A tender salmon with a spicy-sweet glaze, this Spicy Bourbon Glazed Salmon comes together in only 4 steps, is warmly spiced, and entirely tender.

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Dinner doesn't have to be complicated in order to be delicious. With just brown sugar, a few pantry staple spices, lemon, bourbon, and salmon, this Spicy Bourbon Glazed Baked Salmon is ready in under 20 minutes. Make this dish for dinner tonight!

My friends, Andi & Zach, at A to Z Running recently asked me to share one of my favorite running foods for their upcoming blog post about the best foods for running. I'm not going to give away which I shared (keep an eye out for their post!) but I do need to say that salmon was my follow-up favorite running food pick.

Salmon is pretty close to the perfect food, as far as I'm concerned. It has...

• Lean protein to rebuild those muscles after a hard workout or run
• Potassium to protect against muscle cramping
• Vitamin D to keep our bones strong
• Omega 3 fatty acids to nourish our brains and protect our hearts

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And probably a host of other benefits and nutrients that I haven't even scratched the surface on yet.

But either way, I love it. The only main nutritional component it's missing -- at least from an endurance athlete's perspective -- is carbohydrate.

But that doesn't bother me much since salmon pairs so perfectly with so many healthy, whole and slow-digesting carbohydrates.

Sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, whole-wheat couscous, lentils, and the list goes on.

So, bake your sweet potato or steam your grains and dive into your own plate of salmon tonight. This spicy baked salmon dish is ready in just 4 steps and less than 20 minutes and will nourish you from the inside-out.

This Spicy Bourbon Salmon is...

• Tender
• Juicy
• Spicy
• Sweet
• Flakey
• Filling
• Gluten-free
• Full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids
• Perfect with a sweet potato or almost any other whole grain

If you're looking for a new addition to your dinner menu, look no further. This healthy baked salmon dish is perfect for seafood lovers and the seafood ambivalent alike. It's that good.

What seasoning goes well with salmon?

So many seasonings go well with salmon, so it really depends on what direction you want to take your talk dish.

If you want to do an Asian-inspired interpretation of your dish, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, and some rice wine go nicely on salmon.

If you want a more classic salmon dish, you can season your salmon with salt, dill, and lemon to make an easy and tasty dinner.

And, if you want to make something a little more spicy and sweet, brown sugar, chili powder, and a few other smokey and spicy seasonings go so well on salmon. Just like in this bourbon glazed baked salmon recipe.

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What goes well with salmon?

So many side dishes go well with salmon. I love sweet potatoes, lentil, couscous, quinoa, sauteed spinach, green beans, and kale salad to name a few!

How do you know when salmon is done?

You know that the salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork. If the salmon flakes easily but still has a flush of a deeper pink color, remove the salmon from the oven and cover it with foil for 1-2 minutes and the salmon will cook up with the residual heat as it rests.

Can you eat salmon skin?

Yes, if you like salmon skin you can eat it! In fact, it's common to have salmon skin in sushi rolls.

Bonus tip: my dog loves salmon skin! So, if you don't like the skin, feel free to share with your four-legged friend!

What tools do you need to make this baked salmon?

• Cookie baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Cooling rack

Other delicious and healthy main dish dinner recipes you might like:

• Spicy Baked Salmon with Mango Salsa
• Turkey Sloppy Joes
• Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
• Instant Pot Turkey Chili
• Pressure Cooker Pineapple Chicken and Rice
• Orange Salmon Protein Bowl
• Easy Baked Salmon with Sriracha Lime Sauce
• Sweet Chili Lime Grilled Chicken
• Honey BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
• Slow-Cooker Turkey Carnitas

If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5-stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps me out, too!

Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!

Yield: 4 fillets

Spicy Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

An all-star fish shines when covered with a thick, sweet, and spicy glaze in this Spicy Bourbon Glazed Salmon.

Pre-heat your oven while you mix up the glaze. The salmon will only bake for 12-13 minutes so dinner will be ready in a snap!

Cooking notes:

Use your favorite bourbon in this dish. I prefer Maker's Mark or Bulleit.

Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to your taste. 1/8 teaspoon makes the salmon a bit spicy but didn't make us reach for water or milk. 1/4 teaspoon will heat it up a bit more and may make some people need to cool off their palette.

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, depending on your preference 
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1 1/4 pound salmon, cut into four 5-6 oz. fillets

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a 14"x10" (or similar sized) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, salt, cornstarch, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika until the spices are mixed into the brown sugar and no lumps of brown sugar remain. Pour the bourbon and lemon juice into the brown sugar mixture and whisk together for another 20-30 seconds, or until the brown sugar starts to dissolve in the liquids.
3. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the brown sugar glaze over each salmon fillet, pouring any extra glaze evenly over the fillets.
4. Bake the salmon for 11-13 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and enjoy the salmon hot!

Notes

If you don't have parchment paper, you can also use aluminum foil and spray it with non-stick spray. The glaze will be harder to scoop up off the foil, however, so I do recommend parchment paper if you have it.

Salmon leftovers will stay covered in the fridge for 1-2 days, but is best fresh.

If you are reheating the salmon as leftovers, reheat over medium heat at 30-45 second intervals until the salmon is warmed through.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 395Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 95mgSodium 375mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 11gProtein 33g

This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.