Here’s a quick and easy balsamic glazed salmon recipe for salmon lovers. With a sweet and tangy balsamic sauce and ready in under 30 minutes!
Today we’re making some balsamic glazed salmon with flaky, baked salmon marinated, basted then drizzled in a deliciously sweet, tart and tangy glaze. The balsamic glaze is made from balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic, red pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce for a restaurant-worthy meal that’s easy to make at home.
Pair it with a side of greens like asparagus, green beans, or broccoli for a well-balanced, elegant meal. For more salmon recipes, try honey garlic salmon, creamy garlic butter salmon, lemon and parmesan-crusted salmon, or honey mustard salmon. For more balsamic recipes, try this delicious slow cooker balsamic roast. In the meantime, let’s start making some balsamic glazed salmon.
How To Make Balsamic Glazed Salmon (1 Min Video)
What You Need For Balsamic Glazed Salmon
BALSAMIC GLAZED SALMON RECIPE TIPS
Salmon – The salmon is done cooking when it is no longer translucent (red or raw) but opaque (pink). The salmon will flake easily when pressed down gently with your finger or a fork (aka it separates easily along the white lines that run across the fillet). Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. FDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F.
Marinating – 15-30 minutes is more than enough time to marinate the salmon. The acidity of balsamic vinegar will cook the fish if left too long. I read somewhere that fish is sensitive to marinades and will get mushy so, unlike chicken or beef, you can’t marinate fish overnight.
Crispy salmon – Pan-fry the salmon in a skillet until it is golden brown before baking, or broil the salmon in the oven for 2-3 minutes before serving. You may have to reduce baking time in the oven if you pan-fry it beforehand.
Sauce – Divide the sauce into two parts. One part of the sauce is for marinating and basting in the oven and the other is for drizzling over the salmon once it’s cooked. You can reduce this drizzling sauce over the stovetop for a thicker sauce.
Brown sugar – This balances out the tartness of the balsamic vinegar but is not so overpowering that it’s sickeningly sweet. Some recipes use honey in place of brown sugar.
Dijon mustard – Mustard adds a little bite and balances out the sauce.
Garlic – You can use fresh garlic or garlic powder. When using fresh garlic, one teaspoon of minced garlic is about one regular-sized garlic clove.
Red pepper flakes – This gives the sauce a little bit of a kick but not too much. Skip this if you’re not a fan.
Make it over the stovetop -Sear the salmon on both sides in a skillet over medium-high until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Finish with the drizzling sauce.
Make it in the air fryer – Preheat the air fryer and air fry the salmon for 7-8 minutes at 400°F, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Finish with the drizzling sauce.
Serve with – Pair the salmon with some greens like asparagus, green beans, broccoli, or brussels sprouts. Mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, or a slow-cooked mushroom risotto are also elegant sides that will compliment the balsamic flavors well.
And that’s all there is to it! Enjoy your salmon and let me know how you liked it and what sides you paired it with in the comments below! 🙂
MORE SALMON RECIPES TO TRY
- Honey Garlic Salmon
- Honey Mustard Salmon
- Lemon and Parmesan-Crusted Salmon
- Salmon Piccata
- Sesame-Crusted Salmon (Everything Bagel Salmon)
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PrintBalsamic Glazed Salmon
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 1 lb. salmon fillet
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced / 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients and stir to mix. Divide sauce into half.
- Marinate the salmon fillet with half the sauce in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Arrange the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet or casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon. Baste the salmon with the leftover marinade halfway through.
- Dish and serve hot drizzled with the other half of the sauce.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For crispy salmon, sear the salmon with some oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes before baking, or broil for 2-3 minutes in the oven before serving.
- For a thicker drizzling sauce, bring the other half of the sauce to a simmer in a saucepan and reduce until thickened.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
♡ Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. You can learn more about it here.
14 Comments
PJ Monday
July 11, 2021 at 4:46 PMOMG- amazing. It’s summertime – so I tried cooking it on the grill this time. I don’t want to toot my own horn BUT – TOOT TOOT!!!! If you do it on the grill skin side down to begin with. You need to make this recipe.
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
July 12, 2021 at 10:17 AMToot toot! I LOVE hearing how it worked out on the grill. I never thought of doing this recipe there but I guess with all the basting, it works. It must have been so delicious!
Arianne
August 3, 2020 at 8:15 PMJust made this last night. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it because I don’t usually love fish but it was amazing! So happy I have a new recipe to make!!
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
July 12, 2021 at 10:16 AMOh sorry for the long-delayed reply, I must have missed this comment somehow! I’m SO happy you found a fish go-to recipe you like. Salmon can be so tasty 🙂
Billy Coleman
June 12, 2019 at 8:09 PMThis recipe was amazing! The salmon absorbed the flavor of the marinade and tasted so good! Searing it was a great suggestion too.
★★★★★
The Cooking Jar
July 8, 2019 at 3:02 PMI’m glad it worked out for you! I love the crunch from seared salmon.
Casey
January 2, 2018 at 5:24 PMDo you leave the skin on the salmon when baking?
The Cooking Jar
January 29, 2018 at 5:47 PMYes I do. Bake it with the skin side down and you’re good to go. Good luck!
Sara
December 20, 2017 at 4:08 PMHi,
I want to try this recipe. any suggestions for replacing the Worcestershire sauce?
Thanks
The Cooking Jar
January 29, 2018 at 5:46 PMI would just try leaving the Worcestershire sauce out.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
June 3, 2015 at 12:05 AMThe images seriously have me drooling here. I just love the acidic tang of balsamic.. so I can imagine this tastes divine!
The Cooking Jar
June 1, 2015 at 2:43 PMWorcestershire sauce is one of my favorite things. I liberally douse my steaks in it. I add it to every beef base I can find and when I discovered the English dish called ‘Welsh Rarebit’, you know I went crazy dipping it in Worcestershire sauce!
Dorothy Dunton
May 9, 2015 at 1:25 PMHi Farah! This is such a gorgeous dish! I love balsamic reduction sauces. And, my husband just picked a bunch of nice, fat purple asparagus from our garden AND I happen to have salmon fillets in the freezer! Win, win!! 🙂
The Cooking Jar
May 9, 2015 at 3:29 PMI’m jealous! Purple asparagus are so pretty and I haven’t tried them yet. And you grow them! 🙂