This is my attempt at recreating and morphing together, Outback Steakhouse’s “Bacon Bourbon Salmon” and Cheddar’s “Bourbon Glazed Salmon.” I’m going to apologize in advance, as I don’t really have exact measurements for all of the ingredients I used. I basically just added “a little bit of this, a couple drops of that, and a few of these” until it seemed right lol. So bear with me, these “measurements” are my best guess at the amounts of everything I used. SORRY! But also, you’re welcome, because it really is delicious.

Ingredients

Note: Feel free to cut this recipe in half. When I made this, we had company over so I made kind of a lot :)

For the salmon:

(2) 3 lb fresh (not frozen), good quality salmon filets
Garlic powder
Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Soy sauce

For the glaze:

5 strips of bacon
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh cranberries
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
5-7 drops Liquid Smoke
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet BBQ sauce (I used Stubb’s)
5-7 drops sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

For the salmon:

Drizzle some soy sauce on the salmon, then generously season the salmon with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
Place salmon (flesh side down) on a HOT grill. Cook for only a minute, maybe two, and then flip salmon so the skin side is down. You should have some beautiful grill marks. Turn grill down to medium-low for the remainder of the time.
Drizzle a few more drops of soy sauce on the salmon throughout the grilling process. I do this to help keep it moist. You can also sprinkle on more of the seasoning if desired.
Grill salmon until flesh starts to flake, around 5-7 minutes. Do not overcook or the salmon will be dry! Once done, remove skin and top with the glaze.

For the glaze:

Fry up your bacon in a large skillet until crispy, but not burnt, then place bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, slice bacon into chunks and set aside. Leave bacon grease in the skillet.
Slice your cranberries into halves or thirds and toss them into the skillet, along with the diced onion and minced garlic. Cook cranberries, onion, and garlic in the bacon grease over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
Pour in the bourbon, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and Liquid Smoke. Cook for about 5 minutes. Once mixture starts to bubble, stir in the brown sugar.
Add the BBQ sauce, sriracha, ground ginger, smoked paprika, and fresh cracked pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and add the bacon chunks back into the mixture.
Taste and adjust any seasonings or other ingredients. Serve immediately over grilled salmon. Garnish with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and more bacon!
- Note: I served this over rice infused with Asian flavors. Recipe coming soon!