Honey Balsamic Salmon

Working with balsamic vinegar sounds complicated, but it’s one of the easier ways to make a simple dish taste like it was professionally cooked. Reducing a mixture of vinegar, honey and broth or wine lets the moisture evaporate, leaving a thickened syrup that clings easily to each salmon fillet. This recipe is good for those learning how to cook fish as well as for anyone who wants a relatively fast main course that’s sweet and tangy. Serve this salmon for lunch or dinner, or use it in meal-prep recipes for the next couple of days. It tastes great warm or cold.

Honey Balsamic Salmon Ingredients

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• Balsamic vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is already syrupy, but cooking it further removes more moisture and turns it into a glaze.
• White wine or chicken broth: If you don’t want to use alcohol, chicken broth works well. Use reduced-sodium broth if possible.
• Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard helps with emulsification, which is the blending of two liquids that don’t always mix. This ensures the vinegar, broth or wine and olive oil form a blended glaze that doesn’t separate.
• Honey: Honey adds sweetness and thickens the glaze during cooking.
• Garlic: Garlic gives the glaze a nice bite.
• Salmon fillets: Buy salmon fillets that are about 6 ounces each, with skin on one side.
• Fresh oregano: Top each glazed fillet with this fresh herb.

Directions

Step 1: Make the reduction

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Combine the balsamic vinegar, white wine or chicken broth, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan. Boil and then cook, stirring, for four to five minutes until the mixture has thickened.

Step 2: Prepare the salmon for baking

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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Place the salmon fillets skin side down on the pan, and sprinkle salt and pepper over each fillet. Coat the fillets with the balsamic glaze, and then sprinkle oregano over the top.

Step 3: Bake

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Bake the fish, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork when it’s done.

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Honey Balsamic Salmon Variations

• Change the herbs: Play around with herbs when making the salmon. Instead of oregano, try thyme or rosemary.
• Add citrus juice or zest: Adding a little citrus juice gives the glaze a nice, bright kick. Lemon, orange and grapefruit all work well.
• Try a pre-made balsamic glaze: If you don’t want to deal with cooking down balsamic vinegar (and not everyone does, even if it doesn’t take much time), you can buy premade balsamic glazes. Simmer it long enough to just warm up the glaze, because you don’t want to reduce it further.

How to Store Honey Balsamic Salmon

Once the salmon has cooled down, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Can you make honey balsamic salmon ahead of time?

Yes, you can make honey balsamic salmon ahead of time. Keep in mind the storage windows: you’ll have to eat the salmon within four days of making it. You can eat it cold, so this is a good meal-prep recipe. If you want to warm the salmon up before eating it, however, be cautious. Heating it too quickly could dry out the fish. Instead, warm it in a 275° oven; low-and-slow heating is better for preserving moisture.

Honey Balsamic Salmon Tips

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What can you do if the balsamic reduction doesn’t thicken?

Sometimes balsamic reductions don’t appear to thicken until they start to cool. The honey in the recipe should help the thickening process while the mixture is still over the heat on the stove, but if it doesn’t and you think the reduction is still too thin after five minutes or so, try removing the reduction from the heat while continuing to stir. Another tactic you could try is adding a little bit of brown sugar (more sugar helps with making the reduction more syrupy), but this could make the glaze too sweet if you’re not careful. Always taste the glaze before coating the salmon fillets so you can adjust or make a different batch as necessary. Also check out other salmon recipes to see what glazes are possible.

Can you use a different type of vinegar?

Maybe you’re not such a fan of balsamic vinegar but want to try the recipe anyway, just with a different type of vinegar. That’s not so easy. This recipe uses balsamic vinegar because that vinegar’s very high sugar levels allow it to reduce to a syrup after being cooked for a while. If the vinegar you want to use doesn’t have high sugar levels, it won’t reduce to a glaze. Sometimes you can add sugar to vinegar to produce a glaze; for example, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar cooked with a cup of apple cider vinegar can make a glaze. But you’ll need to experiment first to ensure you can produce something that reduces enough to provide the thick syrup that you need. Adding sugar isn’t always enough for some vinegar types.

What can you serve with this honey balsamic salmon?

When choosing sides for this salmon, consider both flavor and texture. The fish will be tender when done, so a side dish with a grainy texture is a delicious match. Try quinoa, orzo or couscous if you want a grain-based side, or look at this lemon risotto with broccoli for added vegetables. Firm green beans also provide a wonderful contrast. As for flavors, tangy side dishes will complement the balsamic glaze on the salmon.