Name: Salmon with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glaze
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter; ½ cup dark brown sugar; 4 (6 ounce) salmon steaks; ⅓ cup bourbon whiskey

This is a simple and delicious way to serve salmon. It is very pretty and good served with brown rice and fresh asparagus.

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glaze

butter

brown sugar

(6 ounce) salmon steaks

bourbon whiskey

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Place salmon fillets on top of brown sugar mixture. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Turn salmon, and pour bourbon around the fillets. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Spoon glaze over the salmon, and serve.


This is a recipe I also use and get rave reviews over.  However....I adapted it 3 yrs ago from TX Land and Cattle restaurant's version, only they use brown sugar and Shiner Bock dark beer!  With this bourbon version, I lay my fillets out and gently press the brown sugar into the fillets, then sprinkle them with the bourbon - I let them "rest" for about 30 minutes before quickly browning the sugar glazed filets over med-high heat in a non-stick saucepan, about 2 min each side. I wrap up the cooking process by popping them in the microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. These filets make a terrific presentation in a romaine-based salad with a topping of honey and brown sugar glazed coarsely chopped pecans (Johnny Carino's restaurants serve it like this) Enjoy! Impressive and will work well over the holidays.

Absolutely wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect. I'm not sure why the previous reviewers experienced burned food, I had no problems. Just in case though, be sure not to use too much heat. Good luck!

The only change I made to the recipe was to soak my salmon in milk first to help counteract that fishy flavor. I was hoping that the bourbon would make "saucier" caramel but it all evaporated off &amp; the caramel was indeed, caramel. I made extra to use as a topping &amp; as soon as it hit the plate it solidified into a pretty tasty, chewy morsel of caramel. But who wants to peel caramel off their plate? LOL The flavor was great paired w/ the salmon though so next time, I'll add the bourbon later so that it doesn't all cook off. I paired this w/ brown rice cooked in wine &amp; chicken broth &amp; a salad w/ rice pudding for dessert. Thansk for a nice recipe Debbie F...we enjoyed it.

Delicious! I took the advice of another user and added 1/4 cup soy sauce and a crushed garlic clove, added with the bourbon.  I let the sauce simmer to a glaze after I removed the fish.  The glaze is very flavorful/sweet, so if you are afraid of overpowering your salmon, I'd skip this recipe or leave the extra glaze off.  I, however, enjoy the strong, sweet flavor and used a generous amount over my fish and brown rice :).

Great recipe!  I experimented by substituting soy sauce for the bourbon and I loved it.  A keeper!

WOW!!!!  Only the words of my fiance could do this recipe justice.  "This is like gor-met or something!"  Very simple to make.  I served it with white rice, corn on the cob, and cherry tomatoes in dressing.  It was a very appealing presentation.  5 STARS!!!!!

I used Schwans frozen salmon pieces, which when cooked produced a little more liquid than the original recipe called for.  To compensate, I left the salmon in the pan, turned the heat off, and continued cooking my vegetables.  This worked out great!!!!  The sauce formed a thin crust on the salmon.  The flavor was wonderful and the leftover salmon was great in a caeser salad the next day!

Absolutely delicious!  My husband raved about it!  Definitely fit for guests and it tastes like you spent hours on it, but it only takes minutes.
I will be making this on a regular basis.  This is the best salmon recipe I've ever tried.

I thought this was very good, but it was VERY sweet - I love sweet sauces with meat, but it was a bit too sweet for my husband and daughter.  If you like the bourbon taste, also try the orange and bourbon grilled salmon recipe - it is awesome!

This was ok but I won't make it again.  Be careful with the temp.--the sugar burned.

this was a great recipe...i def. took all the suggestions....i 1st soaked the fillet salmon in milk for about 10-15mins...then i laid the fillet in a baking pan added the dark brown sugar and the bourbon to the fillet. Then 1 min later i added some slices of pineapple with a pinch of pineapple juice to the fillet, bourbon, and dark brown sugar. I let it all soak for 30 mins. Then after the 30 mins was up, i pretty much followed the direction as stated....Melted the butter in a skillet( REDUCE THE HEAT). I then added additional dark brown sugar( about 1/4 cup) to the melted butter, then i added the fillet...cooked it for about 5mins, turned the salmon over and poured the previous bourbon that was in the baking pan over the filler, then continued cooking the salmon for another 5 mins. After cooking the salmon in the skillet i then removed the salmon from the skillet and placed them in a flat plate and microwaved them for 2 mins to allow for a better thickness....After microwaving i used the glaze from the skillet and poured it over the salmon( I must add that if you are not in a rush wait for the galze to cool down to allow for a thicker glaze).....I was in a rush and i just poured it over and it was still great...I just made this today for a potluck i went to and did not even taste it...Everyone who attended the potluck LOVED IT....They were mad when it ran out....Will def. make again....As far as the sides goes...I made wild rice to compliment this....

I found this recipe at this site, and have been using it over and over, learning from it how to love salmon, since I was told to eat it for my high cholesterol.

BUT: A WARNING to the wise!
I thought it would be healthier to bake it. On opening the oven, fumes &amp; flames shot out &amp; burned me, sending me to the ER with second degree burns!

This site should always include precautions about cooking with alcohol!





Very fast, very easy, and very tasty, this is a fantastic recipe.
I actually had no bourbon on hand, but the Canadian whisky which I did have worked perfectly.

I have used this recipe several times with fresh salmon.  Everyone compares it to a gourmet meal prepared in an expensive restaurant.  I make no changes to the receipe as written, however, the fresh alaskan salmon I have been using is not real thick so I have to cook on low to barly medium heat.  Just adjust temperature according to salmon tickness.

Excellent! I had some slivered almonds on hand, so I threw a few on top of the salmon. I served with parsley-ed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans and we had a fantastic meal for about $3.50 a plate (and I'm including the price of the whiskey). Warning - if you have sauce left over in the pan, immediately fill the pan with water. Do not sample the leftover sauce! My husband had to forcibly take the pan away from me.

YUMMY - the only thing I did that might be different, is I used the Spenda brown sugar.

Very good recipe.  My BF cooked this and I was quite impressed not only with the taste, but b/c it only probably took him less than 30 min to prepare and cook.  It has a very sweet taste, but definitely not overpowering, it blends well.  I'd strongly recommend this recipe to anyone who has gotten bored with the typical salmon and lemon or salmon and dijon taste.  A different way to serve this fish and very presentable with a garnish of persley or any other fresh green leaf.

Delicious!!! Have used this recipe for a long time, once a week!  we love it!

I made this last night for my boyfriend (my first homecooked meal for him!) and we both loved it. I used Jack Daniels whiskey &amp; light brown sugar because that's what I had on hand. I usually end up over-cooking my salmon, but this one came out perfect. We live in Alaska, so we take our salmon seriously and this is definetly a new favorite!

Best Salmon recipe for glaze lovers. Couldn't believe how fast and easy this was. Taste was spectacular and fish was perfectly done. Must be careful to put on MEDIUM heat. I burned the sugar the first time and had to start again.

I am very fond of salmon, I have almost exhausted all salmon recipes so coming across this was marvellous. Not only was it enjoyable, it was sooooo easy to prepare. I also added some pepper flakes and substituted the whiskey for good ole Barbadian Rum (the finest). If u are contemplating this recipe, contemplate no more, it's what's cooking!!!!!! Five Stars for sure!

I served this for my husband the first night he got home from a one year tour in South Korea.  It felt like we were at a resteraunt. I served it with wild rice, brown sugar glazed baby carrots and a nice bottle of Chardonnay.  This will be a regular for us now!!!!

My husband loves this recipe.  I've also made it with soy sauce instead of bourbon when I didn't have any on hand.  It worked well and wasn't quite as sweet, so some of my family preferred the soy sauce version.

This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!!  It was so quick and easy.  I used to go to a restaurant just to order their Jack Daniels Salmon. Never again....I can make it myself, and it taste better!  Thanks!

THIS IS GREAT !!!! I also have fixed it using soy sauce instead of the bourbon. Either way is delicious. HW

This was very good. I made it for Christmas Eve dinner for my husband and me and we both enjoyed it. I do think the glaze was too thick though... it was actually  more like caramel with a boubon kick than a glaze/sauce. It was very tasty though and I will serve it again!

This was a huge hit. 

Instead of cooking it completely in the skillet I cooked on the skillet for 1 1/2 minute per side and then grilled the salmon, basting each piece when I turned them, to keep the flavor in tact. 

It was such a huge hit, I will definitely make it again.

MMMMMM,mmmmmmmm.  My husband doesn't like salmon, but I thought I could mask the flavor with this sauce.  I loved it - he loved the sauce.  Next time, I'll try it with tuna or mahi,mahi.  Super quick and easy.

This came out great.  It has inspired me to try various other simple butter/alcohol/sweetener sauces on fish, and many of them are very good.  I suggest experimenting with various combinations.  One that has come out well for me after a little tuning is using honey and amaretto with some mustard also.

I had a couple small salmon fillets in the freezer so I decided to cook them up. I am glad I found this recipe! I will definitely make this again!! Thank you for sharing this with us! 

Pretty good recipe for when you can't grill it.  I slightly modified it by using fillets and Southern Comfort.  A non-stick skillet is a must!

This is by far the best recipe I have ever tried on this site - and I have tried a lot. This is the only one I have made no changes on. I would have given it 10 stars if I could have. Delicious!

This is a great recipe!  I loved the glaze.  I agree that it would be great over a rice pilaf.  I can also see making sweet potatoes as a side dish.  Yum!  I made this with a garlic butter asparagus and the flavors were too different.  It was sweet and I will cut down on the sugar a bit next time but it wasn't bad, I don't like food to be overly "sweet" so I am very aware of the sweetness.  My husband loved it and I think with the right side dish it would be really good.  I never knew bourbon would make such an awesome glaze?  I used really cheap bourbon I keep on hand for brining turkey and it was still great.  Thanks for this recipe.

Excellent. Spent a total of $3.50 for each and it tasted like a $15 meal and quick too.  Thank You.  Will make again soon.

These were delicious and *very* easy to make.  My husband gave it 2 thumbs up.  I cooked these in a non-stick skillet which I hardly ever use, but I think this is necessary for this dish.  The tops of the fish come out picture perfect and there was plenty of sauce for 4 salmon steaks.  I served these with green beans and couscous.  

My only issue was with the texture of the fish, but I used frozen fish and I really don’t know how long they have been in the freezer.  Also, 10 minutes total may have been too long, or perhaps my heat was too high.  I will make these again and try to remedy these issues.

I made this for dinner last night and we loved it.  My husband said it should become a regular in our house.  I cooked it over medium in a non-stick pan and had no trouble with the sugar burning as long as I stirred it frequently.

very tasty sweat &amp; soure. inhanses the flaver of the fish. removes any fishy flaver from serving.

Fabulous recipe. Love this sauce. Maybe I didn't let mine cook long enough- the sauce didn't seem thick enough, but it was amazing any way.  Great flavor!

My GF LOVES this dish!  Thanks for making me the hit of the night when I fixed her this!

The best salmon I've ever made/had.  I will never cook salmon any other way.  I cook salmon on cedar planks...highly recommend with this recipe!

My husband loved this--he raved about it and can't wait for me to make it again!

Served this w/ the Strawberry and Spinach Salad and the Easy Mushroom Rice also from allrecipes for a dinner party.  Wow!!  This is amazing salmon.

We just love salmon and ususally grill it outdoors but it was dark and freezing so I needed a good indoor recipe!   This was VERY tasty, however it got almost burned since I had to cook it longer than 10 minutes.  The sauce was extremely yummy......  Yes, we'll do this one again sometime soon....

Very nice, very good.  Will make again and again.

Solid recipe, I added some soy sauce and garlic to the bourbon and used a little less butter than recommended. Turned out well.

This was very easy to make, and a big hit with some people who don't normally like salmon.  The flavor of the bourbon and brown sugar covers the salmon taste, without destroying the salmon's delicate texture.  The sauce is good enough that I want to try it with other pan-seared meats as well.

Very easy.  Next time I would add LESS sugar.  Excellent flavor and very tasty.

I really liked this salmon, but my husband loved it. He wanted more sauce. Don't cut back on the bourbon, though, or the sugar in the sauce may  make it harden up or even crystallize.

I thought this was awesome! Just like the Jack Daniel's salmon at TGI Friday's. Yummy!

Truely wonderful, easy, delicious salmon recipe.  I made it exactly as stated. Just added chopped  pecans to the sauce after cooking the fish as a topping.  Placed on a bed of cooked brussel sprout salad (check out the photo). Makes a nice contrast to the sweetness of the fish and sauce.  This is good enough for my next dinner party!

My husband made this for Valentine's Day for us, and is making it again tonight for my birthday. This has become one of my favorite meals! He cooked the salmon exactly as described in the recipe, and everything came out really well. He used Jim Beam Red Stag bourbon (which has a cherry flavor), and the flavor was great!

This is so wonderful!  Anytime you can incorporate bourbon into your cooking, it's worth the effort!

I agree with the reviews that said it was too sweet. I even added some chili powder and cayenne to the fish as a rub, but it wasn't enough to balance the sweetness. This dish may be lacking in acid; I won't try this specific recipe again.  Sorry Debbie, it was just too sweet.

I'm giving this a 5, even though it was a bit too sweet.  We LOVED the ingredients, and I think the next time I'll cut back a little on the brown sugar and add a little garlic.  We loved the flavor of Jack Daniel's!  Served over sticky rice?  Ohh, YUM!

This recipe is very good!  I made it two nights in a row - the first night for a dinner party and the next night for the remaining salmon fillet (uncooked) we had left over.  Doing so presented an interesting experience:  the first night, with 5 smaller fillets in the pan, the sauce was perfect.  Tonight, with one fillet, but the same quantity of ingredients so we'd have extra sauce, it caramelized.  Either way, it was still good, but I guess the recipe cooks better with more fillets to absorb the sauce.

I made this with the recipe on this site titled, Green Beans with Almonds, and put the salmon on a bed of long-grain brown rice.  The combination was awesome!  "Gourmet like a restaurant" was the compliment it got.  Given that I am still rather new to cooking, this was high praise to receive!

I used this recipe for the 1st time I ever cooked fish &amp;  I'm so happy I did! This recipe is easy peasy &amp; DELICIOUS! Made dinner with sauteed green beans &amp; roasted potatoes for the boyfriend &amp; he gobbled it up, requesting seconds. The only thing I changed is I subbed bourbon for soy sauce bc I didn't have any bourbon around. Sad. Also, be careful! The sauce thicken's really quickly.

YUM!!!  After making this the first time, I will never make salmon any other way.

This is the best salmon recipe, if you like a sweet salmon.  My family loves it and it is very fast.  If I ever have any left over, I make a salmon pasta dish with it.

Good recipe. Addition of red pepper flakes adds nice zest.

Made this on a Saturday night in for someting special, it was awesome.  We served it with wilted greens and wild rice and it was excellent.  I do not like sweet food, and I had no problem with this, we can't wait to make it again.



I had a hard time believing this could be as good as everyone says because it's so simple and there's no marinating.  The salmon picks up the flavors very well and the flavor combination is great.  It wasn't too sweet for me, but I can how it would be for some.  My only change was seasoning pieces with salt and pepper (habit).

Just one word, WOW!!! This is the best salmon recipe I have ever made!!! Yum!!

This recipe was terrible. The glaze overpowered the salmon, the sugar burned, and it just tasted way too sweet.

We doubled the sauce and cooked the salmon on the grill in a foil boat.  It turned out great!

Love this recipe!  I make this more than anything else now-a-days!  It's simple, you don't really taste whiskey, and unbeknownst to me...pan fried salmon is very good!

After reading previous reviews, I sprinkled each filet with salt, used a combo of half butter and olive oil, and cooked the fish over lower heat than stated.  Turned out great!!  Will certainly be making this again!    

This would have been great if I didn't follow the reviews that said adding soy sauce was a good idea- it isn't. Thankfully, the way I did the salmon was cooked partially in the brown sugar-butter mixture flesh side down then finished in a 350F oven for 15-20 mins and then did the sauce, adding maple whiskey and soy. Served the sauce on the side, and no one liked it. The salmon with brown sugar glaze is tasty, not too sweet at all. Of course, this is meant to be eaten right after making, other wise it turns to caramel. I will re-make a small portion of sauce without soy for the leftovers.

We did not like this recipe.  I ended up with a thick sweet burnt sugar coating that spoiled some expensive wild sockeye salmon.  I realize I am in the minority, so maybe it was the cook, but I won't make again.

This was pretty tasty and I liked it more than I thought I would. My husband loves sweet sauces on salmon, but I usually like more garlicky/dill flavors. This was sweet but it was tasty. I followed the ingredient list and portions exactly but I cooked it longer.  I liked it best when I sprinkled green onions on top. Thanks for sharing your recipe :)

Very Good...But better if you omit butter, let salmon set for 1 or 2 hours in the brown sugar and bourbon. Then put on grill!

This was like eatting salmon dipped in carmel 

This is excellent, but it's so rich I had heartburn for hours afterwards.  It was worth it! I used Jack Daniels and I served it with baked potatoes and peas.  I think flavored rice and fresh asparagus would be much better, but the salmon is to die for! I will definately make it again. Thank you Debbie!

This recipe is fabulous.  My husband and I really enjoy salmon, but I have been making the same old lemon-garlic-dill salmon forever!  This was a great change, and I look forward to making it for guests.  Thanks for sharing...awesome!

This is a great recipe, quick and easy for entertaining.  However, I did add a few extras! 1 large crushed garlic clove and about a 1/4 cup soy sauce, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  Wonderful!

I love this recipe.  Usually I am not a fan of the bourbon glazed stuff, but this was delicious.  I made this because hubby likes it and was just expecting ok for myself...I was surprised.  Delicious.  Thanks for the post.

Usually when I make salmon only the outside has any flavor.  This was delicious all the way through, quick, easy and my husband ate seconds (and this NEVER happens with fish).  Also, I substituted half Smart Balance and half Smart Balance Light for the butter (why eat salmon if you're going to add all that saturated fat?) and it glazed up nicely even with that change.

I followed this recipe exactly, and was very disappointed.  It was so sweet that we couldn't even finish it.  I thought the bourbon would counteract the sweetness of brown sugar, but I will not be making this again.

Very good! it was a nice change  from lemon dill salmon. Thanks

FANTASTIC!  Made this with filets, rather than steaks.  The trick is the low heat.  Excellent flavor and a great sauce to drizzle with.  Simple ingredients and a quick prep time.  Highly recommended.

I was a hero with this recipe.  Very easy and tasty.  My kids loved it.  Next time I would lighten up on the bourbon a bit...a little of that flavor goes a long way.  Also, I used filets instead of a steak cut.... It took about a minute(of cook time) off of each side.   Served with rice, salad and fresh fruit...what a hit this made!!! 

It's quick and it's delicious. Everyone loved it.

My family loved this dish.  My husband is not a fish lover, but he really like this salmon.  I used fillets instead of steaks, and it worked very well.

after reading the other reviews, i was a little nervous preparing this dish.  i'm glad i didn't let it scare me.  this dish was great.  what a wonderful variety for salmon.  my girlfriend loved it.  such a good meal.  i added a little extra bourbon for flavor.

Was disappointed in the heavy bourbon taste.  I followed recipe, didn't change anything.  Used dark brown sugar as recipe stated and I kept the heat on the lower side which didn't burn the sugar.  Salmon was done perfectly.  Husband said  "too heavy bourbon taste".  I agreed.
2nd review: Made again without the bourbon, drizzled a little low sodium soy sauce around salmon instead.  Very good.  Not super sweet with dark brown sugar.  Would rate 4 stars now.

This was a good recipe. I unfortunately had no bourbon (not much of a drinker) and no money to get it (under-employed, under-paid). But, I did see that one cook used soy sauce instead, so I thought I'd try it out! I think I would have used less soy sauce and more brown sugar, but it was a quick and easy glaze to make my salmon more palatable (not much of a salmon-eater, but I'm trying to eat healthier!). Thanks!

This has a great flavor to it, my husband loved it. I was out of bourbon and used spiced rum instead and it still came out fine.

My husband loved this salmon recipe!  It was great but I added more brown sugar to the recipe.  Just a warning - the carmelized sugar is a pain to clean!!!

This is the best salmon recipe.  It is rich.  We serve it on special occasions.

This recipe was delicious, and best of all, very quick and easy.

This was very good. I used salmon fillets instead of steaks. I'm not really a salmon lover but I'm trying to incorporate more fish into my diet and this made it more enjoyable.

The ingredients to this sounded so wonderful, but I wish I had read more reviews first.  It turns out lots of reviewers had trouble with burning the sauce, but no one had posted that recently.  So I only read the first page of reviews and burned the sauce.  Once it is even the smallest amount burned, it will continue to blacken until it's tar by the end of the cooking time.  I'm giving this recipe 3 stars because I imagine it's mostly my fault that it didn't turn out well.  I will make it another time and see if I can keep the heat low enough to not burn it. If I can, I will add stars to my rating.  If I can't, I'll take some away because maybe it's the recipe and not just me.

Very pretty, but WAY TOO SWEET - &amp; I used 1/3c brown sugar.  I love what most people call "too rich" or "too sweet," but this baby is too sweet for even me.  I'll try substituting some soy sauce for the bourbon &amp; reducing the brown sugar.

My family and I really enjoyed this! My little cousins who "don't like salmon" ate every bit! It made an amazing Christmas Eve meal!

Such superb results for such an easy recipe!  Hubby forgot to pick up bourbon so I used Bushmills Irish Whiskey instead.  Made this as a main course for a dinner party and everyone raved!  Delicious and will definitely make again...

This was excellent!  I used blackened salmon that I got from Sam's Club, and reduced the serving size to 2.  I used Splenda Brown Sugar and reduced that to 2 tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup.  It turned out delicious.  Will definitely make this one again.

Really good!  It is pretty sweet but very tasty.  Now I don't have to order this at our favorite restaurant, I can make it whenever I want &amp; save money!  Thanks for sharing.

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glaze

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Author : DEBOKC

Ingredients

Instructions

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