Homemade Gravlax (Easy Cured Salmon Recipe)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Gravlax is a classic Scandinavian dish that is surprisingly simple to make at home! Silky smooth in texture and perfectly flavored with aquavit, white pepper and dill, this easy cured salmon is both impressive and delicious.

It only takes a few minutes of hands on time to prepare the salmon for curing. The hardest part is waiting patiently for it to be done so you can enjoy it!

While curing salmon at home may seem intimidating, I promise it couldn't be any easier. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions for making homemade gravlax!

Homemade Gravlax on a square plate with dill and lemon wedges.

Why This Recipe Works

It contains the perfect ratio of salt to sugar for a tasty cure.
The texture of the gravlax is spot on: just the right amount of firmness to the flesh and silky smooth.
It is subtly flavored with aquavit, white pepper and dill which bring out the best in the flavorful salmon without being overpowering.
Have I mentioned that it is INCREDIBLY EASY TO MAKE?

Ingredients

It's important that the salmon be of the highest quality, sushi grade and as fresh as possible. This recipe is truly a showcase of the salmon itself so make it the very best!
Kosher salt forms the base of the dry rub for the cure. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE REGULAR TABLE SALT FOR THE KOSHER SALT. The resulting dish will be far too salty. Fortunately, kosher salt is readily available in most grocery stores so finding it shouldn't be a problem.
Brown sugar brings in some sweetness. Most recipes call for regular white sugar but brown sugar is such a nice pairing with salmon. It makes a very fine choice for this recipe.
White peppercorns add a little mild heat. You can certainly substitute black peppercorns here. White peppercorns are the traditional choice, and I love the clean look they bring to the final dish.
Fresh dill contributes an herbaceous flavor that is quintessential to Scandinavian cuisine and to gravlax in particular.
Aquavit helps with the curing process and gets the fish primed and ready for rubbing with the salt and sugar mixture. No aquavit? No problem. Substitute gin, vodka or brandy instead.

Special Equipment Needed

9 x 13 glass baking dish
Cutting board, smaller baking dish or pie plate to set on top of the salmon.
Cans or jars of beans (or something similar) to weight down the salmon.
Sharp knife for cutting the cured salmon.

How to Make This Recipe

Begin by crushing the peppercorns. You can use the bottom of a heavy skillet or the side of your chefs knife to do this, OR you can employ a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Combine the crushed peppercorns, kosher salt and brown sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Ground white peppercorns in a mortar next to a pestle.

Check the salmon for pin bones and remove any that you can find. Sometimes your fish monger will do this for you, but I always double check to make sure there aren't any that remain. The easiest way to do this is to lay the piece of salmon over the top of a large overturned bowl. This helps any remaining pin bones to protrude from the flesh and makes them easier to find and remove. I like to use a clean pair of tweezers to remove them. A small, clean pair of pliers works well, too.
Lay the salmon skin side down in the glass baking dish and drizzle the aquavit over the top. Rub into the flesh with your fingers.

Side of salmon on an overturned glass bowl next to a small bowl with tweezers.

Person pouring aquavit over a salmon filet.

Top the salmon evenly with the salt/pepper/sugar mixture. Rub it around to make sure the entire surface is covered. Follow that with an even layer of chopped fresh dill.

Salmon covered in salt and brown sugar in a glass dish.

Salmon in a glass dish covered with chopped dill.

Tightly wrap the dish in plastic wrap. Place a cutting board, smaller baking dish or something else that is about the same size as the piece of salmon on top of the fish (on top of the plastic wrap). Stack a few cans or jars of vegetables or beans on top to weigh the salmon down. Transfer everything to the refrigerator and let the salmon cure for 12 hours or overnight.

Salmon in a glass dish covered with a cutting board and three jars of beans.

Take the salmon out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap, cutting board and weights. Baste the top of the salmon with some of the accumulated juices from the bottom of the dish and pour off and discard any remaining juices at the bottom of the pan. Flip the salmon over so that it is now skin side up. Wrap with a new piece of plastic wrap and top again with the cutting board and weights. Place it back in the refrigerator for another 12 hours.

Cured salmon in a glass dish topped with chopped fresh dill.

Side of salmon in a glass dish skin side up.

Repeat the process above one more time, flipping the salmon so that it is now skin side down again. Rewrap with fresh plastic wrap and replace the board and weights. Back to the refrigerator for 12 more hours.
Take the salmon out of the refrigerator (the total cure time should be about 36 hours) and remove the plastic wrap, cutting board and weights. Using a paper towel, wipe the dill and any remaining rub from the top of the salmon.

Person wiping dill off of salmon with a paper towel.

Cured salmon on a plate with dill and lemon slices.

Slice on the bias against the grain of the fish into very thin slices (leaving the behind). Serve and enjoy!

Person cutting through cured salmon with a knife.

Close up of gravlax on a plate with a dill sprig and lemon wedges.

Expert Tips

Buy only the best, freshest sushi grade salmon you can find (preferably a center cut) for best results.
Using a very sharp knife will help slice the gravlax into thin slices for serving.
Be on the lookout for pin bones you might have missed as you are slicing the salmon and remove them as you go.
Once the salmon is cured and the rub and dill has been removed, you can wrap the unsliced gravlax tightly in plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. It's best to slice the gravlax just before serving.
Gravlax will keep tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

Gravlax (cured salmon) on rye bread with lemon and dill.

FAQs

What does "gravlax" mean?

The literal translation of gravlax is "salmon from the grave" which is in reference to the fact that it is buried in salt and sugar during the curing process.

What happens during the curing process?

Curing is a preservation technique, not a cooking process. The salt draws moisture out of the fish and creates an environment that prevents the salmon from spoiling. Technically, cured salmon is still raw, hence the importance of buying sushi grade salmon for this dish.

What is the difference between smoked salmon and gravlax?

Gravlax is cold cured meaning that it is covered in a mixture of salt, sugar, spices (usually white pepper and dill). It is wrapped, weighted and stored in the refrigerator for anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days. This process preserves the fish rather than cooking or smoking it. There is no smoke involved in the process of making gravlax.

Smoked salmon can be hot or cold-smoked: For hot smoked salmon, the fish is smoked over heat that is greater than 120 degrees F. The result is a firm-fleshed, intensely smoky fish that has a cooked texture. Cold smoked salmon, on the other hand, is usually cured in a sugar and salt mixture first (like gravlax) and then smoked at temperatures less than 80 degrees F. This process keeps the texture silky and smooth, more like gravlax.

What is the best way to store gravlax once it has cured?

Once the salmon is cured and the rub and dill have been removed, you can wrap the unsliced gravlax tightly in plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. It's best to slice the gravlax just before serving. Gravlax will keep for at least 3 days when tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze gravlax?

Yes, you can! Tightly wrap the sliced gravlax in plastic wrap in serving size portions and lay the portions flat inside a larger freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving. Frozen gravlax will keep well for a couple of months if tightly wrapped.

How to Serve Gravlax

Gravlax is traditionally served with a vinaigrette-style mustard dill sauce (gravlaxsås in Swedish) alongside dense rye bread, rye crispbread or boiled new potatoes. I personally like my gravlax served simply with just a squeeze of lemon juice and a little sprig of dill on top.

Gravlax is often enjoyed as part of a traditional midsummer celebration smörgåsbord. Consider serving this tasty cured salmon at your next midsummer gathering!

Looking for more delicious salmon recipes? I've got you covered:

If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of Homemade Gravlax and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.