Maple Barbeque-Glazed Salmon

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Skillet BBQ Salmon — The BBQ glazed salmon is smoky and sweet with a bit of heat and makes this 15-minute recipe just pop! Perfect for busy weeknights! 

two bbq salmon fillets in a metal skillet

Easy BBQ Sauce Salmon Recipe

This BBQ sauce salmon is so easy to make, ready in less than 15 minutes, and you dirty precisely one skillet. My kinda recipe.

The glaze has a tiny kick from the barbeque sauce along with some smokiness, and there’s sweetness from the maple syrup. The lemon juice brightens it and adds a tangy twist, and fish and lemon are a natural pairing.

My family said the fish was soft and tender and that the glaze just makes the dish. They inhaled it in about 5 minutes flat and asked when I’m making it again.

two bbq salmon fillets in a metal skillet

BBQ Salmon Ingredients

To make the BBQ sauce salmon, you’ll need: 

  • Olive oil
  • Salmon fillets
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pure maple syrup
  • BBQ sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

overhead view of two bbq glazed salmon fillets in a metal skillet

How to Make BBQ Salmon on the Stove

If you’ve ever been intimated about how to cook salmon in a skillet, this is a super simple, flavorful, and goofproof method! Here’s how it’s made:

  1. Sear the fish in a pan with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  2. Keep the skillet covered for about 6 minutes, or until you estimate the salmon is 80 to 90 percent done.
  3. Drizzle in maple syrup, bbq sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, and allow the glaze to bubble, thicken, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
side view of two bbq sauce salmon fillets in a metal skillet

Tips for Making BBQ Glazed Salmon 

For most pan sauces, I don’t bother mixing up the glaze in a separate bowl and instead just squirt it into the pan. One less bowl to wash and it all blends together as it boils and bubbles. No need to dirty measuring spoons, either. Just eyeball it and drizzle from the bottle.

To amp up the lemon flavor, you can use a lemon pepper seasoning instead of plain black pepper. 

If you wind up with leftovers, I recommend enjoying it cold in a salad, wrap, or sandwich! 

side view of two bbq salmon fillets in a metal skillet

Recipe FAQs

What’s the best BBQ Sauce to use?

I used Sweet Baby Ray’s since it’s easy to find, cheap, and is sweet and tangy. However, any kind of bbq sauce will work!

How Long to Cook Salmon in a Skillet? 

You’ll first need to cook the salmon skin-side up, covered, for 6 minutes over medium-high heat. Then, add in the BBQ glaze ingredients, recover the skillet, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. In total, skillet salmon should cook for 9 to 11 minutes in a covered skillet. 

Can I Eat the Salmon Skin?

Yes! If you sear the skin, it gets nice and crispy. Salmon skin is loaded with good-for-you fats and has tons of flavor! 

Can the bbq salmon be baked instead of cooked on the stove?

Of course! You’d want to bake the salmon filets at 375ºF for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Maple BBQ Salmon — The BBQ glazed salmon is smoky and sweet with a bit of heat and makes this 15-minute recipe just pop! Perfect for busy weeknights! 

What to Serve with BBQ Salmon

Maple BBQ Salmon — The BBQ glazed salmon is smoky and sweet with a bit of heat and makes this 15-minute recipe just pop! Perfect for busy weeknights! 

Pin This Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Skillet BBQ Salmon

By Averie Sunshine
The BBQ glazed salmon is smoky and sweet with a bit of heat and makes this 15-minute recipe just pop! Perfect for busy weeknights! 
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Additional Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients  

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each with skin on
  • juice of 1 small/medium lemon
  • salt and pepper, or lemon pepper or a pepper blend, to taste
  • about 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • about 3 tablespoons barbeque sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions 

  • Place olive oil in skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
  • When oil is warm, add the salmon to sear it with skin-side up (flesh side down).
  • Squeeze the lemon juice over the top
  • Evenly sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Cover skillet and cook for about 6 minutes, or until fish has a nice sear and is about 80 to 90 percent done.
  • Uncover skillet, lower heat to medium, and squirt in the maple syrup, barbeque sauce, and Worcestershire.
  • Cover skillet and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened some, is bubbly, and salmon is cooked through and done.
  • Plate the salmon, top with remaining glaze from skillet if desired, and serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Salmon is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 557kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 24g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 600mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 43g

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

More Easy Salmon Recipes:

ALL OF MY SALMON RECIPES! 

Sheet Pan Salmon and Potatoes — This baked salmon and potatoes recipe is ready in 25 minutes, the lemon butter and Dijon mustard add so much FLAVOR, and it’s made on ONE sheet pan!! EASY comfort food for busy weeknights!!

Honey Lemon-Glazed Salmon Salad — This Honey Lemon-Glazed Salmon Salad is ready in 15 minutes and can easily be meal prepped. My whole family loves this recipe and said it’s their favorite salmon salad I’ve ever made! 

Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Salmon — Juicy salmon at home in 30 minutes that’s EASY and tastes BETTER than from a restaurant! The butter is infused with lemon and garlic and adds so much FLAVOR!

Sheet Pan Honey Lemon Salmon — This baked honey lemon salmon is ready in under 30 minutes! It’s impossible to wind up with dry salmon when making this recipe, it’s just that good!

Easy Salmon and Potato Foil Packets — Juicy, moist salmon that’s loaded with flavor! Ready in 30 minutes, zero cleanup, and a foolproof way to cook salmon and look like a gourmet cook!!

Lemon Dill Salmon with Vegetables in Parchment — Tender salmon with vegetables and it’s so EASY, healthy, ready in 20 minutes, and loaded with bold LEMON and dill flavor!! Put it on your dinner rotation!!

Honey Dijon Salmon — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, juicy, tender, and so FLAVORFUL from the honey, Dijon, and lemon juice!! If you’re trying to incorporate more fish in your diet, this is THE RECIPE to make!!

Chile Lime Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa —  Tender and INCREDIBLE salmon with mango salsa that’s bursting with Mexican FLAVORS to complement the fish!! So EASY and ready in 15 minutes!!

Chile Lime Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa -  Tender and INCREDIBLE salmon with mango salsa that's bursting with Mexican FLAVORS to complement the fish!! So EASY and ready in 15 minutes!!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love this quick and easy sauce recipe. I use skinless salmon and cook it on a grill pan over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Love this quick and easy sauce recipe. I use skinless salmon and cook it on a grill pan over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad this is a winner for you and you enjoy the quick and easy sauce and you can do it on your grill pan!

  3. Ok, so your narrative says cook skin side up the entire time, yet the picture shows the fish in the pan skin side down…why?

    1. Cook it as I wrote and you’ll be just fine or if you want to experiment with skin up/skin down based on what you know you like and works for you, go for it.

      1. I cooked this particular recipe initially with the skin side down to sear it, yes. Salt and pepper disperses throughout a dish. Ho

  4. Made this for dinner tonight – super easy, quick, and I’ve never cooked with salmon in my life! I may have used too much olive oil because when I plated the salmon, the oil separated from the BBQ sauce (at least, I think that’s what happened?). It definitely did not look as pretty as yours, but it still tasted delicious :)

    1. Glad it tasted delicious and salmon is a very fatty fish and some are just fattier than others; maybe yours was in that category. Also cooking fish at a too-high temperature can cause it to separate a bit like that. Given your stove/pan, maybe turn the heat down slightly next time. Thanks for trying the recipe!

  5. This was awesome! The salmon was very tender and the sauce was just right! We paired it with a stir fry and roasted potatoes. Delicious!