Bourbon Glazed Salmon Recipe

Pan-seared salmon served with a sticky and sweet orange, honey and bourbon-based glaze.

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Bourbon Glazed Salmon Recipe

Bourbon glazed salmon is a simple and delicious salmon recipe served in a sweet and sticky bourbon glaze. This Asian-inspired recipe comes together in about 15 minutes from start to finish. Picture pan-seared salmon topped with a citrusy orange sauce, sweetened with honey and the natural sugars found in bourbon.

This salmon is best served over a bed of jasmine rice. Hit the entire plate with a little lemon zest and serve with extra lemon wedges. You’ll be amazed at how well the crispy pan-seared salmon pairs with the salty, sweet, and citrusy flavors.

Bourbon Marinade for Salmon

The beautiful thing about this glaze is it doesn’t require any marinating. The sauce instantly thickens as it’s heated and carmelizes, rendering a sticky glaze that coats your salmon with so much flavor.

The sauce is made with orange juice (I use store-bought, but freshly squeezed works too), honey, bourbon, soy sauce, ground ginger, garlic, olive oil, and an optional dash of sriracha. While orange is my citrus of choice, both lemon and grapefruit make great substitutes.

Simply add the sauce to the skillet once the salmon is fully cooked and simmer until it thickens to a perfect sticky glaze. You can spoon the sauce over the salmon and serve immediately—it’s that easy.

I would suggest starting with 1-2 tablespoons of bourbon. This makes for a very crowd-pleasing ratio. The orange and honey do a really good job balancing out any strong bourbon flavors, leaving you with nice, sweet bourbon notes. Any run-of-the-mill bourbon should work in this recipe since most will sizzle off.

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Bourbon Glazed Salmon Recipe
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Bourbon Glazed Salmon Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Shawn Williams
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 8
  • Total Time: 18 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Bourbon glazed salmon is a really simple and delicious salmon recipe served with a sticky and sweet orange, honey and bourbon-based sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 salmon filets, skin removed (6–8 ounces per peice)
  • 1 lemon (for garnish and optional lemon zest)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Honey bourbon glaze

  • 1/4 cup orange juice (grapefruit and lemon work too)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1–2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • pinch of sriracha

Instructions

  1. Combine glaze in a small bowl. Whisk until honey fully dissolves into the sauce. Set aside. Season both sides of each salmon filet with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or skillet on medium heat. Once hot, sear salmon filets for 3-4 minutes undisturbed, flip and sear for 3-4 more minutes. If you prefer salmon rarer, sear for 2 minutes per side.
  3. Turn the heat down to low and pour the sauce into the skillet. Let bubble and simmer until sauce thickens into a syrupy glaze, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon glaze over each salmon filet until fully coated. Zest with lemon and serve with lemon wedges over jasmine rice or with veggies.

Notes

The sauce has very mild bourbon flavor. Use 1 tablespoon if cautious, 2 if you love bourbon. You can always taste test the marinade before adding.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece
  • Calories: 378
  • Sugar: 10.5g
  • Sodium: 401mg
  • Fat: 14.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 12.8g
  • Fiber: 0.6g
  • Protein: 44.8g
  • Cholesterol: 120mg

Keywords: honey bourbon salmon, bourbon glazed salmon, glazed salmon recipe