How to Cook Fish With Wood Chips

If you enjoy fish, then try smoking it on your gas grill. The addition of smoked wood chips to the grill adds a distinct flavor to the fish. You can buy wood chips in a variety of flavors including apple, cherry and hickory. Choose a fish that suits your taste, and ensure you soak the fish in a brine solution to prevent it from drying out while cooks with the wood chips.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 cup non-iodized salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 qt. water
• Fish fillets
• Soaked wood chips
• Smoker box
• Gas grill

Instructions

1. Combine salt, sugar and water in a bowl. Stir ingredients until the salt and sugar dissolve.

2. Place the fish fillets in the brine solution. Make sure that you immerse the fish completely in the brine. Set the fish soaking in the brine solution in the refrigerator.

3. Brine the fish for 8 to 12 hours. Thin fish fillets will not require more than 8 hours of brining.

4. Remove the fish from the brine solution carefully. Rinse the fish under cold water.

5. Use paper towels to dry the fish fillet. Lay the fish out for 1 hour to bring it to room temperature. After an hour, the fish will form a sticky glaze

6. Place your favorite soaked wood chips in a smoker box. Start with 1 cup of wood chips, and add more chips when necessary. Preheat the grill to 200 degrees with the smoker box setting on the grill grate.

7. Close the lid to your grill. Smoke the fish for 2 hours. Check the smoker box, and add more wood chips to increase the smoky flavor.

8. Remove the fish from the grill. Serve it immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove the skin from the fish before soaking it in the brine to reduce the smoking time.

• If you are using a charcoal grill, you can place the soaked wood chips directly onto the charcoal. Wait for the charcoal to burn down for 30 minutes, start with just 1/2 to 1 cup of wood chips, and add them as necessary for a smoky flavor.

• Tuna, tilapia and salmon cook the best on grills. When choosing a fish fillet, try using thicker cuts to prevent overcooking the fish. Thinner fish fillets will require that you wrap them in foil to prevent them from falling apart on the grill.

• Buy wood chips at most convenience stores located with the charcoal and gas tanks. Many outdoor and sports stores also carry seasoned wood chips.

References

• Smokinlicious
• Barbecue Smoker Recipes
• Rocky Trail