Food and Recipes Seafood Fish Salmon Bourbon-Glazed Salmon 4.8 (4) 4 Reviews Bourbon-glazed salmon is a 20-minute dinner you'll turn to time and time again. By Marianne Williams Marianne Williams Marianne Williams is a recipe tester and developer who has been working in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2016. Her recipes are featured in Food & Wine, Southern Living, Real Simple, Rachael Ray, Health, Cooking Light, and in various other publications and digital platforms. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 1, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 4 Bourbon-glazed salmon is easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough for company. Salmon gets even better when you add a slightly naughty twist—in this case, a glug of bourbon. After cooking the salmon, we use the same skillet to make a quick sauce using the aforementioned Southern spirit, brown sugar, soy sauce, and orange slices. Equal parts sweet, salty, and zesty, this sauce comes together in mere minutes and provides the perfect contrast to the rich salmon. Learn how to make bourbon-glazed salmon. Paired with a simple side salad, this speedy weeknight supper is ready in 20 minutes, but it's elegant enough to be on the table for date night. Ingredients for Bourbon-Glazed Salmon High-power ingredients like soy sauce and honey make seared salmon extra special. Here's what you'll need to cook bourbon-glazed salmon: Olive oil: Use a neutral oil like olive oil for browning the salmon fillets. Other great oils for the job are avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and canola oil. Skinless salmon fillets: We prefer wild-caught salmon as it has more flavor and is better for the planet. Fresh or frozen will do. Black pepper and salt: For seasoning the salmon. Orange: The zest is added to the bourbon glaze for a wonderful floral flavor. The slices simmer in the glaze, too, for added brightness. Bourbon: Use your favorite brand. You can use whiskey if that's what you have. Make Bourbon Chicken with the extra. Or if you want something sweet, try bourbon-infused Mint Julep Brownies. Honey: Any honey will work, whether a special batch from the farm nearby or the standard grocery store favorite. The more flavor the honey has, the more flavor the sauce will have. Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will work here, too. Both add rich, molasses-like flavor to the glaze. Soy sauce: This lends the glaze loads of salty umami flavor and helps to balance the sweetness of the honey and sugar. Unsalted butter: Stirred in at the end, butter emulsifies in the glaze, thickening it up so it will cling to the fish. Fresh chives: Sprinkled on top of the fish before serving; the delicate oniony flavor is a beautiful contrast to the rich bourbon glaze. Flaky sea salt: A final hit of salt will wake up the flavors of the full dish. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Salmon Swap Did you buy skin-on fillets? No problem. Start salmon skin side down to get it crispy; then turn it to finish cooking. Is There A Difference Between Bourbon And Whiskey? How To Cook Bourbon-Glazed Salmon Grab a skillet! This 20-minute bourbon-glazed salmon recipe will be ready in a flash, so make sure all your sides are equally easy. Keep scrolling for the full recipe and a few serving suggestions. Step 1. Cook salmon: Heat oil in a nonstick skillet, and season the salmon with salt and pepper. Brown the salmon on both sides, and cook until the salmon reaches 130°F (about 7 minutes). But keep in mind, the cook time for salmon depends on the thickness of the fish, so it's wise to use a probe thermometer so the fish does not become overcooked. Once cooked, move the salmon to a plate, and set aside. Step 2. Prepare orange: While the skillet cools slightly (this helps prevent the glaze from burning), zest an orange, and cut half of the orange into half-moons. You'll have half an orange leftover, so go ahead and slip those into a refreshing cocktail like our Bourbon-Tea Refresher to enjoy with this dinner once it's finished. Step 3. Make glaze: Return the nonstick skillet to the stove, and wipe it clean. Add the bourbon, honey, brown sugar, and soy sauce to the pan, along with the orange slices. Bring to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes, or until the glaze begins to thicken. Return the salmon to the skillet, and spoon the glaze over the fish. Step 4. Finish: Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter until it's melted and combines with the rest of the sauce. Be sure to scoop all the sauce over the fish when you serve it, and garnish with chives and flaky sea salt. Variations for Bourbon-Glazed Salmon If you want to change this recipe a bit, we have a few ideas from the Test Kitchen: Sugar swap: Substitute maple syrup for the honey. You'll still get sweetness, but maple syrup will bring a slightly different flavor to the glaze.Herb change: In place of chives, parsley or cilantro will deliver wonderful freshness.Bourbon bump: If you don't have bourbon or whiskey, this recipe will work equally well with cognac. How To Store and Reheat Salmon Leftovers It's not a good idea to make bourbon-glazed salmon ahead of time. Fish tastes best when served soon after cooking. Plus, the glaze will thicken too much during the time in the fridge. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one day. Reheat in a 350°F over until warmed through. What To Serve With Bourbon-Glazed Salmon Because the salmon is fast, the sides should be, too. Here are a few of our favorite easy side dishes: Marinated Tomato-and-Herb Salad Honey-Butter Skillet Corn Microwave Baked Potato Oven-Roasted Asparagus Ingredients 2 Tbsp. olive oil 4 (6-oz.) skinless salmon fillets 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 medium orange 1/2 cup bourbon 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives Flaky sea salt Directions Brown salmon fillets: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Season salmon fillets evenly with pepper and kosher salt, and place in skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides and almost cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of salmon should register 130°F), about 7 minutes total. Remove skillet from heat; transfer salmon to a plate. Let skillet cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Zest and slice orange: While salmon cooks, zest orange to yield 1 teaspoon grated zest; set aside. Cut orange in half; slice 1 portion into half-moons. Reserve remaining orange half for another use. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Make bourbon glaze: After skillet cools slightly, wipe clean and add bourbon, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and orange slices. Bring to a simmer over medium. Cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Return salmon to skillet; spoon bourbon mixture over salmon until fillets are coated and sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; add butter to sauce in skillet. Gently swirl until butter is melted and combines with the sauce. Serve salmon with sauce, and top with chives and reserved orange zest. Garnish with flaky sea salt. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Rate It Print