Oh my goodness, are you starving for something that tastes like it took hours to make but actually took less than thirty minutes? Me too! Weeknights are hectic, but that doesn’t mean we have to settle for boring food. That’s why this recipe rocked my world: the Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon. Seriously, wow! It’s sticky, it’s sweet, it’s got that tiny little bourbon kick that cuts through the richness of the fish perfectly.

I stumbled onto this glaze combination last summer when I was trying to use up some peach preserves, and now it’s my absolute go-to. You get gourmet restaurant flavor with maybe ten minutes of actual work. It’s fool-proof, healthy, and honestly a weeknight dinner miracle. Trust me on this one; once you try this easy salmon recipe, you’ll be making it all the time.

Why This Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon Recipe Works So Well

You might think combining bourbon and peaches with fish sounds complicated, but that’s the magic! It’s all about balance, and this recipe nails that spot between sweet and savory every single time. It’s my secret weapon for impressing company when I’m totally exhausted.

The prep time is lightning fast—we are talking ten minutes max to throw that glaze together.
The glaze itself is perfectly balanced; the Dijon and soy sauce stop the peaches from getting too sweet.
It’s a dinner powerhouse! You get healthy, quality salmon packed with protein.

Gather Your Ingredients for Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

Okay, let’s get the shopping list sorted! The beauty of this Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon is that most of these are pantry staples, except maybe the peach preserves if you don’t usually keep them stocked. I really think you should grab the best peach preserves you can find—a really good quality one makes a huge difference because that’s where most of our sunshine flavor is coming from.

You need four nice salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each. Make sure they look vibrant! Then, for the glaze magic, grab your bourbon, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and a couple of cloves of garlic you can mince up fresh. Don’t skimp on the garlic; it brings that necessary savory punch. A touch of salt and pepper finishes the spice blend. If you happen to have a fresh peach lying around, slicing one up to nestle on top during the last few minutes of baking is just gorgeous.

This recipe is easy enough that you probably won’t need to run out for specialty items, but if you ever need to know how to whip up something like heavy cream from scratch while you’re in the kitchen, check out this guide on making heavy cream at home—though thankfully, we don’t need that for this fish!

Mastering the Bourbon Peach Glaze for Your Roasted Salmon

The glaze is truly the star of our Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon show. Don’t just sloppily mix it; we need to give it some attention! Take your bowl and start with the peach preserves. Then, slowly drizzle in the bourbon while you whisk steadily. I learned from experience that if you dump it all in at once, you get little clumps of mustard floating around later, which nobody wants. We are aiming for shiny and smooth, like a perfect, slightly thickened sauce.

Once it’s all whisked and looking uniform, taste it! It should be a beautiful mix of sweet, salty from the soy sauce, and that little bitey heat from the Dijon. If you realize you like your glaze super thick—maybe you want it to really stand up tall on the salmon—there’s an optional step. You can take about half the glaze that you *aren’t* brushing on the raw fish and just simmer it gently in a tiny saucepan for three or four minutes until it reduces down. It thickens up beautifully.

It’s amazing how simple ingredients come together to make something so complex flavor-wise. Speaking of rich sauces, if you ever want to see how to make an incredibly velvety savory counterpoint to this sweet glaze, check out my notes on making a creamy garlic butter sauce!

Tips for Alcohol-Free Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

I totally get it; sometimes you need this amazing flavor but can’t use the bourbon. No problem! You can absolutely swap it out, and the results are still fantastic. I recommend using pure maple syrup as the straight substitute for the bourbon.

Maple syrup brings its own deep sweetness and earthy notes that pair just as wonderfully with the peaches and the fatty salmon flesh. You might need to use just a tiny bit less of the peach preserves if you go this route, but honestly, it’s an easy 1-to-1 substitution that keeps the essential flavor profile intact.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

Alright, now for the fun part—getting this amazing Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon into the oven! The whole thing moves so quickly once you’re organized. First things first: crank that oven up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This higher heat starts developing that beautiful glaze almost immediately. While it’s heating, line a sturdy baking sheet with parchment paper. Seriously, never skip the parchment, friends. It makes cleanup almost non-existent.

Once your glaze is whisked together and your salmon fillets are sitting pretty on the tray, go ahead and brush half of that glorious glaze right over the tops of the fish. Don’t be shy, but you do need to save some for the finish! Pop that tray in and let it bake for exactly 12 minutes. This is phase one of cooking.

When those 12 minutes are up, pull the tray out gently. Now, brush on the rest of that sticky glaze. If you sliced up fresh peaches, arrange those slices right on top now—they just keep everything looking gorgeous. Back into the oven it goes! We’re looking for another 3 to 5 minutes. You know it’s done when it flakes easily with a fork, or if you’ve got a thermometer handy, it should hit about 145 degrees internally. If I’m ever testing doneness without a thermometer, I watch for the fish to pull away from the sides; that’s a real signal it’s ready, much like how you check steak doneness! If you want to read about my best tips for checking meat temps, I wrote down everything I learned the hard way right here on this steak secret post.

Baking Time Adjustments for Thicker or Thinner Salmon Fillets

The 12 minutes plus 3 to 5 minutes works perfectly for those standard 6-ounce fillets. But, if you got yourself some super thick cuts, say nearly an inch thick, you might want to add about three extra minutes during that first bake phase. Thicker fish needs more gentle cooking to start.

Conversely, if you have really thin, delicate fillets—the kind that are almost translucent before cooking—you might skip the second glazing step entirely! Just give them the first 12 minutes, brush with glaze, and pull them after maybe just 2 or 3 minutes more. The key is watching for the flakes, not the clock, especially when the size changes!

Serving Suggestions for Your Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon Dinner

This Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon is rich and sticky, which means it really sings when paired with something light and a little bit clean on the side. You definitely don’t want anything too heavy competing with that gorgeous glaze.

My absolute favorite is some simple steamed asparagus tossed with just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It adds a great pop of green color and crunch that contrasts perfectly with the soft fish texture. If you want something heartier, some fluffy quinoa or white rice is fantastic for soaking up any extra bourbon peach sauce pooling on your plate.

Or, if you’re feeling fruity on the side too, you could check out how I roast my carrots—they get wonderfully sweet and caramelized, almost like a side dish dessert! You can find the recipe for the ultimate honey roasted carrots right here.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

Look, this salmon is so good, you might actually have leftovers—but only if you’re lucky! If you do stash some away, treat it gently so that glaze stays tasty. Pop any remaining Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon into a really good airtight container. Toss a tiny splash of water or maybe even a lemon wedge in with it before sealing it up.

It’s best eaten within two days. When you’re ready to reheat, skip the harsh microwave blasts if you can. The absolute best way to bring it back to life, keeping that moisture locked in, is to warm it up at a super low temperature, maybe 300 degrees, in the oven for just about 5 minutes. It warms through without drying out!

Frequently Asked Questions About Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

I know you folks have questions! Anytime you put bourbon near something sweet, people get nervous about sticking or burning, and that’s smart watching out for your fish! I’ve collected some of the most common things I hear after people try this easy salmon recipe for the first time. Seriously, this peach glaze is foolproof once you know the trick.

For instance, some folks ask about ingredients. If you’ve ever wondered how to use up leftover avocado in a completely different way instead of just putting it on toast, I actually have a fantastic recipe for refreshing avocado tuna salad that tastes way better than you’d think!

Can I use frozen salmon fillets for this Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon?

You absolutely can use frozen salmon, but you have to thaw it completely first! Never put frozen fish directly into the oven, especially when you have a delicate glaze involved. Thaw the fillets slowly in the refrigerator overnight. Once they are thawed, pat them down really, really well with paper towels before you apply any glaze. Excess moisture is the enemy here; we want sticky sauce, not watery fish!

How do I prevent the peach glaze from burning?

This is the big one for baked salmon recipes that use sugar, like our peach glaze! Sugar burns much faster than fat or protein does. My main trick is making sure you only apply half the glaze before the first 12 minutes of baking. The second half goes on for the final, short burst of heat.

If you notice your edges are darkening too quickly, you can actually create a little foil tent over the fish for the last few minutes. It reflects the heat so the glaze stays glossy and doesn’t turn bitter black!

Estimated Nutritional Data for Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

Now, I’m not a nutritionist, so please take these numbers with a grain of salt! These figures are based on the standard fillet size and the ingredients listed. Since we’re dealing with bourbon and peach preserves, the sugar tends to jump up a little, but you get fantastic protein in return.

Calories: 380
Protein: 35g
Fat: 15g (Only 3g Saturated)
Carbohydrates: 25g
Sodium: 450mg

Remember, if you skip the whiskey or use a lighter preserve, these calculations will shift! This is just a ballpark estimate for your healthy fish dinner.

Share Your Experience Making This Dish

I’ve shared all my secrets for making this amazing Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon, and now I want to hear from YOU! Did the glaze turn out sticky enough? Did your family love that little hint of bourbon? Hop down to the comments and share your stars rating. It truly helps me know what amazing recipes to share next—maybe something with those easy Tennessee onions I mentioned?

Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon

Author: memorecipes.com
Total Time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Diet: Low Fat

Print Recipe

Description

A simple recipe for salmon baked with a sweet and savory bourbon peach glaze.

Ingredients

Scale

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)
1 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 fresh peach, thinly sliced (optional, for topping)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peach preserves, bourbon, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, black pepper, and salt to make the glaze.
Place the salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush half of the bourbon peach glaze evenly over the tops of the salmon fillets.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove the salmon from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze. If using, arrange peach slices on top of the fillets.
Return to the oven and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Serve immediately.

Notes

If you prefer a thicker glaze, simmer the extra glaze in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
You can substitute maple syrup for bourbon if you wish to omit alcohol.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Category: Dinner
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 fillet
Calories: 380
Sugar: 22
Sodium: 450
Fat: 15
Saturated Fat: 3
Unsaturated Fat: 12
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 25
Fiber: 1
Protein: 35
Cholesterol: 95

Keywords: Bourbon Peach Roasted Salmon, baked salmon, peach glaze, easy salmon recipe, healthy fish