Orange and Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Salmon is one of our favorite choices when we’re looking for a healthy, no-fuss main course. Its firm, moist texture makes it a perfect candidate for high-heat oven roasting, and topped with this easy glaze made with orange marmalade and bourbon, it makes a deliciously simple and quick weeknight meal.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Salmon fillets: You can make this recipe with any variety of salmon you choose. The fillets pictured here are Atlantic salmon, but sockeye and king are good choices too. Choose skin-on salmon fillets weighing 5 to 6 ounces each for this recipe.
• Orange marmalade: Pick a decent quality orange marmalade for making this glaze, preferably one that uses sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Smucker’s Natural and Crosse and Blackwell are both good brands. If you don’t like orange marmalade, substitute apricot preserves.
• Bourbon: Any brand of bourbon or whiskey will work in this glaze. We use it to add a little subtle, smoky flavor, but for a non-alcoholic version of the recipe, you can replace it with equal parts orange and lemon juice.
• Cayenne: We like to add just a pinch of cayenne to give this glaze a bit of kick and balance the sweetness a little, but it’s totally optional.

How to Make Orange and Bourbon Glazed Salmon

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with nonstick spray.
2. Arrange the salmon fillets, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Combine orange marmalade, bourbon, brown sugar, and cayenne in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the glaze has thickened to the original consistency of the marmalade.
5. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter until melted and let cool.
6. Divide the glaze evenly over each of the salmon fillets and roast until the glaze is lightly caramelized and the fish is cooked to medium doneness (see tips).
7. Remove from the oven and serve.

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Orange and Bourbon Glazed Salmon

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A quick-to-fix glaze made with orange marmalade, bourbon, and a pinch of cayenne is an easy way to elevate the flavor of oven-roasted salmon.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time : 20 mins

Total Time : 25 mins

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Ingredients 

• 4 salmon fillets, skin on, 5 to 6 ounces each
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• Pinch cayenne
• 1/2 tablespoon butter

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with nonstick spray.
• Arrange the salmon fillets, skin side down on the prepared baking sheet, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Combine the orange marmalade, bourbon, brown sugar, and cayenne in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the glaze has thickened to the original consistency of the marmalade, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the butter until melted, and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Divide the glaze evenly over each of the salmon fillets and roast until the glaze is lightly caramelized and the fish is cooked to medium doneness, 6 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.
• Remove from the oven and serve (see notes).

Recipe Notes

• Don’t overcook the salmon: For best results, we recommend cooking the salmon to medium doneness. Roasting is an easy way to achieve this, but you do need to keep an eye on the fish to avoid overcooking so test your salmon with an instant-read thermometer. Wild-caught salmon is done when it reaches 120°F in the thickest portion of the fillet. Farmed salmon needs a little extra time for its added fat content, so let that cook to an internal temp of 125°F.
• Remove the skin before serving: If you don’t want to serve the salmon with the skin on, simply slip a thin spatula between the skin and the flesh of each fillet before transferring to individual serving plates.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Orange and Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Amount per Serving

Calories

321

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

11

g

17

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Cholesterol

 

90

mg

30

%

Sodium

 

92

mg

4

%

Potassium

 

776

mg

22

%

Carbohydrates

 

16

g

5

%

Fiber

 

0.1

g

0

%

Sugar

 

15

g

17

%

Protein

 

31

g

62

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Vitamin A

 

119

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

29

mg

3

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.