Salmon Lox Recipe Recipe
How to make Salmon Lox using salt and salmon. Feel free to add optional flavor enhancers or leave them out.
How to Make the Best Salmon Lox Recipe
Homemade salmon lox is surprisingly simple to make and delivers restaurant-quality results right from your own kitchen. This classic salt-cured salmon requires just two essential ingredients—fresh salmon and kosher salt—along with a bit of patience while the cure works its magic over 24 to 36 hours.
The key to perfect lox is using high-quality wild salmon with a thick center cut, which ensures even curing throughout. Unlike smoked salmon, lox is simply cured in salt, giving it a silky, buttery texture and clean, briny flavor that pairs beautifully with bagels, cream cheese, capers, and fresh dill.
Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, feel free to experiment with flavor additions like vodka, gin, citrus zest, or fresh herbs mixed into your salt cure. Store your finished lox wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to a week, though it’s so delicious it rarely lasts that long.
Salmon Lox Recipe
How to make Salmon Lox using salt and salmon. Feel free to add optional flavor enhancers or leave them out.
Ingredients
Salmon Lox
Instructions
Curing the Salmon
- Place salmon on a plastic lined sheet pan, and pat dry.
- Place the salt in a bowl and mix in any of the optional additions. If using vodka or gin, add a few tablespoons at a time, just enough to moisten the salt mixture.
- Stir and spread evenly over the salmon on both sides, pressing it down.
- Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap. Place salmon in a baking dish, and set another slightly smaller baking dish over the top, pressing down firmly. Pile up a few cans to weigh it down and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. 36 hours seems to be ideal. 48 hours is too salty (for my taste buds).
- Unwrap the salmon and gently rinse the salt cure off well, under cold, running water. Pat very dry and slice diagonally into paper-thin slices to serve.
Notes
- Freezing the salmon for 30-60 minutes before slicing makes it easier to slice paper-thin.
- 36 hours of curing time is ideal for the best flavor balance.
- You can add optional flavor enhancers like vodka, gin, fresh dill, or citrus zest to the salt cure.
