- A cedar plank is a great grilling accessory for infusing smoky flavor and keeping food moist.
- Salmon is the most popular option for plank grilling, but really anything goes.
- Soak your planks before grilling to keep them from burning too quickly.
- It's Grill Week at Insider! Check out all of our grilling content here.
Plank grilling involves cooking food atop a plank of wood (most commonly cedar), usually over a flame or coals. This does two things: it imparts a cedar smoke flavor by mildly hot-smoking foods, but it also creates indirect heat. This slows the cooking process and, more importantly, prevents foods from drying out. An added bonus worth noting is that it also helps keep the grill perfectly clean.
How to prepare your cedar plank for grilling
Depending on the quality of your cedar plank, it may or may not have splinters. If there are splinters, simply brush it with some sandpaper until it's smooth.
Next, you'll want to soak the plank, and we recommend doing so for no less than one hour (though two to three hours is ideal). This step isn't absolutely necessary, but it will help keep it from catching fire and also ensure that it's reusable. Make sure the plank is completely submerged in water. A baking sheet or a larger pot works as a good basin, and a small bowl or anything heavy placed atop the plank will ensure that it stays underwater.
When the plank is about 30 minutes away from being saturated to your satisfaction, go ahead and light your grill.
How to prep your salmon
The first thing you'll want to do, as with most any fish, is give it a good thorough pat-down with a clean dish towel or a few paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture.
Then add your marinade, rub, and/or seasoning(s) to your salmon any way you would like. I like making a marinade of dijon mustard, brown sugar, some fresh dill, and a little sea salt or seasoning salt. Whether you go for a dry rub or a marinade, make sure to coat the flesh of the fish evenly. The skin doesn't necessarily need marinating, but there are different schools of thought on that, so to each our own. A little olive oil or butter on the skin does help keep it from sticking.
What else can you grill on a cedar plank?
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There's no hard and fast rule about what you can and cannot grill on a cedar plank, and you're only limited by your imagination. Asparagus and broccoli are great vegetable options, and one of our favorite more creative things to cook on a plank is Steven Raichlen's grilled eggplant parmigiana from his book, How to Grill Vegetables. Tofu also works exceptionally well due to its ability to absorb smoky flavors.
Are grilling planks reusable?
Grilling planks are reusable so long as they're not too charred, which is partly why we recommend pre-soaking them for at least an hour.
Insider's takeaway
Cedar planks are a great way to flavor just about any and all food on the grill, and while salmon is an obvious crowd-pleaser, try whatever you like! They're also a great way to keep the grill from getting too messy, and can help keep cleanup to a minimum.