Salmon jerky is somewhere between candied salmon and smoked salmon, except healthier. Salmon is already a healthy choice for fish, full of omega 3 and antioxidants, which are all great for your body. You can now make this jerky at home without much problem. 
Make This Salmon Jerky At Home For A Healthy Snack
First things first, take out your salmon fillets and feel for any pin bones, as you will need clean cuts to make your jerky. You can also take the skin off if you would like to, though some people enjoy the crunch it adds. In some cases, the skin will even fall off after your salmon has dried entirely.
You want your slices to be about ¼- ½ inches wide, but make sure you slice down from the head to the bottom of the fish. As for the marinade, I use my favorite ingredients like brown sugar, maple syrup, and a little bit of soy sauce. You can add anything you like though, like lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, or thyme.
I suggest you marinate your strips for a while in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator, that way the flavor is more intense. Once your strips are ready, you can plan to dry them. If you have a dehydrator, go ahead and use it, otherwise, the oven will do.
For better results, set your oven to 150 degrees F, or at the lowest setting your oven allows. This part is the hardest, as it takes patience and time. Some salmon will be ready at about 5 hours, while other cuts may take up to 9 or 10 hours. You can always use a smoker as well if you have one handy.
Your salmon will be ready in no time, but make sure to check constantly so that it doesn’t burn. You can store this salmon jerky in vacuum-sealed packets in the fridge for months, or save it for a few days at room temperature.
Salmon Jerky
Ingredients
4 lbs (approx. 1.8 kg) salmon, cut in strips
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup (128 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) maple or birch syrup
Directions
- Mix sugar and salt then sprinkle a thin layer of the mixture on the bottom of a lidded container.
- Arrange salmon strips in a single layer in the container.
- Cover with remaining sugar and salt mixture. If you need to have more than one layer, add more of the mixture to the first layer before adding more fish.
- Place the lid on the container and leave in the fridge for 12 hours.
- Remove salmon from container and quickly dip it in a large bowl of ice water to remove excess cure.
- Use paper towels to pat fish dry then set them on a rack on a baking sheet.
- Leave in the fridge overnight or in front of a fan for at least an hour.
- Prepare your smoker. Aim for a temperature of about 200 F (93 C).
- Smoke salmon for 3 – 5 hours. We want it dried but still chewy.
- Paint maple syrup on the fish every 30 minutes after an hour has elapsed.
- Once ready, place jerky on cooling rack to let it cool to room temperature.
- Store in vacuum sealed packets in the fridge.
