🐟 This Glazed BBQ Salmon Recipe is made with seven simple ingredients in 15 minutes in a single skillet on the stovetop. Smoky and sweet with a little bit of heat, it’s the perfect fuss-free main course for busy weeknights!
Easy BBQ Sauce Salmon Recipe
I make salmon several times a week with recipes like my grilled honey lemon butter salmon, sheet pan Asian salmon and broccoli, and easy teriyaki salmon bowls. However, when I need a quick option that requires minimal fuss and always tastes great, this BBQ sauce salmon is the recipe I turn to.
With a five-star rating, it’s loved by everyone, and for good reason!
- The fish is ready in less than 15 minutes, and you’ll dirty one skillet.
- The glaze is sweet, smoky, and made with a tiny kick of heat, along with brightness from lemon juice that adds a tangy twist.
- 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!
- I often like to make extras and use leftovers in a cold salad, wrap, or sandwich for a quick, easy lunch.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make the BBQ salmon on the stove, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Salmon filets: I prefer wild-caught salmon, but any kind will work. I look for equal-sized salmon fillets or slice a large piece of salmon into equal pieces for fast, even cooking
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper: To amp up the lemon flavor, you can use a lemon pepper seasoning instead of plain black pepper
- Pure maple syrup
- BBQ sauce: I used Sweet Baby Ray’s since it’s easy to find, cheap, sweet, and tangy. However, any kind of bbq sauce will work
- Worcestershire sauce
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Stovetop BBQ Salmon
If you’ve ever been intimidated about how to cook salmon in a skillet, this is a super simple, flavorful, and goofproof method! Here’s how it’s made:
- Sear the fish with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, placing it skin side down in a pan over medium heat.
- Keep the skillet covered until you estimate the salmon is 80 to 90 percent done and the skin has a nice sear. It’s edible and full of nutrients! The exact cooking time will vary depending on the size of your fish.
- Drizzle in maple syrup, bbq sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. There’s no need to whisk the mixture in a small bowl and dirty up another dish!
- Allow the glaze to bubble, thicken, and cook. You’ll know the salmon is done when it reaches an internal temperature between 125°F-130°F at the thickest part when measured with an instant-read thermometer.
- Brush any remaining sauce over the fish, cool at room temperature slightly, and enjoy warm!
Make grilled or baked BBQ salmon
Cover the salmon with the BBQ glaze, and place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 375ºF for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
You can also cook the fish on an outdoor grill over medium heat. Grease the grill grates, cover the salmon with BBQ sauce, and cook until it flakes easily with a fork.
My Favorite Pairings
Skillet BBQ Salmon
Equipment
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy 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!
I love the look of this of this! It’s great that it cooks up so quick too. Can’t beat that! Pinning :)
thanks for pinning!
Salmon is most definitely my thing, and this looks delicious!
Dinner in 15 minutes? Yes please. Salmon is one of the only fish I like and love it with maple. This looks great.
I’m not much of a fish person either, but this looks so good I would have to try it! I can see why your family loved it and that’s so sweet of you to make it for them even though it isn’t your thing! Definitely the prettiest fish dish I’ve ever seen. :)
Thanks for the compliment and saying it’s the prettiest fish you’ve ever seen!
Salmon is my absolute favourite dinner! And with maple – why didnt I think of this! Thanks for sharing!
Anisa – The Macadame. xx
http://www.creamstop.com
This does look yummy & easy. I really like salmon with a sweet-ish sauce/glaze. And I’d bet that this glaze would be good on some tofu, for the non-salmon eaters. Love the addition of bbq sauce. Pinned! = )
It’s a great glaze on tofu! I love it that way. Thanks for pinning!
I seriously need this salmon. It looks so fantastic Averie and so flavorful!
We absolutely love salmon here and cannot eat enough of it. This looks delicious, Averie. Pinned! :)
Thanks for the pin, Chelsea!
We have loved all of your seafood recipes and this one looks like a must for us–salmon is my favorite! I think I’ll take my cast iron pan out to the grill and keep the smell out of the house. Your parsnip fries and some kind of slaw ought to be perfect with it.
It’s been awhile on some of those…shows just how long you’ve been reading :) And this one is SO easy! I bet the glaze, with fries and SLAW would be so good together!
This was excellent –perfect fish and fries meal!! I think the glaze would be good for chicken too.
Oh thanks for trying this and the field report, Paula! Glad you enjoyed it!
We eat fish a few times a week and Salmon is a favorite at my house. We love the flavors of maple & with a kick of BBQ, oh yum!
Gotta try this one, maple bbq, sounds delish! Love getting new salmon recipes, thanks so much :)
I loved seeing your 15 min dinner today. That makes me happy :)
That is so sweet you make this for your family even though you don’t like it! I’m not a huge salmon fan, but it’s my husbands favorite fish so we have it every once and a while! Love that glaze and your pretty photos! :)
Thanks for saying that about the photos…it was so glare-ey from all the glaze! ha! :)
So, I absolutely adore salmon, and being Canadian, am always partial to anything maple-related. The next time we have fish I am sure this will be happening! :)
I’d love some Canadian homegrown maple syrup right about now!
My hubs and I both love salmon – and I know we’d love this maple bbq flavor combo! Looks awesome.
I eat fish 4-5 times a week. Wood salmon is my favorite so I’m excited to try this twist. My dad won’t say fish and the smell drives home crazy.
If you try it, LMK!
this sounds so delicious! i bet it would be really good if i make my hubby toss it on the grill =)
Yes, make him do the work :)