Broiled Salmon with Molasses Glaze

Sweet and savory molasses glazed broiled salmon with chili spice! This satisfying and wholesome dish is perfect for a quick and healthy home-cooked meal.

Have you ever enjoyed your meal so much at a restaurant that you wanted to recreate that dish at home? This happened to Jason and me at our wedding of all places. The Beachcomber Cafe in Crystal Cove, CA catered our meal, and they made an incredible broiled salmon with maple glaze and ancho chili spice.

Our guests raved about this fish, and we are hooked. I know you will be too! This is one of my go-to weekday meals that I’ve made countless times. I don’t even use a recipe anymore!

The sweetness of the molasses syrup is the perfect balance for the smoky and spicy chili peppers. I wanted to make this particular dish for my husband at home, so I scavenged through my kitchen pantry for just the right combination of ingredients.

I was inspired to create a broiled salmon recipe with molasses glaze that we eat almost every Monday on “fish” night. Once you have all of your staple ingredients of dried spices, it’s easy to make this dish on the fly!

How to Broil Salmon

There are many ways to cook salmon, like pan-fry, grill, steam or bake. My favorite technique is to use the broiler because it’s fast and easy, plus it gives a nice caramelized spice crust with the glaze.

• Location: Typically you want to place the fish about 7 to 8 inches from the heating element, but because there are natural sugars in the molasses glaze, put the fish near the bottom of the oven to prevent instant burning of the sauce.
• Temperature: Broiling can reach temperatures of 525°F or higher, super hot! You can preheat the broiling pan for even cooking on each side, of just place the salmon on a foil-lined sheet pan and cook until done. Add the honey drizzle eat the end, in the last 2 or so minutes of cooking, so the sweetener does not burn.
• Time: For 4 to 6-ounce salmon fillets, I’ve found about 8 to 10 minutes in the broiler gives a medium-rare to medium cook (130 to 135°F internal cooking temperature).

This broiled salmon recipe is packed with layers of flavor. The seasoning base is salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder. The salmon is glazed with Grandma’s Original Molasses then towards the end of cooking drizzled with honey.

Looking for an easy meal? This is a quick and straightforward dish you can have dinner done in 30 minutes or less! If you like salmon as much as we do, make sure to try my baked Meditteranean spiced salmon or miso glazed salmon.

Weekday cooking doesn’t have to be a stressful labor of love. With a little bit of planning and wholesome ingredients, you can create a delicious meal that your family will enjoy. They might even ask for seconds. I’m so happy that I can make a dish that reminds us of our incredible wedding day, and now I get to share our favorite family meal with you, enjoy!

Broiled Salmon with Molasses Glaze

A delicious and easy fish recipe for broiled salmon with molasses glaze that's ready in under 30 minutes and that your whole family will enjoy.

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4.63 from 51 votes

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Ingredients  

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Seasoning Mix

• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/16 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Molasses Glazed Salmon

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 16 ounces salmon fillets, cut into 4 pieces
• ▢ 4 teaspoons molasses
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon honey
• ▢ 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to broil (525°F). Line a baking sheet with foil. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on the baking sheet where the salmon fillets will be placed.
• In a small bowl, combine the seasoning mix; salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cinnamon.
• Place the salmon fillets on the sheet pan skin-side down (if the skin has not been removed). Evenly coat each fillet with about ¼ teaspoon of the seasoning mix. Evenly drizzle 1 teaspoon of the molasses over each piece of salmon to give an even coating. Evenly sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of chili powder over each piece of salmon. Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of paprika over each piece of salmon.
• Place the tray in the oven on the lowest rack. The sugars in the molasses will burn too quickly if placed close to the broiler heating elements. Broil salmon fillets for 8 minutes.
• Remove fillets from the oven. Drizzle ¼ teaspoon of honey on each piece, return to the lower oven rack. Broil for 2 more minutes, or until salmon reaches the desired cooking temperature, 130 to 135°F for a medium-rare to medium. Depending on the thickness of salmon, you may need more or less time.
• Allow the salmon to rest for 3 to 5 minutes on the sheet tray. Carefully remove the skin from the salmon if remaining on the fillet. Serve warm with lemon slices on the side.

Equipment

• Instant-Read Thermometer

Nutrition Facts

Serves: 4 servings

Calories 162kcal (8%)Carbohydrates 5g (2%)Protein 23g (46%)Fat 6g (9%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 56mg (19%)Sodium 282mg (12%)Potassium 89mg (3%)Fiber 0.3g (1%)Sugar 4g (4%)Vitamin A 200IU (4%)Vitamin C 0.8mg (1%)Calcium 10mg (1%)Iron 0.4mg (2%)

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.