Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Name: Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup honey; ⅓ cup bourbon whisky; 2 tablespoon brown sugar; 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard; 1 tablespoon finely minced or grated fresh ginger; 1 medium clove garlic (finely minced); ¼-½ teaspoons red pepper flakes (crushed red pepper*); 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; For the salmon:; 4-6 ounce salmon filets; kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper; fresh lime juice

By Chris Scheuer | Updated on May 19, 2024

5 from 15 votes

This salmon is deliciously company worthy, yet everyday easy! The sweet, sticky, spicy, gingery glaze/drizzling sauce is unbelievable!

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This Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon is deliciously company-worthy, yet everyday easy! The sweet, sticky, spicy, gingery glaze/drizzling sauce is unbelievable!

A while back, we sent out a Café Survey requesting input from our readers (you!). We were overwhelmed with so many kind and encouraging responses, but also really appreciated the constructive criticism. Some things you suggested we began to implement immediately and others we're working on over time. This delicious Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon is a direct result of your input!

Overhead view of Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon in a white dish on a bed of rice with a side of asparagus and garnished with lime wedges

One of the more popular requests was for more "dinner-party-quality, everyday-easy recipes". It's funny because as much as I love to cook, I'm right there with you on this one. Who doesn't love a dinner that looks gorgeous, tastes crazy-delicious and doesn't take hours to prepare? I'm not into that kind of entertaining anymore, the kind that would take me hours on end to prep for. I just don't have the time these days, and I'm quite certain (from the survey) that most of you don't either.

Closeup view of Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon on a bed of seasoned white rice, a side of asparagus and garnished with lime wedges

So with that introduction, let me tell you about this Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon. I've served it quite frequently lately. It checks both the boxes - definitely delicious, dinner party quality and minimal preparation time. The only real prep is preparing the sweet, sticky, spicy, gingery glaze/drizzling sauce and that's easy-peasy. Simply combine all the ingredients; honey, bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, whole grain mustard, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a medium size pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes, till fragrant and syrupy. That's it!

A half hour before dinner, make some rice (it's wonderful over quinoa too!) and prep the asparagus. Haricots verts (those long, skinny French green beans) would be another fabulous side for this entrée. About 10 minutes before dinner, preheat the oven, brush the salmon with half of the sweet, spicy sauce and broil until deeply colored and nicely caramelized on both sides. Drizzle a little of the remaining sauce over the salmon when serving.

closeup of a piece of Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon with a side of asparagus in front

Besides a dinner entrée, I've also served this Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon in a salad with an Asian dressing and lots of beautiful greens. You could add julienne carrots, cucumber slices, snow peas, sesame seeds, cashews, peanuts - really whatever you're in the mood for! For the salad, sometimes I leave the salmon whole and other times, I'll break it into chunks after broiling. However I've served it, it's always been very well received.

Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon in white bowls on a bed of seasoned white rice and a side of asparagus. A dish of drizzling sauce and spoon is between the dishes

So invite some friends and have a casual - or fancy dinner party. This Asian-inspired salmon will be perfect for either. Put it on your weekly rotation too, it's easy and quick enough to serve on a busy workday and, at the same time, it's healthy and super delicious to boot. Sounds like a win, win, win, win!

Café Tips for making this Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon...

The sauce can be made several hours in advance. When finished cooking, transfer it to a covered jar or container and store at room temperature until ready to use. Just divide in two and use one half for the glaze and the rest for the drizzling sauce.
If you make the sauce ahead and it gets too thick or is boiled too long and gets thick, no problem, just add a teaspoon or two of water and gently reheat. Add more water as needed to achieve syrupy consistency.
Start out with ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes in the sauce. You can always add more later after tasting.
Follow the directions regarding using two pans to prevent excess sauce from burning under the broiler. Believe me, I know this from experience. A dinner party or even a family meal is not fun with a smoke aroma and the smoke detector chiming loudly. Our smoke detector actually has a women's voice that says "EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY! Smoke detected on the lower level!" Then the "bells" start ringing... yikes! And that's not even the worst part! Even if Scott isn't at home, he gets a warning on his iPhone and iPad. All this to say, trust me - use the two pans!
I like to serve this salmon with rice and a green veggie like asparagus or Haricot vests (French green beans). I use a garnish of white and black sesame seeds and some finely sliced chives. You could also use cilantro.

What I used to prepare and present this Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon

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