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This brown sugar glazed salmon recipe is pan-seared to perfection with a mouthwatering sweet and savory sticky sauce. It’s an easy 30-minute meal that picky eaters love!
Try my Seared Scallops or Quick and Easy Shrimp Scampi next.
Why you’ll love it
I like salmon pretty much any way I can get it, but if you have a picky eater on your hands, this salmon glaze may be just the thing that turns them into a salmon lover! It’s sweet and rich without being overpowering and is tempered by the bright lemon juice.
Another bonus is that this brown sugar salmon is a quick dinner with a handful of pantry staples like soy sauce and garlic powder for a low-effort way to get seafood on the table. You’ll also feel confident in cooking salmon on the stovetop with this simple technique!
What you’ll need
- Salmon – aim to buy a salmon fillet that’s about 1″ thick. I buy whatever looks best at the grocery store. Sometimes Atlantic and sometimes wild.
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
- Brown sugar – just enough to get the ideal level of sweetness
- Soy sauce – for that savory kick. I use regular, but you could use low sodium if that’s a consideration.
- Garlic powder – we’re using plenty of savory ingredients to balance the sweetness in the glaze
- Lemon juice – for a touch of acidity and brightness
- Ginger – it gives a zesty quality
- Worcestershire sauce – this is a classic move to add savory depth to sauces and a special something-something
- Chicken broth – another layer of flavor
- Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce
Helpful tips
- It’s a good idea to watch the color of the salmon change. The light pink color moves up slowly as it cooks, and this gives an idea of how close it is to being finished. It will still cook for a little bit after you remove it from the heat. It’s easy to overcook salmon, so keep that in mind.
- Ensure you heat the pan up enough before you add the salmon, and don’t crowd the pan. It’s better to cook the fish in two batches if it’s a tight fit.
- Don’t move the salmon around the skillet. It needs to cook undisturbed to get a good sear. When flipping the salmon, if it’s sticking, give it a little more time to release naturally.
How to make brown sugar glazed salmon
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the salmon into 4 pieces, and season with salt & pepper. Heat up the oil and half the butter, and pan fry the salmon skin-side down for a few minutes. Flip, then cook for a couple more until almost cooked. Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
Add in the rest of the butter, pour the sauce in between the salmon pieces and let it thicken for half a minute, then take it off the heat. This is important since you don’t want the sauce to burn! Flip the salmon over, and spoon the sauce over it.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use a fish turner to easily turn the salmon, and a splatter guard helps with cleanup.
- Ginger is much easier to grate if it’s frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in the freezer in a ZipLoc bag, where it lasts for months. I use my Microplane grater/zester to easily grate it and then pop it back in the freezer!
- This is my favorite skillet, and I like this whisk for the sauce.
Substitutions and variations
- As with any recipe, sub ingredients at your discretion. It has been tested as written, and our kitchen finds the flavors to be balanced. The sauce isn’t too sweet, but you could definitely add a little more lemon juice to the salmon once it’s cooked if you want to cut the sweetness a bit.
- I sometimes add a bit of chopped parsley before serving, but that’s totally optional. It gives a little more freshness and a pop of color.
What to serve with glazed salmon
- This salmon is delicious served with my Stick of Butter Rice or Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
- Pair it with some steamed veggies for a complete meal, or try this Sautéed Spinach or Easy Roasted Asparagus.
- For a light lunch, simply serve it with a side salad! This Parmesan Arugula Salad goes with everything.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers should be good stored in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. I prefer to eat leftover fish within a day or two, though.
- Reheat it in a saucepan over a low heat until warmed through, taking care to not let it dry out.
- It’s also great the next day served cold over a salad!
More easy salmon recipes
If you made this salmon with a brown sugar glaze, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made this or any Salt & Lavender recipe.
Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh salmon
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Take the salmon out of the fridge 15-20 minutes prior to starting the recipe if possible. Cut the salmon into 4 equal pieces and pat it dry with paper towel. Season with salt & pepper.
- Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.
- Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the pan for a few minutes.
- Cook the salmon (skin-side down) for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and flip the salmon over and cook for another 2-3 minutes (should be almost cooked through).
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and let it melt, then pour in the sauce (just pour it in between the salmon pieces). Let it bubble/thicken for 20-30 seconds or so, and then take the pan off the heat (the pan will still be hot and the sauce will continue to thicken, but this avoids burning it). Flip the salmon over & spoon the sauce over top.
- Serve immediately. The salmon skin will be nice and crispy and is delicious when you eat it right away, but feel free to peel it off it you prefer.
Notes
- The salmon I used in this recipe was approx. 1″ thick. If your salmon is thicker or thinner, you may need to adjust cooking time a bit (see blog post for tips).
- It’s fine if you’ve got a bit more than a pound of salmon, just make sure it’s not too much over or the salmon pieces will be crowded in the pan and not cook properly (then sear it in two batches).
- Pro tip: the ginger is much easier to grate if it’s frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in the freezer and I use my Microplane grater/zester to quickly grate it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I make this salmon weekly!!! We love it!
Wonderful!! 😀 Thanks for coming back to write me a review, Natalie!
Very easy and delicious. My husband now wants this sauce on everything! I have also made it with orange zest and juice which is good too.
That’s awesome!!
I’m not a fan of salmon, but, I’m trying. This recipe was absolutely delicious!!!! I will definitely make it again.
I love that!!!
My family LOVED this recipe 100%.
Wonderful!! Thank you for your review! 😀
Will this recipe work on skinless salmon?
Yes, but it’ll likely cook a bit faster, so I’d keep an eye on it so you don’t overcook it. Enjoy!
Hi, I made this for dinner last night and it was fabulous. The only thing I didn’t have was the lemon juice but I thought it was great without it. I will for sure be making this again soon. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that, Gloria. Thanks for your review! 😀
Can you tell me how I would bake the salmon if i use the oven instead?
Hi! I really can’t comment without testing – sorry!
This sauce made me like salmon.. outstanding
Aw that makes us so happy to hear, Shannon!! 🙂
This recipe was great! Enjoy the fact that I didn’t have to turn on my oven to cook the salmon. Salmon was moist and tender but my skin didn’t come out crispy which is the best part I enjoy. When cooking on stove top to I need to cover it?
Hi! I’m glad you enjoyed it! I love crispy skin too. The skin should be crispy once you flip it over (don’t cover it because that’ll steam it and it won’t crisp up), but the sauce will make the skin soft again really quickly.
This is soooo tasty! I have been looking for a salmon recipe that really satisfied my want for it to be a little sweet and this really hit the spot! totally will be doing this again!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Agatha!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write me a review! 🙂