DIY smoked trout

Learn how to smoke trout, salmon, veggies, salt or just about anything else quickly, easily and with no mess on the grill or even on the stovetop.

Let's talk about smoked trout. Or smoked salmon. Or any kind of smoked fish. Do you love it? I do. Whether I enjoy it as part of a charcuterie board or a cheese plate at a cocktail party or added to a pasta dish or salad (like my bagels and lox pasta salad!), I'm a smoked fish junkie.

So the "I can do that!" DIY side of my brain kicked into high gear when I discovered an affordable little stove-top smoker a few years ago.

Yes, a few years ago. Believe it or not, I got this stovetop smoker, made by Camerons Products, for Christmas more than two years ago and just never got around to using it.

(To be fair, we wound up beginning a big cross-country move just after Christmas that year, so smoking fish for fun wasn't really my top priority.)

But I dusted off the box earlier this year and smoked some fish. And then some more fish. And then some salt. And now, since it's so easy, there's pretty much no stopping the smoking train around Casa de Ninj.

If you do nothing else this year that I've told you to do, do this: buy this stovetop smoker -- or give one to someone as a gift. It's the coolest thing ever, I swear. Not to mention that it's crazy easy to use and you can smoke all sorts of stuff with zero mess.

Here's exactly how it works:

Step 1: Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of wood chips in the middle of the smoker base.

• Handily, the smoker comes with some chips so you can get started right away.
• I used alder chips, which are perfect for the delicate nature of fish. But I've also scored some hickory, applewood and pecan chips -- go ahead and get creative!

Step 2: Place the drip tray on top of the chips, then set the wire rack into the drip tray. Rinse and pat fish filets dry, then season. Lay the fish filets on the wire rack.

• I line my tray with foil for easy clean up.
• For this batch of trout, I sprinkled on my homemade bourbon salt and some whole bourbon peppercorns. 
• If not skinless, place the fish skin-side down on the rack.

Step 3: Slide the smoker cover on to the base.

• I kept the handles folded in, but they do expand out if you prefer to move the smoker that way.

Step 4: Place the smoker on the heat source on a medium setting with the smoker lid a tiny bit ajar. Once you see the first wisp of smoke as the chips begin to smolder, carefully slide the smoker cover completely closed and allow the fish to smoke for about 25 minutes.

• Let the grill heat up for a few minutes before you put the smoker on it.
• It takes a good 5 minutes or so to see the first wisp of smoke, so be patient.
• Be extremely cautious when handling the smoker on the grill -- the metal gets super hot.
• Don't close the cover of your grill!
• For a moister fish, smoke for the minimum time recommended in the manufacturer's instructions. If you prefer a drier, flakier smoked fish, let it go a bit longer.
• One of the neat things about the Camerons stovetop smoker that I have is that it can even be used indoors on your stovetop (just make sure you have a good hood/exhaust fan!).

Step 5: CAREFULLY remove the smoker from the heat source, slide the cover off and remove the fish.

• Once smoked, the flesh pulls away easily from the skin.

And remember how I mentioned zero mess? When the smoker has completely cooled, simply toss the foil and the (cooled) wood chip debris and pop the wire rack into the dishwasher.

Seriously, what could be easier?

And stay tuned because, now that I've gotten you hooked on smoking, I'm next going to show you some amazing recipes you can create with all your smoked creations.

Are you a smoked fish fan as I am? Have you done any home smoking? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

If you're ready to start smoking fish, meat, vegetables, salt and more on your patio or even right in your kitchen, I encourage you to get your own stovetop smoker now.*

*Please note: Yankee Kitchen Ninja participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Following the product links in this post mean that, should a purchase occur, I might earn a little affiliate money, which goes to support this site, so thanks for the love!