Cured Salmon Gravlax

Cured salmon, or gravlax, is a classic Nordic preparation that turns fresh salmon into something silky, flavorful, and elegant. With nothing more than salt, sugar, dill, and time, you’ll create a dish that looks like it came from a restaurant; perfect for a bagel, a charcuterie board, or an appetizer that impresses without stress.

Since the salmon isn’t cooked, food safety matters. With the right salmon and curing process, you can enjoy gravlax safely at home without worry.

Slab of salmon and salmon sliced into ribbons on a cutting board.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Easy recipe that has an elevated end product
Cheaper than buying cured salmon from the store
Impress your friends and family
Easy win that gives you confidence to explore more culinary techniques you haven’t tried before

What You’ll Walk Away Knowing

How to safely cure salmon
How to slice cured salmon

Food Safety

There’s no point in making gravlax at home if it isn’t safe. Salmon can carry parasites and bacteria, and curing doesn’t “cook” the fish. For peace of mind, stick with sushi-grade salmon or salmon labeled frozen for raw consumption. Commercial freezing kills parasites, but it doesn’t eliminate bacteria so refrigeration and handling still matter. Use the highest quality salmon you can find and keep it cold at every step in the process.

Size of Salmon

I like to do a one pound cut of salmon because it’s enough for a crowd, but not too much. I have made a whole side of salmon and it’s a lot. Doing a cut also allows you to choose the perfect cut that is an even thickness. Having an even thickness allows the salmon to cure evenly. If you have a thick side and a thin side, the thin side will cure harder and be a harder texture and taste saltier.

Ingredient photo of salmon, salt, sugar, dill, and pepper.

Ingredient List

Salmon: To ensure food safety, you want to use sushi grade or “frozen for raw consumption” salmon. Use skin on salmon to make it easier to slice after it’s cured.

Dill: This is a basic, classic recipe for cured salmon so I like to keep it simple. Herby dill is a perfect pairing with delicate salmon flavor. I haven’t experimented much with different herbs because I like dill so much. You can use other herbs. They don’t factor into the preservation side at all, just the flavor so feel free to change up the herbs or omit the dill.

Salt: Salt preserves the salmon and flavors it. We don’t want to use table salt with additives. I use Redmond Real Salt because I use it for all cooking, baking, and fermenting. If you only have table salt, I would buy a container of sea salt.

Sugar: Sugar also preserves the fish. I use regular white sugar for simplicity.

How to Make Cured Salmon Gravlax

Mix Cure: Combine ½ cup salt, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Prep Salmon: Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Trim to about 1 lb from the center (even thickness cures evenly).
Wrap Base Layer: Lay plastic wrap on a flat surface. Scatter half the dill, then half the cure mixture.
Add Salmon: Place salmon skin-side down. Cover with remaining cure mixture and dill.

Salt cure mixture on the dill on plastic.

Salmon skin side down on dill and salt cure.

Wrap: Fold plastic wrap tightly around salmon like a burrito. Double-wrap if needed.

Top and bottom of the plastic wrap on the salmon.

Weight It: Place in a dish to catch liquid. Put a heavy object (cans, cast iron skillet, or brick) on top.
Cure: Refrigerate 48–72 hours, flipping the fish every 12 hours to ensure even curing. A shorter cure = softer texture; a longer cure = firmer, more intensely flavored.
Slice: Unwrap, rinse lightly if overly salty, and pat dry. Slice thinly on the bias with a sharp knife.

Slab of salt cured salmon gravlax on a cutting board.

Slicing the Salmon

To slice the salmon, angle your knife to a 45° angle. Make shallow, long cuts into the salmon to create ribbons, not chunks.

If you want chunks, go ahead and cut at a 90° angle and then cut into cubes.

Expert Tips

Slice at an angle for those silky, ribbon-like gravlax slices.

If the salmon tastes too salty on the outside, rinse briefly and blot dry before slicing. You could also rub it with a damp paper towel to remove the excess salt on the outside of the salmon.

Always keep gravlax refrigerated and eat within 3–4 days.

What to Serve with Cured Salmon

I love eating cured salmon on crackers with cream cheese. I’m toying with making a puff pastry appetizer with cured salmon as well. You could eat it on a bagel with cream cheese. I’ve also thrown it into a salad for a quick, delicious protein source.

Storage

Store tightly wrapped in parchment or plastic wrap in the coldest part of your fridge, not the fridge door where temps fluctuate. Gravlax keeps for 3–4 days. If it smells off or feels slimy, it’s time to toss it.

You can also freeze cured salmon. Slice it before hand and wrap tightly in plastic wrap before putting into an airtight container. Use within 3 months.

FAQs

Is gravlax raw?

Yes. It’s salt-cured but not cooked or smoked.

Is it safe to make at home?

Yes, if you use sushi-grade salmon or salmon labeled safe for raw consumption, and follow proper refrigeration and handling.

Can I freeze gravlax after curing?

Yes. Freeze sliced gravlax in small portions with parchment between slices to prevent sticking.

Whether it’s a dinner party, a cozy date night, or a solo glass-of-wine-and-gravlax moment, this recipe is a small effort with a big reward. If you try it, let me know in the comments what twists you added; lemon zest, gin, fennel seeds? I’d love to see your variations!

Hunk of cured salmon and salmon ribbons.

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