Smoked salt is extremely popular for enticing the flavor on dishes, vegetables, etc. If you’ve ever tried to buy it, you know it can be pricey. The Pit Boss pellet grill makes it easy to make homemade smoked salt and it’s extremely easy to do.
Can You Smoke Salt On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill?
The Pit Boss pellet grill is a versatile appliance that makes it easy to cold or hot smoke coarse, flaky salt. It doesn’t take a lot of prep work, and the grill does most of the work. The only thing you need is patience, as it takes time for the salt to absorb the smoke.
For this article, we’ll be discussing how to hot smoke salt.
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What Is Smoked Salt?
Salt is used to enhance the taste of food and is a seasoning used all over the world. Smoked salt, means the salt has been (cold or hot) smoked in the smoker.
The smoke infuses the salt with an amazing smoky flavor that can then be used to add smoke flavor to dishes, meats, fruits, or even your alcoholic drinks like margaritas.
If you’re like me, you can even bottle up the smoked salt and give them away to friends and family for Christmas or birthdays.
What Is The Best Salt to Smoke?
When it comes to the best type of salt to smoke, you can smoke any kind you want. The most important thing is to smoke coarse or larger granule salts. The larger flakes make it easier for the smoke to adhere to the surface of the salt, so don’t use regular table salt.
Some of the most popular salts for smoking are:
- Maldon Salt
- Himalayan Pink Salt
- Black Hawaiin Salt
- Kosher Salt
- Celtic Sea Salt
- Kirkland Mediterranean Sea Salt (this is what I used)
Don’t be afraid to experiment and see which one you like the best. As mentioned you can use any kind of salt, except iodized table salt.
Ingredients Required to Make Homemade Smoked Sea Salt
Believe it or not, it doesn’t take a lot to smoke salt. For the first time, I experimented with a disposable pie sheet, and a splatter-proof plate to see which one works best.
To make this smoked salt recipe, you need:
- Course sea salt (or your other type of flavor)
- Pit Boss pellet grill or your favorite smoker
- Hardwood pellets
- 13 (I found this works the best)
- Time
For my first experiment, I smoked 13 ounces of salt. If you find yourself using a lot of salt, you may want to smoke 2 cups or more.
This step-by-step tutorial video shows you the exact process I used. I also detail the process below.
How to Smoke Salt On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Cold or Hot Smoking?
Most people opt for cold smoking their salt. It’s up to you on which option you use.
Hot
If you’re hot smoking the salt, close the flame broiler plate as you’ll be smoking the salt on indirect heat. I smoked 13 ounces of salt at 350°F for 4 hours.
At four hours, the salt had just started turning a yellowish color.
You can continue smoking the salt longer if you want a smokier taste.
Cold
If you don’t have a smoker you can use a smoke tube to smoke salt in a gas, charcoal, or propane grill. Light the smoke tube and place it inside the grill (without turning the grill on) along with the salt.
The grill is used as a holding chamber while you’re cold smoking the salt.
P-Setting
Smoke the salt at the default P-setting, unless you’re hot smoking in extremely cold weather.
Stir the Salt
Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to stir the salt every hour. This will ensure all the flakes are exposed to the smoke.
Pan or Screen?
I experimented with two types of containers while hot smoking the salt. Here’s what I noticed:
Pie Pan
You can pick up an aluminum pie pan from Amazon or your local Walmart. Spread the salt evenly on the bottom of the pan and every hour shake the pan to move the salt around.
Try finding one with a lower lip around the edge, otherwise, it will take longer for the salt to absorb the smoke. We noticed the salt in the pie pan took longer to take on the yellowish color because the sides of the pan blocked the smoke.
Another option is to use a metal splatter screen.
Metal Splatter Screen
You might already have one in your kitchen it is a screen you put over your frying pan. If you don’t have one, you can pick one up at Amazon or Walmart. Here’s the one I used.
Simply pour the salt flakes onto the screen and spread them out evenly. Then place the screen directly on the grill racks. I like using these silicone mats because it keeps foods and pans from sitting directly on my grates.
We noticed the salt smoked on the metal splatter screen took on the smoke better than the salt in the pie sheet. If we would’ve left the salt on the smoker longer, I have no doubt it would’ve ended up darker, but we got impatient and didn’t want too much of a smokey flavor.
Based on this experiment, I recommend using a metal splatter screen when smoking salt.
How Long Does It Take to Smoke Salt On A Pit Boss?
Depending on how smokey you want your salt, it takes at least 4-6 hours for hot smoking. For cold smoking, 24 hours will infuse the salt with an out-of-this-world smoke flavor.
For a lighter hint of smoke, keep it on the grill for a shorter period. If you prefer a heavy smoke flavor, let the salt smoke for longer periods.
Everyone is different and the best way to know if the salt is ready is to taste it along the way. Once you’re happy with the smoke flavor, you can remove it from the grill.
Unfortunately, it takes time to learn how to smoke the salt to perfection. If you’re looking for an excellent BBQ that teaches you the science behind smoking, flames, and heat I recommend Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling.
Unfortunately, they don’t have a recipe on “smoked salt,” but I’ve found several other nuggets and recipes that have helped me understand and become a better BBQer.
Best Hardwood Pellets to Use for Smoking Salt?
As with any food you cook, the flavor of pellets comes down to personal preference. Before smoking salt this past weekend, I read as much as I could about which hardwood pellets to use.
Here’s what I learned.
- Hickory and Oak: Will infuse the smoke with a stronger smoke flavor.
- Applewood: produces a mild smoke flavor.
You can also use cherry, maple, or the Pit Boss Competition Blend. Test out different flavors to see what you like.
How Long to Let The Salt Rest?
Once the salt has smoked to your perfection, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 30 minutes. This will ensure all the moisture is gone before putting it in mason jars.
You can grind the salt before storing it for later use. I recommend labeling the jars with the flavor of the hardwood pellets used.
If stored in an airtight container, the salt will last indefinitely.
Final Word
Hopefully, this shows you how easy it is to smoke salt on the Pit Boss pellet grill. Once you learn how to make your own, you’ll never want to purchase the store-bought varieties.
You’ll be able to add a smokey flavor to your foods regardless of what time of year it is.