When most people think about smoked meats, they likely picture a traditional barbecue with ribs and brisket or the simpler hamburgers, brats, and hot dogs. Some people enjoy smoked bacon or pork sausage for that classic Sunday brunch. However, many people don’t realize that you can smoke seafood in your smoker to create a delicious homemade flavor!

What Are the Benefits of Smoking Seafood?

Many only know two ways to cook seafood: grilling and frying. Smoking seafood though opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Just like barbecue, you can experiment with different types of wood to bring out different flavors. For fish, some experts recommend using hickory, apple, or cherry. You can also try different sauces and brines to enhance the complex flavors of salmon, tuna, and other types of seafood.

Smoked seafood is also a healthier alternative to the traditional barbecue. Most people prefer smoked red meat, which can be loaded with fat, cholesterol, and calories. Seafood is leaner, healthier, and bursting with delicious flavor. When you serve smoked seafood, you can throw a classic backyard barbecue that’s easier on the arteries, and still delight the palate of your guests.

What Kinds of Seafood Can You Smoke?

You can smoke a wide variety of seafood, although the smoky flavor complements some types of seafood better than others. Popular smoked seafood recipes include ones featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, oysters, halibut, catfish, scallops, tilapia, and clams. Your smoked seafood could be the main entrée or part of another dish like a creamy clam chowder.

Once you’ve mastered the art of smoking seafood, you can add different vegetables, herbs, and spices to your dishes and see how they complement the smoky flavor profile. Looking to get adventurous?—experiment with different sauces and rubs that are made specifically for smoked meat.

How Do You Smoke Seafood?

Smoking seafood is an easy and rewarding experience. You can prepare smoked seafood just like you would other meats in a regular smoker from Cookshack. We sell a wide range of smokers for both home and commercial use. Simply add the wood to the smoker, then let the meat cook for several hours so that it absorbs the delicious smoky flavor!

In addition to smokers, we also sell sauces, rubs, cookbooks, wood chunks, wood pellets, replacement parts, and other supplies that you need for a successful cookout. 

We do more than residential cookers, we have commercial products that are built with large restaurants in mind as well—browse our selection of commercial smokers. Have questions, contact us today for expert advice.