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close-up of brown sugar glazed salmon flaked with a fork
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5 from 19 votes

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

This brown sugar glazed salmon recipe is pan seared to perfection with a mouthwatering sweet and savory sticky sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon, Brown Sugar Salmon, Brown Sugar Soy Sauce Salmon
Servings: 4
Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh salmon cut into 4 pieces
  • 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 olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the pan for a few minutes.
  • Meanwhile, add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.
  • 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. 
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg