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Bourbon Glazed Salmon

This Bourbon Glazed Salmon is an easy, flavorful weeknight meal that requires only 7 ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes! Serve it with some roasted or steamed vegetables and rice or mashed potatoes for a great dinner your family will absolutely love.

Bourbon Glazed Salmon | YummyAddiction.com

This recipe was originally published on June 24, 2014 and was republished in August 2020 to add better quality photos, re-test the recipe, and add more helpful tips.

Who else loves salmon? I love the rich texture salmon has without being incredibly fishy tasting. It’s a perfect base for layering flavors and tasty glazes. Plus it cooks much faster than other meats, making it perfect for quick, weeknight meals.

As fish go, salmon is one of the healthiest options with lots of omega-3 fatty acids and other good fats and proteins. It is less likely to contain heavy metals than tuna and is still very versatile in the kitchen. Baked, raw, blackened, in salad, casserole, or as an appetizer, there are so many options. And I just really love salmon.

You might think there are a lot of strong flavors in this bourbon glazed salmon, but don’t worry. When everything comes together it is perfectly balanced. It’s rather like a teriyaki, but smoother, with more vanilla and caramel flavors coming from the bourbon. Because the salmon is baked rather than pan seared, the flavors of the glaze have time to soak into the salmon. A quick broil at the end caramelizes everything, giving it an incredible flavor.

Brushing salmon with a glaze

The Power of Mustard

Though there isn’t much of it in this recipe, the mustard is important. Don’t be tempted to leave it out! Adding a bit of mustard to a sauce or dressing creates a smooth and creamy texture as well as adding flavor. This is because mustard is a natural emulsifier.

Emulsifiers keep the components of a dressing from separating. Oil and vinegar may not mix on their own, but they will if you add an emulsifier. If you make a balsamic or fruit vinaigrette at home, you will probably notice that it separates if you leave it for several minutes. But when you make a honey mustard vinaigrette, it’s creamy and stays smooth. This is all because of the mustard!

Adding mustard to this reduced bourbon glaze balances the sweetness of the sugar and bourbon as well as enhancing the texture. The small amount of mustard brings just a hint of flavor and gives the sauce it’s wonderful silky smoothness.

Easy glazed salmon on a plate

Easy Meals Can Taste Great

Cooking amazing meals for your family is not difficult and should be enjoyable. There are plenty of recipes out there for fast meals with limited ingredients that still taste great, so go make use of them!

I like making flavorful meals without a lot of ingredients. You don’t have to have a bunch of different spices and rare ingredients in your cupboard to create delicious meals. I bet you have all the ingredients for this salmon glaze in your cupboard right now.

One of the beautiful things about limited ingredient meals is they let the individual flavors of your ingredients shine. With only bourbon, brown sugar, and soy as the main components of this sauce, you want to choose a good quality bourbon. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just something with a good flavor. A good rule is to never cook with anything you wouldn’t drink!

Overhead of bourbon glazed salmon

I typically don’t count salt and pepper as ingredients in my 7-ingredient recipes. Most of the time they need to be adjusted to taste anyway, so sometimes you don’t need them at all. Like this bourbon glaze – whether you need to add salt is going to depend on your soy sauce brand. Some are salty and some are not. I recommend always testing your food before starting to add salt or pepper so that you don’t get stuck with over seasoned food.

Cooking tasty meals should not have to take a long time either. You can cook this restaurant-quality salmon from start to finish in about 30 minutes. There is even some extra time during the cooking process to prepare some steamed vegetables or a light salad to serve with it. I would suggest an apple and fennel salad with walnuts or a creamy radish, cucumber, and dill salad if you want to feel fancy.

You can make this bourbon glazed salmon for an easy week-night meal with some simple steamed vegetables and rice, or to impress guests at your next dinner party with a refreshing salad. Either way, the bourbon glaze is what makes this dish so amazing. Try not to eat it all with a spoon!

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

This simple salmon with bourbon glaze is absolutely delicious! It's a simple and delicious weeknight dinner that only requires 7 ingredients – and it's perfect for the whole family!
4.96 from 22 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 376kcal
Author: Jovita | Yummy Addiction

Recipe Video

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Sheet Pan
Silicone Brush
Dijon Mustard

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon fillets 6 oz. (170g) each, skin on
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce (use reduced sodium for less salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper , to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 F.
  • For the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the bourbon, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and mustard. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove from heat and let sit to thicken.
  • Pat salmon fillets dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Lay the salmon skin side down on a lightly oiled wire rack set over a baking sheet (to catch the drips). If you don't have a rack, a baking sheet will work just fine. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or so, depending on the size of your fish. When the salmon is nearly done, turn the broiler on in your oven. With a food brush, spread the glaze on top of the salmon. Be generous with your glaze!
  • Return to the oven and broil (not too close to heat) for about 30 seconds. Watch carefully that glaze doesn’t burn. Repeat the process: take out the salmon, brush with more of the glaze and broil for a few seconds. Remove from oven.
  • Arrange the fillets on each plate and drizzle each serving with the remaining glaze. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1fillet | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.5g | Protein: 40.4g | Fat: 8.1g | Cholesterol: 86.9mg | Sodium: 987.5mg | Sugar: 25.7g
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bourbon salmon, glazed salmon
Nutrition Facts
Bourbon Glazed Salmon
Amount Per Serving (1 fillet)
Calories 376 Calories from Fat 73
% Daily Value*
Fat 8.1g12%
Cholesterol 86.9mg29%
Sodium 987.5mg43%
Carbohydrates 28.5g10%
Sugar 25.7g29%
Protein 40.4g81%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

43 Comments

  • Andie
    July 14, 2016 at 12:22 pm

    How is it there are no comments on this recipe? It is delicious, plus super quick and easy to make. The bourbon glaze made my house smell great, too. 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 8:54 am

      I don’t know Andie, sometimes people are too lazy to write that it was delicious, I guess 🙂 I am glad you liked it!

      Reply
      • Betty
        October 22, 2016 at 6:30 am

        I doubled the recipe to use on chicken and tilapia! Love this.5 stars

        Reply
  • Lisa Wiles
    January 25, 2017 at 11:07 pm

    Amazing recipe!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 3, 2017 at 5:14 pm

      Thanks! It’s one of my favorites 🙂

      Reply
  • Dina
    December 25, 2017 at 4:41 am

    I increased the Bourbon to a 1/2 cup and added 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. This tastes nearly identical to the Bourbon Glazed Salmon served at a nearby restaurant. Yum!4 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      December 27, 2017 at 4:49 pm

      I am glad it turned out great for you! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sue
    February 10, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    I have made this twice………it is delicious!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 11, 2018 at 9:06 am

      Thanks, Sue! It’s one of my most favorite salmon recipes 🙂

      Reply
  • Kathleen Brand
    October 1, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    I loved this easy recipe, it was easy to make. The salmon was perfect, I think it would be a great sauce for burgers or pork chops5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 7, 2020 at 8:19 am

      Thank you, Kathleen!

      Reply
  • Lisa
    October 24, 2018 at 12:26 am

    I make this every other week, and we LOVE it!!! Thank you so much!!!5 stars

    Reply
  • Brenda
    October 27, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    Awesome! My husband wants me to make more now, and he isn’t joking! ?5 stars

    Reply
  • Kim
    January 22, 2019 at 8:37 pm

    Is the salmon supposed to be turned halfway there the baking?

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 27, 2019 at 2:10 pm

      Nope 🙂 No need for that.

      Reply
  • Margie
    June 17, 2019 at 12:20 am

    Absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 6, 2020 at 8:54 pm

      You’re welcome, Margie!

      Reply
    • Michelle
      May 29, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      Great recipe, I make this on the regular lol I actually air fry my salmon and then add the glaze. I love that this is delicious and super quick and easy.5 stars

      Reply
  • Penny Bunnell
    January 25, 2020 at 12:53 am

    So happy to have found this recipe…It’s so delicious! I’ll definitely make this again and again. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      January 29, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      Thank you so much Penny! Your comment made my day 🙂

      Reply
  • Irene
    March 15, 2020 at 9:29 pm

    Can I skip the mustard?

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 6, 2020 at 9:24 pm

      Hi, Irene. You can, but the mustard in this recipe is not only for the taste (it balances the sweetness of the sugar and bourbon) but also for the texture (it makes the sauce more smooth and creamy), so keep that in mind 🙂

      Reply
  • Todd
    August 16, 2020 at 10:43 pm

    Simply one of the best salmon recipes out there…have done 2 tours of duty in Alaska, caught hundreds of pounds of salmon…this is one our “go to” recipes for King or Silver. Also have a caper salmon recipe too..5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 24, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      Thank you so much, Todd. It’s an honor to hear such nice words from someone who worked in Alaska and is well familiar with salmon 🙂

      Reply
  • Blessed
    September 22, 2020 at 2:24 pm

    Great recipe! Taste just like Cheddar’s restaurant.5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      September 25, 2020 at 10:15 am

      I’ve never been there but it’s a good sign when someone says that your recipe is similar to the one from the restaurant 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
  • Janis Landon
    January 15, 2021 at 12:36 am

    This was so good! I used a salmon slab (no skin) and it was so easy and awesome! Will definitely be making this again and again.5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      January 15, 2021 at 7:16 am

      So happy to hear it, Janis! Your comment just made my day 🙂

      Reply
  • Jennifer
    December 14, 2021 at 11:42 pm

    I very rarely, if every, post comments but this was the most amazingly delicious salmon we’ve ever tasted! By following the recipe, the salmon was cooked perfectly. And that glaze! Oh my! Top 10 for sure!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      December 15, 2021 at 12:11 pm

      Ah, thank you for such kind words, Jennifer!

      Reply
  • Barbara
    January 13, 2022 at 10:00 am

    I don’t try a lot of recipes, but I tried this one, and it’s great! I bought a bottle of bourbon so that I can make the glaze/sauce again and again for both salmon and chicken. I will also try it on hamburgers because I just read another comment that suggests this.5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 2, 2022 at 1:14 pm

      That’s a great idea, Barbara. The sauce is really awesome 🙂

      Reply
  • Clay
    March 26, 2022 at 8:52 pm

    I’m really bad about going back and rating recipes, but this one definitely deserved a nod. First, it’s gourmet result with mac and cheese effort. Second, the flavor was unbelievably good. It turned out better than any salmon I’ve ordered in a restaurant over the last year. I added some minced ginger to mine and a little extra garlic for personal taste. If you are trying to impress someone, or have an unexpectedly good Saturday lunch, this is the recipe to make!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 28, 2022 at 8:48 pm

      Thank you so much for the comment, Clay! I really appreciate you coming back to leave it 🙂

      Reply
  • Andrea
    November 29, 2022 at 2:02 am

    It was great! I will use a little less Bourbon next time 🙂5 stars

    Reply
  • Kathy
    January 7, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    This is a wonderful tasting glaze! Thank you kindly for sharing!! Blessings, Kathy5 stars

    Reply
  • Sherrie
    February 27, 2023 at 1:18 am

    This was delicious! Easy to make, and the sauce was a good complement to the salmon!! Everyone at the table raved how delicious it was, and asked when we were going to make it again.????5 stars

    Reply
  • Barbara
    June 7, 2023 at 8:43 pm

    Hi Jovita, I was looking for a Bourbon glaze and came across this recipe! Guess what’s for supper tonight, you got it, Bourbon Glazed Salmon. I will let you know how it turns out!! Gotta run to the local spirit store to get some Bourbon, Bye till after we eat!!

    Reply
  • Barbara
    June 8, 2023 at 12:19 am

    Ok, the verdict is in, one of my favs now!! saving this recipe and all in the house really enjoyed our supper. My sister said she was going to have to start dressing up if I continue to cook like this meal!! Thank you for posting this recipe!!

    Reply
  • Barbara
    June 8, 2023 at 12:19 am

    Sorry forgot to rate recipe!!5 stars

    Reply
  • Stephanie
    September 15, 2023 at 2:21 am

    I have been making this glaze for over a year and it is the biggest hit every time. We love it as a cold dressing for spinach or dark green salads. I works beautifully with avocado, mozzarella, cucumber and all other salad accompaniments. Best glaze/dressing we have found. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply
  • Robert
    September 15, 2023 at 11:29 pm

    Really simple and delicious. I personally cooked it to 125 internal temp. Super moist and a definite hit. 2nd time making this recipe. Won’t be the last.5 stars

    Reply
  • Regina
    March 19, 2024 at 12:14 am

    So simple! So delicious!!5 stars

    Reply

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