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Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon is tender and flaky salmon covered in the most amazing garlic brown sugar soy glaze. The flavor is out of this world, and it will become a new family favorite! 

We love salmon in our home and love that it is a simple and satisfying meal. Be sure to also try Cilantro Lime Butter Salmon, these yummy Sheet Pan Garlic Lime Salmon Fajitas, or these Butter Garlic Herb Salmon Foil Packets for more oven-cooked salmon recipes!

Salmon wrapped in foil and garnished with lemon slices.

A Reader’s Review

“This is the best salmon recipe Iโ€™ve found to date! I am a relatively novice cook and this salmon is so easy but SO GOOD that I make it about once a week!”

-Leah

Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

This may not be well known, but I used to hate salmon! But I have been converted, and now I can’t get enough. Salmon has turned into one of my all-time favorite foods, and not only is it delicious, but it’s good for you too! Win-win. There are quite a few salmon recipes that you have to try.

This garlic brown sugar salmon recipe soared to the number one spot of my favorite salmon recipes because it turns out perfectly every time. The sweet glazed made from brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper is so delicious and perfectly complements the fish. The salmon flakes off with your fork, making every bite melt in your mouth. Even my kids love this recipe!

Ingredients in Garlic Glazed Salmon

This delicious garlic brown sugar glazed salmon has the perfect mixture of sweet and savory. I mean, how can you go wrong with brown butter and garlic?? To find all of the exact ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Atlantic Salmon: I used Atlantic salmon in this recipe, but you can use another kind if you prefer.
  • Olive Oil: This is what the salmon will cook up in, making it nice and flaky.
  • Brown Sugar: This creates a caramelized glaze and adds a sweetness to the flavor.
  • Soy Sauce: The soy sauce adds a tangy taste.
  • Garlic Cloves: The minced garlic adds a flavor and smell that makes this salmon irresistible!
  • Lemon: I use the juice of one lemon. Fresh is always best!
  • Salt and Pepper: The seasonings enhance all of the flavors in the recipe.
  • Lemon Slices and Chopped Parsley: I use these as a garnish to the salmon.

How to Make Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

Not only does this salmon taste heavenly, but it’s so easy to make. You can be eating it in less than 30 minutes!

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the salmon on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil around the salmon.
  2. Make Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour the glaze over the salmon. Top the salmon with aluminum foil and seal.
  3. Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until salmon is cooked throughout. Take the foil off of the top and baste the salmon with the sauce in the foil. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until brown and caramelized. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley if desired.
3 photos showing how to baste the salmon with the garlic brown sugar glaze.

How to Tell When Salmon is Fully Cooked?

You can tell when your garlic brown sugar glazed salmon is fully cooked when the fat intensifies and runs out. Cook the salmon further only to get the desired degree of doneness. When flakes separate easily, but the meat is translucent, it’s rare but edible.

A black plate with garlic brown sugar salmon, lemon slices and asparagus.

Storing Leftovers

This Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon can last for up to 3-4 days when stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat your leftovers, cooking them up in the air fryer is my favorite way! Reheat them in an air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 4-5 minutes. It keeps the texture perfectly flaky every time.

A close up of garlic salmon on a plate with asparagus and lemon slices being cut into with a fork.

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Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

4.92 from 110 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon is tender and flaky salmon covered in the most amazing garlic brown sugar soy glaze. The flavor is out of this world, and it will become a new family favorite!ย 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the salmon on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil around the salmon.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour the glaze over the salmon. Top the salmon with aluminum foil and seal.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until salmon is cooked throughout. Take the foil off of the top and baste the salmon with the sauce in the foil. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until brown and caramelized. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley if desired.

Video

Notes

Originally Posted on June 21, 2019
Updated on August 31, 2023ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 47gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 1496mgPotassium: 1169mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 2.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




277 Comments

  1. We are a Large family of 7 and 6/7 absolutely love this recipe. The one who doesn’t is not a fish eater at all to begin with. This is my absolute favorite we have been making it for years now and it is always what someone request for a special occasion. Its honestly the best!

  2. 5 stars
    This is probably my favorite salmon recipe. I’ve made it a couple times and it’s flavorful, juicy, and a big hit with me!

  3. 4 stars
    I made this for the first time and the result was very good. My son and I gobbled it up. I will be making it again soon.I loved that I could make a dish that sounded like a lot of work and it turn out to be super easy.

  4. Just started eating fish and never have been a fan of salmon, and I absolutely love this recipe! Did it exactly to the recipe, only thing was i did not have fresh parsley so i sprinkled dried on the salmon before baking. Baked for 20 min and broiled for 5! Love it and hubby approved

  5. I love salmon grilled with a little lemon on it. However, since hubby hates salmon I decided to try your recipe and we both love it prepared this way. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

  6. Just made this tonight for dinner. Absolutely delicious! Served with roasted veggies for a perfect meal. The salmon was perfectly tender with so much flavor. Out of this world! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. Will be our new go-to salmon recipe. Canโ€™t wait for the little left over on a salad tomorrow for lunch!

  7. Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon is great! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for sharing!

  8. 5 stars
    Iโ€™ve been doing a butter/brown sugar/salt glaze on my smoked salmon fillets ever since I started pulling salmon out of the waters of Puget Sound and Vancouver Island in the 1980s. Adding soy sauce to the flavor profile is a stroke of genius.

    Salmon loves salt, and soy sauce is beautiful caramelized sugar and salt. Mixed with brown sugar and butter and wrapped in a tented foil boat, this mixture fills out a smoked salmon filletโ€™s flavor holes beautifully.

    I like cooking this glaze with olive oil and will totally do it; the result is delicious. But I prefer the nuttier flavors of butter as it browns and mixes with the fats from the fish and the soy sauce and the garlic. I encourage you if you have a smoker, to set up this recipe just as written and bake it in your smoker. You wonโ€™t need as much brining salt as you normally use because of all the flavor the soy sauce brings to the party.

    When youโ€™re happy with your results, try putting butter in place of some of the oil and see what happens. Itโ€™s a different dish. Iโ€™ll eat both eagerly. Donโ€™t miss out on either one. When my fish is done, I pull it from the smoker, baste it in the smoky goodness of the glaze in the foil, and finish it under a hot broiler to add color and caramelized flavor to a wonderful smoky piece of fish.

    Itโ€™s almost impossible to screw this up unless you leave it under the broiler and burn the glaze. Donโ€™t do that and you will have an incredible dinner.

  9. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe. My husband and I really enjoyed this dish. The timing was spot on for me. I served the salmon with a creamy pasta al Fredo and fresh tomatoes.

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe has been a family favorite and Iโ€™ve made it dozens of times. I actually put the salmon in the baking pan, put the marinade on the salmon, seal it up in the foil, & put back in the fridge for the day so I just need to pop it in the oven at dinner time. The marinade taste is really infused that way!! Delicious!!

    Question: Just wondering if I marinade the salmon if I could grill it (prefer grilling in the summer)?

    1. Yes! That is a great idea and will taste amazing. To keep all the liquids together, place the salmon on aluminum foil if you would like to enhance the flavoring.
      I am so glad that you love this salmon! Thank you for sharing.