Winner winner spicy salmon dinner! This chili bourbon glazed salmon is the weeknight dinner of our dreams! The flavors are Asian-inspired; it’s got a little heat, a little sweet, and it is completely irresistible. The not-so-secret ingredient? Chili onion crunch!!
The chili bourbon glaze cooks in 5 minutes (so quick!), is poured generously on top of a large side of salmon (we recommend at least 2 lbs), and cooks in 15 minutes!
If our math is correct, that means this spicy, flavor-packed salmon recipe has a cook time of 20 minutes total. Like, hi, we are so here for that!!
Serve with roasted veggies, rice, and lots of fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Ingredient Notes
For The Chili Sauce
- Bourbon – Use a bourbon you really like, the flavor definitely comes through!
- Brown sugar – For sweetness
- Honey – Sticky and sweet
- Chili sauce (such as Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch!) – Use any chili sauce you love. Add more for extra heat!
- Garlic, minced
- Ginger paste (never grate ginger again!) – this comes in a squeeze tube in the produce section at your grocery store (refrigerated!)
- Fresh lime juice – The sauce needs some acidity to balance out the sweet and heat!
For Serving
- Salmon – Skin on or removed, but we recommend leaving the filet whole instead of cutting into individual portions.
- Kosher salt – Season everything, always!
- Scallions – Adds a gentle onion flavor at the end, an absolute must!
- Sesame seeds – For a little texture and nutty taste!
- Cilantro – Love it or hate it, we always add a generous amount of cilantro to our Asian-inspired dishes!
- Lime wedges – That hit of fresh acidity at the end takes it over the top!
How To Make Chili Bourbon Glazed Salmon
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Make the honey bourbon glaze. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce for ~5 minutes until thickened.
- Pour the sauce on salmon. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with kosher salt, then pour sauce on top. Use a kitchen brush to spread it out evenly.
- Bake. Cook salmon for 15 minutes, or until an internal temperature of ~120F is reached. (Salmon is medium rare between 115-125F).
- Serve! Garnish with sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallions, and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy immediately!
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
How To Serve
Turn this into a simple salmon rice bowl with white rice and oven roasted broccolini, broccoli or blistered shishitor peppers. Add any additional veggies you love!
Cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds, and fresh limes are a must!
Expert Tips
- Always make sure to pat salmon (or any fish!) dry with paper towels on both side before cooking.
- Season fish with kosher salt and black pepper before pouring sauce on top.
- There’s a good amount of sugar and honey in this recipe. For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Don’t overcook fish! Use a thermometer to check internal temperature. Salmon is medium-rare between 115-125 F.
- Want extra heat? Add more Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch on top before serving! (P.S. we found these chili onion crunch chickpeas and cannot wait to try!!)
Love salmon? Us too! We eat it weekly. Check out these other salmon recipes that we make again and again!
- Slow baked salmon with herb shallot butter
- Salmon piccata
- Pan seared salmon with Parmesan cream sauce
- Fish escabeche
- Grilled blackened salmon
- Miso-marinated salmon bowls
If you make this Chili Bourbon Glazed Salmon recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For more Asian inspired recipes, check out the following:
- Ahi tuna poké bowls
- Spicy ramen noodles (also uses the Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch!)
- Asian stuffed peppers
- Spicy Kani salad
- Baked chicken teriyaki
20 Minute Chili & Bourbon Glazed Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chili bourbon glaze
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp honey
- 1 heaping Tbsp chili onion crunch or other Asian chili sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 lime juiced
For salmon
- 2 lb salmon filet skin on or off
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- Fresh cilantro for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Make Chili Bourbon Sauce
- Preheat oven to 375F. Combine ⅓ cup bourbon, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ Tbsp honey, 1 heaping Tbsp chili onion crunch, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste, and the juice of 1 lime in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce for ~5 minutes until thickened.
Cook Salmon
- Pour the sauce on salmon. Pat salmon dry with paper towels, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt, then pour sauce on top. Use a kitchen brush to spread it out evenly.
- Bake. Cook salmon for 15 minutes, or until an internal temperature of ~120F is reached. (Salmon is medium rare between 115-125F).
- Serve! Garnish with sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallions, and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
- Like more heat? Use additional chili sauce, either when you make the glaze or served on top of cooked bourbon glazed salmon.
This recipe is a keeper, for sure! We eat a lot of salmon and this was just the inspiration I needed to switch things up a bit. I had a smaller fillet so I halved the sauce recipe. Dumb! I wanted to slather it on the crispy brussels too. This sauce! It’s so good!
Brook, this is amazing to hear! I agree, always keep the sauce recipe even if you halve the salmon lol – it can go on literally anything!! It makes my heart so happy when people don’t overcook their salmon. When cooked properly it is completely unctuous (which is probably why we eat salmon weekly). Thanks for being here! xo, Ari
I’ll also say – Ari always recommends 120 degrees for salmon and it’s perfect! I had never had a temp to aim for in the past and this works every time.
This was very delicious and paired very well with both oven roasted broccoli and the super greens from Panda Express (if you happened to eat all of the broccoli for your first meal and need a veg for your second 😉 ) ! Next time we plan to make double the sauce and kick up the heat!
Yesss, this is such an easy, flavorful salmon! So glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
I LOVE this recipe! The sauce is so delicious and the cooking temp & time for the salmon keeps it so moist and flavorful. Easy to put together for a great “fancy” style meal.
Thanks Ari!
It’s a favorite here too! Glad you’re loving it! xo, Ari