5-Ingredient Balsamic Glazed Salmon (Your New Weeknight Obsession)

Looking for a dinner that’s healthy, incredibly delicious, and on the table in under 20 minutes? This 5-ingredient balsamic glazed salmon is your answer. It’s the perfect, elegant solution for busy weeknights when you want something special without the stress.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Quick, Easy, Lazy Weeknight Dinner

Let’s be honest about weeknight dinners. We all start the week with the best intentions, dreaming of wholesome, delicious meals. But by the time Wednesday rolls around, we’re tired, short on time, and the temptation to order takeout is very, very real.

What if I told you that you could have a restaurant-quality, healthy, and stunningly flavourful meal on the table in less than 20 minutes, using just five simple ingredients?

Meet my secret weapon for busy evenings: this 5-ingredient balsamic glazed salmon. It’s a recipe I come back to again and again because it hits all the right notes.

It’s flaky, tender, and coated in a sweet and tangy glaze that tastes incredibly complex, but is deceptively simple to achieve. This isn’t just another recipe; it’s a solution that will make you feel like a gourmet chef, even on the most hectic of days.

The Best 5-Ingredient Recipe Ever!

If you’re not already convinced, here’s why this dish will quickly become a staple in your home:

• Incredibly Quick: From start to finish, you’re looking at 20 minutes, tops. Perfect for when you’re hungry now.
• Minimal Ingredients: You only need 5 core ingredients, most of which you might already have.
• Healthy and Light: Salmon is packed with Omega-3s, and the recipe is light, fresh, and satisfying.
• Looks and Tastes Fancy: This is the kind of dish you’d be proud to serve to guests, but it’s easy enough for a Tuesday night.

The Ingredients You’ll Need

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. We’re using a handful of quality ingredients and letting them shine.

• Salmon Fillets: Two skin-on or skinless salmon fillets, about 6 oz (170g) each.
• Olive Oil: A good quality extra-virgin olive oil for cooking.
• Salt: Flaky sea salt or kosher salt.
• Black Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper.
• Balsamic Glaze: This is the star of the show and the secret to making this recipe so easy.

The Secret to That Perfect “Restaurant-Quality” Glaze

One of my favourite kitchen ingredient ever, is balsamic glaze. It ranks right up there with pomegranate molasses and sundried tomato paste, in how often I use it.

To get that perfect, glossy coating without spending 20 minutes simmering and reducing a sauce, the key is to use a high-quality, ready-made glaze. The right product will have a rich, syrupy consistency straight out of the bottle, saving you time and guaranteeing a perfect result every time.

My favourite is this glaze with balsamic vinegar of Modena by Giusti. Its authentic, complex flavour is crucial here; a cheaper, imitation glaze is often just sugary and lacks the depth that makes this dish so special. This single ingredient does all the heavy lifting for you.

The Recipe

It’s such an easy recipe, as you’ll see. This is what we’ll be doing:

1. Prep the salmon.
2. Start with searing the salmon tops for maximum flavour.
3. Flip the salmon and glaze th etop while searing the skin for a crispy finish.
4. Cook the second side for just another 3 – 5 minutes.

What to Serve with Your Glazed Salmon

To keep things simple and weeknight-friendly, I love serving this salmon with some quick and healthy sides. It pairs beautifully with any of the following:

• Roasted asparagus (you can cook it in the oven while the salmon is on the stove)
• A simple quinoa or couscous salad
• Steamed green beans with a squeeze of lemon
• Fluffy white or brown rice

So there you go. This recipe is proof that you don’t need a lot of time or a long list of complicated ingredients to create something truly delicious.

It’s all about using a few high-quality items and letting them shine. Make it today and let me know what you think!

If you enjoy the recipe, drop me a comment and let me know. And if you are feeling like a star, don’t forget that 5-star rating!😉

If you make this recipe, post it on Instagram and tag me @azlinbloor.

Lin xx

• Pat your salmon fillets completely dry with a paper towel. This is the most important step for getting a beautiful, crispy sear. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, place the salmon fillets in the pan, skin-side up. Sear for about 3 minutes without moving them, until you have a beautiful golden-brown crust.

• Flip the salmon fillets over. Now, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. This is important to prevent the glaze from burning. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the glaze over the top of the salmon fillets.

• Let the salmon cook for another 5 minutes on the second side. The glaze will bubble and thicken slightly. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 833mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

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