Brown sugar bourbon salmon recipe

This bourbon salmon recipe with brown sugar, garlic and a squeeze of lime is restaurant quality food at home. The bourbon marinade becomes a sweet and salty glaze for the salmon and is packed with flavor. This recipe is quick, easy, and so delicious.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my honey chipotle salmon and my grilled teriyaki salmon recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my seafood recipes in one place.

Pook’s Pantry participates in affiliate programs. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Brown sugar bourbon salmon

Bourbon salmon is on the menu of a few chain restaurants. If you would like to recreate this recipe at home, this is a pretty good start, as well as a less expensive option. This tasty version of a restaurant favorite is a snap to make. A quick marinade, a flash in the pan and 10 minutes in the oven. That’s it. It is really that easy. 

What you need to know

This bourbon salmon recipe is incredibly fast and it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. I always make extra portions to have for lunch the next day. A salmon salad is the perfect use for cold salmon.

The marinade can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to cook. You can also portion out the salmon and wrap it tightly on a sheet pan the day before, unless you buy it pre-portioned. The recipe times are for a 6 ounce portion of fish. If your portions are slightly smaller, or larger, you may have to adjust the timing.

If you prefer not to cook the marinade down to use as a glaze, simply make a double batch of it, then split it in half. Discard the used marinade, then proceed with the recipe using the other half that you have reserved.

Fresh vs frozen salmon

This is probably one of the questions I am asked most often. Which is better? It depends on personal preference, budget, storage space, etc. Choose whichever option is best for you.

If you buy frozen fish, you’ll need to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once it’s thawed, place it on a plate between a few layers of paper towel to remove some of the water from the fish. Lightly press the fish and let the paper towel soak up the liquid. 

Almost all frozen fish tends to get a bit waterlogged, so you’ll need to remove some of the water before marinating or cooking. It only takes a few minutes and it’s an important step, so please don’t skip it. Once your salmon is pressed, it’s ready for the brown sugar bourbon marinade. If you’re using fresh fish, you can put the fish straight into the marinade.

Bourbon salmon recipe ingredients

This brown sugar bourbon glazed salmon uses easy to find ingredients that are likely already in your kitchen.

• Salmon – You’ll need 6 ounce portions. I buy a side of salmon and weigh the portions out on my food scale. If you have a good fishmonger near you, they’ll do it for you.
• Brown sugar – This provides sweetness and also helps the marinade to adhere to the fish, as it’ll get a little sticky when reduced.
• Bourbon – All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.
  • Substitution: If you only have whiskey, use it. It’ll be fine.
• Soy sauce – This gives the marinade an umami, salty flavor.
• Lime – Fresh citrus brightens the flavor of the bourbon marinade.
• Butter & olive oil – The olive oil will go in the marinade and we’ll sauté the salmon in a small amount of butter.
• Garlic and ginger – Aromatics that add a ton of flavor.

Bourbon salmon marinade

The recipe for bourbon glaze for salmon is simple. Stir together the brown sugar, bourbon, soy sauce, lime juice, olive oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. The salmon will marinate for an hour, then the marinade is cooked down into a thick glaze to coat the fish.

How to make

Here’s a quick summary of how to make bourbon brown sugar salmon. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe. 

1. Prep – Portion salmon into 6 ounce pieces. Whisk ingredients for marinade together, place salmon in marinade, cover and refrigerate for an hour.
2. Pat dry – Remove the salmon from the marinade and pat dry.
3. Cook salmon – Sear salmon in a hot pan, then transfer to the oven to finish cooking.
4. Glaze – Transfer marinade to a small pot and cook over medium high heat until reduced and thickened. Brush glaze over salmon before serving.

Bourbon salmon recipe FAQ’s

Variations and substitutions

• Spicy – Add a squeeze of hot sauce to the marinade give it a spicy kick.
• Honey – Swap out the brown sugar for honey to make honey bourbon salmon.
• Maple – Use maple syrup in place of brown sugar to make bourbon maple salmon.

Serving suggestions

Serve this salmon with a side of rice and sautéed broccolini. Or for a heartier side, try my mashed Hubbard squash or melting potatoes with garlic.

Helpful tools and equipment

• Heavy duty sheet pans that hold up to high temps without warping. Buy them once and take care of them, they’ll last forever. Watch this video to show you how!
• Parchment paper sheets are MUCH easier to use than tearing pieces off of a roll.
• Cast iron skillet
• Non-stick skillet

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

I hope you love this brown sugar bourbon salmon recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

​Buy me a coffee? If you ever wondered how you can lend a hand, show a little support or just say “thanks” for the recipes? You can “buy me a coffee” to help me keep the free recipes coming.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe (other than for personal use) without prior written permission. Thank you!

Originally published 10/28/18, most recent update 7/31/24.