Smoked Cedar-Planked Cisco with Herb Butter

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-10 · Updated 2026-05-10

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Moist smoked cisco fish cooked on a cedar plank, topped with a fragrant herb butter that enhances its natural richness. This American-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 90 minutes, pairs whole cisco fish, kosher salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 30 min Cook: 60 min Serves 4 American cuisine 320 cal/serving

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Ingredients

2, cleaned and gutted (about 1 lb each) whole cisco fish
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp, softened unsalted butter
2 tbsp, finely chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp, finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1, soaked in water for 1 hour cedar plank

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Instructions

Step 1: Pat dry 2 whole cleaned cisco fish and season inside and out with 1 tbsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, mix 4 tbsp softened unsalted butter with 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 1 tbsp lemon juice until well combined.
Step 3: Preheat your smoker to 225°F and place the soaked cedar plank on the grill grates to heat for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Place the seasoned cisco fish on the cedar plank and spread half of the herb butter inside each fish cavity.
Step 5: Smoke the fish on the cedar plank for 1 hour or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Step 6: Remove from smoker and serve the fish with the remaining herb butter dolloped on top.