Easy bourbon salmon requires a quick marinade for the salmon filets in a soy sauce, bourbon and brown sugar mixture before being roasted to perfection!

(Updated November 2016 with new photos and details.)

I'm a bourbon lover. It's my go-to drink of choice. Often it's an old fashioned cocktail but I also love just a good bourbon and diet Ginger Ale to sip on.

I'm also a huge salmon lover. It's definitely my favorite fish. I buy only the wild caught salmon cause it's got loads more flavor -- and nutrition -- than the farm-raised. We try to eat it weekly.

So you can imagine that if you put some bourbon and salmon together in a recipe, I’m in my happy place. 😉

Granted, this easy bourbon salmon doesn’t actually taste like bourbon, so it’s OK if that’s not your thing. (I used to be scared of bourbon myself. I've since gotten over that.) The bourbon just helps highlight all the delicious sweet and savory flavors in the marinade.

This is an easy weeknight dinner, too. The salmon only needs to marinate for about 30 minutes (a little longer is OK, too) and then it takes just 10-15 minutes in the oven.

Notes on easy bourbon salmon:

• I line my baking sheet with aluminum foil. It makes clean-up super fast!
• Thin filets, like I have here, only take 10 minutes in the oven. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your filets (and your desired degree of doneness).
• You can also cook this bourbon salmon on the grill for about the same amount of time if you prefer.
• I save the marinade to brush on the salmon filets before they bake and halfway through the cooking time. I discard the rest since it's been in contact with raw salmon.
• If you do want an extra splash of sauce, you can drizzle some soy sauce over these when serving. I do that because I LOVE soy sauce.
• I also like to sprinkle the salmon with a squeeze of lime juice, some green onions and sesame seeds when serving. 👌
• To round out the meal, I like serving this with my perfect brown rice and some steamed broccoli.

Oh, and you can substitute tamari for the soy sauce if you need this to be gluten free. 👍

I hope you give this easy bourbon salmon a try next time you need a quick weeknight fish dinner. 

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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Yield: 4 servings

Easy bourbon salmon

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Easy bourbon salmon uses a quick and flavorful marinade and then is roasted in the oven for a delicious weeknight fish dinner!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (or substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Optional garnishes: Lime wedges, sesame seeds, chopped green onions

Instructions

1. Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a small jar until the sugar is dissolved and the honey is incorporated.
2. Add to a large ziplock bag. Add salmon fillets and let them marinate for at least 20-30 minutes, turning once.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
4. Remove the salmon from the bag and place on the prepared baking sheet. Pour a little of the remaining marinade into a small bowl.
5. Brush the salmon with some of the marinade and put into the oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes and then brush with the marinade again. (Discard the rest of the marinade.)
6. Bake for another 5-7 minutes or until done; it will spend on the thickness of your fillets.
7. Serve salmon sprinkled with a squeeze of lime juice, green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

Thin filets, like I have here, only take about 10 minutes in the oven. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your filets (and your desired degree of doneness). Check to make sure the salmon is cooked through.

You can also cook this bourbon salmon on the grill for about the same amount of time if you prefer.

You can substitute tamari for the soy sauce if needed to make this gluten-free.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 397mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g