12 Best Glazes For Flavorful Salmon

With its moist, tender, flaky flesh and mild, buttery flavor, salmon is a popular choice both for enjoying at restaurants and cooking at home. It's a versatile fish that's delicious served on its own or as an ingredient in dishes like tacos, fish cakes, grain bowls, salads, and pasta. Salmon doesn't need a lot of fuss. It's surprisingly easy to create a restaurant-quality salmon dish at home (just be careful not to overcook it). That's why it's equally suitable to serve during a special occasion dinner or a quick weeknight meal.

While salmon can be expensive, it doesn't take complicated ingredients to whip up a good salmon recipe. Salmon fillets shine whether prepped with a classic gremolata, a crunchy Parmesan crust, or one of countless marinades. A simple but tasty way to prepare salmon is to pair it with a glaze when pan frying, baking, or broiling it.

Glazes are thick and sweet sauces that are brushed on the fish before it's cooked. They should be thin enough to spread but thick enough not to drip. The sugar content is what allows the surface to caramelize, which elevates the flavor and texture to mouthwatering perfection. There's room for creativity when choosing flavors for a glaze. While some classic ingredients appear more often, don't miss trying out some of the more surprising choices included below that are definitely worth a try.

Gochujang, a concentrated red chili paste made with chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt, and sometimes sugar, is a staple condiment in Korean cuisine. It's sticky and tastes spicy, earthy, and sweet with a bold dose of umami.

Gochujang is a bold choice for a salmon glaze, but this pairing shows that opposites really can attract. The flavor of salmon can range from mild, delicate, and a little sweet to rich, buttery, and nutty. Either way, a gochujang glaze adds a fiery punch to the fish, but it adds more than heat. The complex flavor complements the milder fish and creates a balanced and adventurous whole.

To make a glaze, you'll need to combine gochujang paste with other ingredients, and these can vary according to the flavor profile you're going for. Make sure to include a little liquid to thin out the paste as well. Alternatively, you could start with gochujang sauce which is already a liquid. Try mixing gochujang with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add a little sugar, honey, or mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine, to bring it to the level of sweetness desired. A base of gochujang, garlic, and sugar could be enhanced with miso for a different flavor or with salty and sweet Chinese hoisin sauce. Serve gochujang-glazed salmon with steamed rice, sautéed green beans or broccoli, or a simple salad topped with toasted sesame seeds.

It may not be as commonly used as other choices like wine, but bourbon is an excellent addition in the kitchen. Bourbon is a type of American whiskey made from mash that's at least 51% corn. It can be made anywhere in the country, but 95% of it comes from Kentucky. Bourbon can enhance dishes as diverse as desserts, grilled meats, and salad dressings with its complex flavor that's sweet and smoky with hints of caramel and vanilla. Bourbon is a good addition to marinades because it can help break down meat and fish, and some of the same ingredients it's paired with in marinades make an excellent glaze as well.

Elevate your salmon with a bourbon glaze made with olive oil, garlic or shallots, and soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. Add a sweet ingredient like brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey for sweetness. Some people like to add an acidic ingredient like apple cider vinegar. Keep in mind the consistency of the glaze and adjust the quantities of the ingredients accordingly. It needs to be thick enough, and brown sugar and honey will make it thicker than maple syrup. Some recipes even call for butter to enrich and thicken the glaze. Simmer the ingredients in a small saucepan, and then brush it on the fish before broiling, baking, or pan frying.

Some chefs enhance salmon recipes with mustard even if a glaze isn't involved. Ina Garten pairs mustard with salmon by spreading a layer of mustard under a crunchy panko breadcrumb topping. Besides adding flavor, the mustard helps hold the seasoned breadcrumb mix onto the salmon. Mustard is an ideal ingredient in a salmon glaze for the same reasons. The sharp flavor adds interest to what might be an otherwise plain glaze. Mustard is also sticky and thick, which is everything a glaze should be. It's a good ingredient for practical reasons and not just taste since it prevents the glaze from dripping off the fish.

You can choose from many varieties of mustard for a glaze that suits your preference. Yellow mustard isn't seen in recipes as much as Dijon is. Dijon adds a sharp, complex flavor and a sophistication that yellow mustard lacks. Choose whole grain mustard for a subtle crunch in the topping, or spicy mustard for a burst of heat. Honey mustard, an ever-popular ingredient in a glaze, brings both pungency and sweetness to a dish. Don't be afraid to experiment with special varieties like horseradish mustard, beer mustard, or Champagne-dill mustard for a unique flavor. To complete a mustard glaze, mix it with olive oil, lemon juice, a sweetener like honey or maple syrup, and your choice of spices or fresh herbs.

A glaze is characterized by the inclusion of a noticeably sweet and sticky ingredient, and while we often see sweeteners like honey or maple syrup in glaze recipes, you may be surprised to know that jam or jelly also fits the bill. Besides adding flavor, jam does an excellent job of holding fast to the surface of a salmon fillet. This is important because a runny glaze can drip down and burn when pan frying, and a too-liquid glaze can even catch fire when broiling close to a heat source at high temperatures.

Sweet, sticky, and soft jam complements the mild, buttery flavor of salmon and the meaty, flaky texture. It comes in so many flavors, so there's plenty of options for choosing a fun pop of flavor for your salmon recipe. Apricot, peach, cherry, pomegranate, and rhubarb are just some of the fruit options available, but don't be afraid to try herb or vegetable options like rosemary or red pepper jelly. For the simplest glaze, just spread jam directly on salmon without any additional ingredients. For a more complex flavor, try mixing it with ingredients like lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and even chili powder for a combination of sweetness and heat. Adding extra ingredients, especially liquid ones, will dilute the jam and make it thinner, so simmer it gently until it thickens up again.

Miso isn't just for soup. This fermented soybean paste also made with salt, koji (a type of mold that aids fermentation), and sometimes grains like rice or barley is a quintessential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It gives dishes a noticeable umami flavor that can range from sweet and light to deep, earthy, and pungent. Miso is also known for health benefits such as increased immunity and better digestion because of the probiotics it contains.

Light miso, like white or yellow varieties, have a milder flavor, while red or brown varieties have a bolder and saltier flavor, so there's something to suit different tastes. This roasted miso maple salmon recipe uses white miso paste as part of a salmon marinade, but it can be adapted into a glaze. The other ingredients are maple syrup, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, but rice vinegar, brown sugar, and Sriracha would also go well. Just adjust the ingredient quantities so it's not as liquidy, and add a cooking step — simmer it gently on the stove until it reduces and thickens up. Instead of marinating the raw salmon in it, brush the glaze right onto the fillets before roasting. The sweet, savory, caramelized result is simply irresistible. Consider topping the salmon with sliced scallions or sesame seeds for a beautiful garnish in keeping with the Asian flavor profile.

Honey may be one of the most popular glaze ingredients in this list. It provides not just the required sweetness but also a thick, viscous texture that helps glaze stick to the top of salmon better than other liquid sweeteners like maple syrup. Honey can easily be used as the sweetener in most glaze recipes, no matter what the other ingredients are. If you're building your own glaze recipe, consider a few combinations that work especially well.

Honey mustard is a classic and popular combination that enhances flavor of salmon, but it's not the only one. A garlic honey salmon sauce is another one to try. You can even make it with only its two namesake ingredients. Just stir minced garlic and honey together and brush it onto salmon fillets. If you'd like to make it a little more complex, add ingredients like sesame oil, olive oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar, or make a spicy version by sprinkling in some chili powder or red pepper flakes.

Honey and soy is another delicious pairing, as we can see in this honey soy marinated chicken thighs recipe. The sauce works equally well on salmon. It's made with honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, and cooking it will turn it from a marinade to a glaze sticky enough to perfectly coat your salmon fillets.

Yes, you read that right. Whether you call it soda, pop, tonic, potion, or soft drink, this sweet, carbonated beverage can serve as the sweet ingredient that makes a glaze pop. Soda is a thin liquid, so to make a simple soda glaze you'll need to add something to thicken it to the right consistency. Sugar, either white or brown, is often used for this purpose. One cup of sugar to every ¾ cup of soda will do the trick, and it will caramelize delightfully in the oven when applied to salmon fillets. If you opt for a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup, reduce the sauce by simmering it in a pan to achieve a thicker consistency.

Soda comes in many flavors, and this is a bonus when choosing ingredients for a glaze. Pair specific sodas with other complementary ingredients to create creative flavor profiles for your salmon. For example, cola plays nicely with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and the richer flavor of brown sugar.

Lemon lime soda can complement salmon just like the brightness of lemon juice can. Make a sunny orange salmon glaze with orange soda. Combine it with honey, soy sauce, and garlic and serve the salmon with thin orange slices. Finally, consider ginger ale to enhance the ginger flavor of glazes that call for this punchy and aromatic ingredient.

Maple syrup is a popular choice for salmon glaze for many reasons. It's sweet, but unlike plain sugar it has a beautiful complexity of flavor that is not just enjoyable on its own but enhances the taste of the fish. The flavor is often described as earthy, nutty, and caramel-like with a touch a vanilla, while being both robust and delicate at the same time. Maple syrup isn't as thick as honey, but don't let that stop you from using it. Just simmer it a little longer than you would a honey-based glaze, and it will thicken right up to a consistency that can be easily brushed on top of the fillets.

A simple way to make a maple syrup glaze is to combine it with Dijon mustard for a strong and tangy touch, soy sauce for a salty burst of umami, and garlic for the mellow pungency it will infuse into the glaze. Maple syrup is versatile when used in this way, so play around with ingredients according to your taste. You could add brown sugar to make the glaze extra sweet and sticky. Brown sugar will thicken it up as well. Adding hoisin sauce, which is made with fermented soybeans or chili garlic sauce, which has a spicy kick, would add a more complex yet balanced flavor profile to your maple syrup glaze.

Buffalo wings, with their distinctive flavor from the eponymous Buffalo wing sauce and served with a side dish of celery, are a popular party food. Since the sauce and the wings are so closely linked, it's not as well known that this spicy condiment can pair well with other foods. In fact, this sticky, sweet sauce is also ideal for coating fish.

Upgrade salmon with Buffalo wing sauce by turning the sauce into a bold glaze for your fillets. This is not your average salmon glaze. Spicy and zingy Buffalo wing sauce is made with hot sauce, cayenne pepper, honey, butter, salt, and garlic powder, so it will certainly add a flavor punch to the mild and nutty fish. Even if you prefer wings to fish, you may enjoy this recipe as the considerable heat makes any fishy taste less noticeable.

To adapt it even better to salmon, consider adding a little vinegar. To simplify the process, choose a hot sauce like Sriracha that already contains vinegar. The butter is not as important when making this sauce for salmon, so you can easily leave it out if desired. However, leaving the butter in can help keep the fish moist when roasting or baking it. If you're a fan of Buffalo wings, consider trying this unconventional glaze to bring the taste you love and a party atmosphere to a salmon dinner at home.

Many countries produce their own versions of barbecue sauce, including Japan. Japanese barbecue sauce is a condiment that's packed with flavor and suitable for pairing with a range of foods. American-style barbecue sauce is made with tomato (or ketchup), vinegar, and brown sugar. It's dark red, thick, sweet, and normally used to dress meat cooked on the grill. There are some variations, for example, Texas barbecue sauce is spicy, while the variety from Kansas is sweetened with molasses. Japanese barbecue sauce, on the other hand, has a more complex flavor resulting from a list of ingredients not usually found in its American counterpart. For example, it contains soy sauce, mirin, tomato paste, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and scallion.

With a deep umami flavor accompanied by a noticeable sweetness, this versatile sauce works as an unexpected but delicious topping for salmon. To use it as a glaze, simply brush the barbecue sauce on salmon fillets before cooking them. It's not as thick as some other glazes, but it's thick and sticky enough to adhere to the fish. The sweet and savory sauce will caramelize beautifully and provide a unique final touch to your salmon meal. You can find different varieties of Japanese barbecue sauce, so don't stop at the original flavor. Miso, hot and spicy, yuzu, and sweet honey flavors are also worth a try.

Brown sugar is a darker, moister version of white sugar made by mixing white sugar with molasses. Light brown and dark brown sugar can be used interchangeably in glaze recipes calling for brown sugar. The darker version will have a more pronounced flavor because it contains more molasses. You can even make it yourself at home by stirring your desired amount of molasses into sugar. Just be patient and keep mixing until it's evenly distributed. Brown sugar has a deep caramel-like flavor, with noticeable notes from the molasses. Besides adding a sweet and rich taste and a dark color to a glaze, it will caramelize as it cooks, making the flavor irresistibly deeper, toasty, and more complex.

A brown sugar glaze doesn't need to be complicated. In fact, you can make one just by whisking together brown sugar and Dijon before pouring it over salmon fillets. To take it up a notch, add olive oil and soy sauce to the brown sugar. A touch of honey can increase the sweetness and add a floral, fruity, or earthy note, depending on which kind you use. Depending on your tastes, you could choose to add garlic for a mellow pungency, lemon juice or lemon zest for a bright note, or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.

Balsamic vinegar is a distinctive type of wine vinegar produced in the city of Modena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and surrounding areas. Vinegar made from local wines is produced according to traditional methods that haven't changed all that much over the centuries. The most authentic vinegar is a thick liquid with a deep flavor from being aged in multiple wooden barrels for at least 12 years and is quite expensive. More accessible are mass produced, but cheaper, bottles on the supermarket shelf that can still be used to add a distinctive flavor to a salmon glaze.

When simmered to make a glaze, balsamic vinegar reduces and becomes thicker and more syrupy, which is ideal for coating fish. It should be reduced until thick enough to adhere to and coat the back of a spoon. A classic balsamic vinegar glaze is versatile and can be used to enhance a variety of dishes. This recipe for balsamic glazed fried chicken wings features a glaze made from balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and salt. The glaze is also perfect for salmon fillets. We suggest halving the recipe, since it makes a lot. Just leave the crushed red pepper out if you're not a fan of spicy food. If you'd like to play around with the ingredients, you could use honey in place of the sugar. Use minced garlic instead of garlic powder for a fresher taste, and serve with thinly sliced lemon on top if desired.