Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks are the best cedar planks for salmon because they are cut thick enough to survive multiple grilling sessions, sourced from untreated Western Red Cedar, and sized to hold a full fillet with room for the fish to steam gently in cedar smoke. Plank grilling is the most forgiving way to cook salmon, the wood shields delicate fish from direct flame while adding sweet smoke. The catch is that thin, poorly sourced planks char through in one use or, worse, come from wood never intended for food contact.

Quick Answer

Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar planks are the best for salmon, thick enough for repeat use and reliably food safe. Wildwood Grilling planks are the value pick from a dedicated food grade mill, and Camerons covers bulk buyers.

  • Best overall: Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks
  • Best value: Wildwood Grilling Cedar Planks
  • Best budget: GrillPro Cedar Grilling Planks
  • Avoid: Lumber yard cedar, it may be treated and is never food grade

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Quick Picks

  • Best overall: Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks, Thick, food grade cedar sized right for a full salmon fillet. Check price on Amazon
  • Best value: Wildwood Grilling Cedar Planks, Milled specifically for cooking with consistent thickness at a fair price.
  • Best budget: GrillPro Cedar Grilling Planks, Serviceable thinner planks for trying plank grilling without commitment.

Comparison Table

Plank Thickness Best for Pack style Buy
Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar Thicker cut, reusable Full fillets, repeat plank grillers Small multi packs Check Price
Wildwood Grilling Cedar Consistent medium cut Regular grilling, gifting Multi packs, various sizes Check Price
Camerons Grilling Planks Medium cut Bulk buyers, entertaining Larger value packs Check Price
GrillPro Cedar Planks Thinner cut First timers, occasional use Basic two packs Check Price

How We Chose These Grills Picks

We compared plank thickness, wood sourcing claims, sizing against a typical salmon fillet, and aggregated owner feedback on warping, charring through, and flavor from each brand. Food grade sourcing and enough thickness to reuse were weighted heaviest.

Key Takeaway: Thickness is what you are paying for in a grilling plank. A plank around half an inch thick survives two or three cooks and smolders steadily, while bargain thin planks flame up and become single use kindling.

Best Overall: Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks

Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks

Best for: Grillers who cook salmon regularly and want planks thick enough to reuse, with reliable food safe sourcing and enough surface for a family sized fillet. Why it made the list: Fire & Flavor cuts its planks from untreated Western Red Cedar, the classic wood for salmon, at a thickness that smolders rather than ignites. Owners consistently report getting two or three cooks per plank with proper soaking, which changes the per meal economics compared to thin planks that finish as charcoal after one dinner.

  • Key specs: Untreated Western Red Cedar, plank sizing that fits a full salmon fillet, thicker cut suitable for reuse, sold in multi packs, intended for grill or oven use after soaking.
  • What we like: Steady sweet smoke without flare ups, enough thickness to plank two or three times, clean food grade sourcing, and a size that handles a whole fillet rather than forcing you to cut portions.
  • What we do not like: Per plank cost is higher than bulk brands, and availability of specific pack sizes fluctuates. Like all cedar planks they still require an hour of soaking, which punishes spontaneous cooks.
  • Who should buy it: Anyone cooking salmon for a family or guests, and grillers who want plank cooking to be a repeatable technique rather than a one off novelty.
  • Who should avoid it: High volume entertainers planking for a crowd every weekend, where the per plank cost adds up. Camerons bulk packs make more sense at that scale.
  • Common complaints: Occasional warping during soaking, which weighting the plank in the water prevents, and some owners find the smoke flavor milder than expected on a covered gas grill, raising the plank temperature helps.
  • Size note: Check plank dimensions against your typical fillet, a full side of salmon may need two planks side by side. Planks must also lie flat on your grates, measure smaller grills first.
  • Cleaning note: After cooking, scrub the used surface with hot water and no soap, let it dry fully, and store it dry. Retire a plank once it is charred through or heavily cracked.
  • Alternative: Wildwood Grilling planks come from a mill that produces only cooking wood, with tight thickness consistency, and cost less per plank in comparable packs.

Check price on Amazon

Grill Buying Guide

Why cedar works for salmon

Western Red Cedar contains aromatic oils that vaporize at grilling temperatures, gently smoking the fish while the plank blocks direct heat. Salmon stays moist because it cooks by indirect heat and steam rising off the soaked wood, which is why plank salmon is so hard to overcook compared to grate grilling.

Soaking and heat management

Soak planks at least one hour, weighted so they stay submerged. Cook over medium heat with the lid closed, and keep a spray bottle handy for edge flare ups. The plank should smolder and smoke at the edges, if it catches open flame your heat is too high.

Food grade sourcing is not optional

Only buy planks sold specifically for cooking. Construction cedar can be kiln treated with chemicals and is often a different cedar species entirely. The price difference is small and the risk of grilling dinner on treated lumber is not worth it.

Safety Notes

  • Only use planks explicitly sold as food grade, never construction lumber.
  • Keep a spray bottle or a safe means of moving the plank ready, soaked planks can still ignite over high heat.
  • Use tongs and mitts to remove planks, they exit the grill extremely hot and can drop embers.
  • Let used planks cool completely on a fireproof surface before discarding, they can smolder for a long time.

What to Avoid

  • Skipping the soak or cutting it short, dry planks flame up and blacken the fish.
  • High direct heat, plank cooking wants steady medium heat with the lid down.
  • Reusing planks that are charred through, they add bitter burnt flavors.
  • Thin bargain planks if you plan to plank more than once, they are false economy.

FAQ

How long should I soak cedar planks before grilling salmon?

At least one hour in plain water, weighted down so the plank stays submerged. Longer soaks up to a few hours buy you more time on the grill before the plank chars. Some cooks soak in cider or wine, the flavor effect is subtle.

Can I reuse a cedar grilling plank?

Yes, if it is thick enough and not charred through. Scrub it with hot water without soap, dry it fully, and expect two or three total cooks from a quality thick plank like Fire & Flavor. Retire it once deeply charred or cracked.

Do cedar planks work on a gas grill or in the oven?

Both. On gas, use medium heat with the lid closed and expect slightly milder smoke than charcoal. In the oven, a soaked plank on a sheet pan at moderate heat gives gentle cedar aroma with no flame management at all.

Final Verdict

The Fire & Flavor Western Red Cedar planks are the best cedar grilling planks for salmon, with Wildwood Grilling as the value pick from a dedicated cooking wood mill and Camerons the bulk choice for entertainers.

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