Whiskey Cream Salmon & Corn Skillet

Kitchen Little Essentials

For this Whiskey Cream Salmon & Corn Skillet, I recommend:

A large oven-safe skillet

A chef’s knife

Continuing with my recent theme of: Recipes I Could Eat Happily and Heartily Every Single Day, I present to you this Whiskey Cream Salmon and Corn Skillet. It’s quick and easy and checks the My Kitchen Little recipe trifecta of greatness (that’s a thing).

It is:

• A one-pan meal
• Takes less than 30 minutes to make
• Requires less than 10 ingredients

Ahhh yes, just the thought of recipes like this makes me breathe a little easier, you know? Just me? No? Anyway. This is simply a fun and more interesting way to serve up some great roasted salmon, all summer long.

I saw this on a restaurant menu once, but I believe it was a whiskey cream shrimp that was fired with a blow torch tableside or something along those lines. This recipe is decidedly simpler than that – no blow torches required – and I’m swapping in meaty, buttery salmon for the shrimp. Blogger’s prerogative! 

Truth be told, I’m never not looking for tasty new ways to serve salmon. Because it’s my very favorite.

How to Make this Whiskey Cream Salmon & Corn Skillet

An all-in-one-pan kind of meal, this skillet gets its smoky, flavorful backbone from a few slices of bacon. Yes. Yes. Yes. We’ll crisp up some bacon pieces in our pan and use some of the drippings to cook the onion, garlic and corn. 

After those aromatics are nice and tender, in goes the whiskey! Whiskey is made from corn, so you see – this recipe just makes sense.

You can use any kind you like – bourbon, rye, Irish whiskey – just get what you like to drink. We’ll hit the veggies with the whiskey and let that cook off a bit (and by “that” I mean the alcohol). Then, we’ll add in some half and half (or heavy cream, if that’s how you want to roll), season with a little salt and pepper, and give it a taste. 

If the skillet’s contents taste great to you, go ahead and place the salmon fillets on top and send everything into the oven to roast away. Garnished with some chopped green herbs, this is one fantastic.

Here’s the Step-by-Step

1. Add the bacon to a large oven-proof skillet set over med-high heat and cook until crisp and the fat has fully rendered. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Keep 1 TBSP of the bacon drippings in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium.
2. Add the onion and corn to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened; 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the bourbon and cook until the liquid has evaporated some about 1 minute. 
3. Add the half and half and season everything with salt and pepper to your liking. Let this simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the cream sauce can reduce and thicken a little bit. 
4. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place them on top of the corn + cream mixture and place in the oven to roast until done. The cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish, but typically 8 minutes is just enough to cook the fish through and leave it tender and buttery soft (see note).
5. Serve with fresh chopped herbs on top, and enjoy!

How to Shop for Salmon 

As with any fish, it’s a good idea to aim to purchase the best and highest quality sustainable salmon you can both find and afford. For more information about best practices for buying sustainable salmon, and what that means exactly, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch page. 

Salmon Fact Sheet from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch

Roasted Salmon 101:

The key to good salmon is not overthinking it – don’t let the little guys intimidate you! Today, all we’re doing is rubbing the fillets with a little oil and seasoning them with salt and pepper before putting them in the oven. 

Even thick fillets of salmon will cook fast, so just be sure to keep an eye on them. Shoot for 4 to 6 minutes per half-inch of thickness. Since most fillets are about one inch thick in the thickest part, start checking around eight minutes.

Salmon typically likes to roast at high temps for shorter amounts of time. I’ve found that 425 degrees F is ideal, and I start to check the fillets around 7 to 8 minutes. You’re looking for tender, easily flaked flesh. 

Allow about 6 minutes of cook time for each ½-inch of thickness. 

If you like the looks of this Whiskey Cream Salmon & Corn Skillet, you might want to check out:

Chipotle Brown Sugar Salmon & Potatoes

Pan-Roasted Green Curry Salmon

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