Brown Sugar Salmon

Extremely versatile and so easy to prepare, salmon is a staple in my weeknight dinner rotation, and this particular recipe has become my new go-to. Brown sugar, Dijon mustard, lime juice, fish sauce, and berbere spice—a warm and vibrant Ethiopian spice blend—are whisked together to create a molasses-y sweet, slightly tart, and deeply savory glaze that gets brushed onto the salmon before, during, and after broiling. The brown sugar glaze adds an irresistible savory-sweet flavor to the flaky, tender salmon. The best part? It only takes 5 minutes to prep, 10 minutes to cook, and cleanup is an absolute breeze. Here are my top tips on how to make it:

Customize it:
Like all easy meals should be, this one is can be tailored to your taste. You can swap the lime for lemon, the fish sauce for soy sauce, and the berbere seasoning for your favorite warm spice blend (like Baharat, found in eastern Mediterranean cooking, or garam masala, found in Indian cooking) and still get an outstanding result. If you're low on brown sugar, you can swap it with a little honey or maple syrup.

Broil it:
The broiler is truly a superior way to cook smaller pieces of salmon. It's fast, hands-off, and super-easy to clean, with help from a layer of foil. The broiler will cook the sugar in the glaze quickly, helping create a thicker, stickier glaze as the salmon cooks. The heat from the broiler may also cause excess glaze to burn on the foil. This is totally fine and should not affect the taste of the salmon.

Serving ideas:
Make a complete meal and pair the glazed salmon with garlicky bok choy and steamed white rice or crispy smashed potatoes. You also can't go wrong with a smashed cucumber salad or a simple spinach salad.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!