on indirect heat. The 200 g fillets are about 15 minutes at about 160°C. Timber pages start checking small fillets around 12 minutes. A side will not finish on the fillet clock, especially on a board that is too short.
Will one 5 by 11 inch board hold a side?
No. Wildwood's bullets and a UK review from 30 August 2023 limit that size to portions, up to about four fillets, and say a whole side needs a larger board. Landical's 15 inch packs are the long option in this set. Two planks are the other way to get the length. Weber's shop small plank in the 1 kg recipe is not the portion ASIN here.
What seasoning is on the Weber UK plank recipe?
Salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar on a 1 kg side. Timber pages mention lemon and a little oil on the board. Stay at that scale. This page is not a second cookbook, and a heavy sweet crust will darken before the centre is done.
What about cold-smoked packet salmon and people at higher risk?
Cold-smoked packet salmon is not this cook. Higher-risk people are told to heat that product until it is steaming hot because of listeria. Raw salmon on a plank still has to be cooked through the translucent centre. If someone is ill after undercooked fish, get help.
Can you follow a US recipe that stops at 52°C?
Not as UK guidance. Those pages are culinary targets from another country, and they were not adopted by the FSA or NHS sources used here. Weber's own UK fillet recipe, where it gives a number, says 55°C. The UK side recipe uses the visual cue instead. Do not import a hotter US barbecue band either.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.
- FSA: BBQ food safety (retrieved October 2026)
- Food Standards Scotland: Barbecue food safety (retrieved October 2026)
- Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (retrieved October 2026)
- Weber UK: Salmon from the plank (retrieved October 2026)
- Weber UK: Large cedar planks (retrieved October 2026)
- Weber EMEA: Reusing a wood plank (retrieved October 2026)
- Napoleon UK: How to plank grill (retrieved October 2026)
- Wildwood Grilling: Is cedar wood toxic? (retrieved October 2026)
- BBC Food: Barbecue smoke (retrieved October 2026)