Teriyaki Salmon is a sweet, savory, and juicy Japanese seafood dish that is glazed in a homemade Teriyaki Sauce. It is usually made with salmon fillets, basic aromatics, mirin, tamari sauce, and other basic seasonings. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make Teriyaki Salmon with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe to make the cooking process visually clear. This homemade Teriyaki Salmon is of one the best and easy-to-make seafood dishes that come in under 30 minutes. And it makes a healthy meal with rice dishes such as white rice, brown rice, or roasted and baked vegetables for lunch and dinner similar to Teriyaki Chicken.
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What is Teriyaki Salmon?
Teriyaki Salmon is a sweet, savory, and light Japanese seafood dish. It is usually made with salmon fillets, basic aromatics, mirin, tamari sauce, and other basic seasonings. The term Teriyaki refers to the basic Japanese cooking method in which the food is broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
Even though in the authentic recipe, the salmon is either pan-fried or seared, I have baked it in the oven to make the process simple. Also, my recipe does not require marinating the salmon in the marinade, as the salmon is naturally so versatile to absorb the flavors from the seasonings that we add. Guess what, the final product is super delicious and I hope you will not regret it after trying it.
Here the recipe involves making the Teriyaki Sauce from scratch, coating the sauce on salmon fillets, and then baking them to perfection in the oven. So if you are looking for easy dinner meals in under 30 minutes then this Teriyaki Salmon is a perfect dish to delight your family.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Teriyaki Salmon are basic Japanese pantry elements and you could easily find them in Asian grocery stores around.
- Salmon - Wild-caught Salmon or farm-raised Salmon fillets both work fine for this recipe. Usually, farm-raised salmon is thick and fatty, so you can cook them for a longer period. While wild-caught Salmon is usually thinner and less fatty and you might need to keep an eye on it while cooking or baking to avoid overcooked salmon fillets
- Tamari Sauce and Mirin - Japanese essentials that are widely used to flavor up the food. Tamari is similar to soy sauce but they are less sodium content. And Mirin sauce is a Japanese rice wine that enhances the flavor of the dish. Both the ingredients help to deliver the authentic umami flavor
- Aromatics - Ginger and garlic for achieving a fresh aroma and taste
- Oil - You can use any cooking oil that's handy to you. Since I love the rustic flavor of sesame oil in Asian recipes, I have used it here for making the sauce. But it is totally optional as the authentic Japanese Teriyaki Salmon does not call for it
- Other Seasonings - Chili flakes, black pepper, brown sugar, and honey to deliver some heat and make a glazed finish
- Cornstarch Slurry - To thicken the sauce
- Other Garnishing Ingredients - White, black sesame seeds and chopped green onions
For a detailed ingredients list, please check out the recipe card below.
How to make Teriyaki Salmon?
The recipe I have shared here is an easy and simple Baked Teriyaki Salmon, a popular Japanese dish. It is usually made with basic aromatics and Japanese seasonings. The Salmon fillets are coated with a delicious Teriyaki Sauce and baked to perfection in the oven.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Saute the aromatics - In a pan with medium heat, pour sesame oil, and add ginger, garlic, and dry red chili. Saute until it turns aromatic
- Add the seasonings - Add the tamari sauce, mirin sauce, brown sugar, black pepper powder, chili flakes, and honey. Give it a good mix. Now pour water and bring it to boil
- Thicken the sauce - Once the mixture starts to boil, add the cornstarch slurry and give it a good mix
- Remove and reserve - Stir and cook the mixture until it thickens. Once the sauce is thick, remove it from the heat. Now the flavor loaded Sauce is ready for us to make Teriyaki Salmon
- Place the Salmon - In an oil-greased baking tray or bakeware, place the salmon fillets one by one
- Coat with Sauce - Pour a generous amount of Teriyaki Sauce over the Salmon fillets. I have used approximately ½ cup of sauce to coat 4 fillets. Note: (You can use this sauce for up to 6 to 8 fillets). So I would recommend using the remaining sauce while serving the salmon or storing it in the refrigerator for later use
- Bake - Bake the Sauce coated Salmon at 400° F for about 12 to 15 minutes or until it turns fork tender
- Remove and garnish - Remove the Teriyaki Salmon from the oven and garnish with white, black sesame seeds and chopped spring onions
Tips
- Sauce - Sauce plays an important factor in delivering the best Teriyaki Salmon, so I recommend not compromising on the ingredients to achieve the desired results. If some of the ingredients are not handy feel free to check out the substitutions section below for alternatives
- Cooking Time - I have used farm-raised salmon here and I baked it at 400° F for about 12 to 15 minutes. And I would also suggest checking the salmon with a thermometer to confirm whether the salmon reached the safest internal temperature of 145 °F recommended by the FDA. You could also confirm that the fish is cooked if the flesh is clear and separates easily with a fork
- Garnish - Garnishing the salmon with some toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onions delivers crunchiness in every bite
Substitutions
- Tamari Sauce - you can substitute it with low-sodium soy sauce for a similar flavor and taste
- Mirin Sauce - It is nothing but Japanese cooking rice wine. You can replace it with dry sherry, Chinese cooking wine, or rice vinegar
- Honey - You can either use it or just add only brown sugar for the sweetness. But adding honey gives you a unique flavor and glazy finish to your sauce
Storage Suggestions
To enjoy its fresh and delicious flavor, I would suggest serving this dish once it is out of the oven. But you can also store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a closed container.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Teriyaki Salmon over white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, or jasmine rice along with roasted asparagus, roasted green beans, roasted broccoli, sauteed spinach or other roasted vegetables of your choice. You could also check out our collection of the best side dishes for salmon for more.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar salmon recipes below and more at seafood recipes.
- Honey Glazed Salmon
- Grilled Salmon
- Baked Salmon
- Pan Seared Salmon
- Garlic Butter Baked Salmon
- Pan Fried Salmon
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Salmon Pasta
- Salmon Patties(Cakes)
- Salmon Tandoori
Some popular Japanese dishes.
Teriyaki Salmon Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Teriyaki Salmon Recipe below that I hope will help you to make a delicious healthy meal at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients
- 3 lb Salmon , 4 fillets
- 1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 4 Red Chili, dried
- ¼ cup Tamari Sauce, or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Mirin Sauce
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- ½ tsp Chili Flakes
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch, diluted in 3 tbsp water
- Salt, as needed
- White Sesame Seeds, to garnish
- Black Sesame Seeds, to garnish
- Spring Onions, to garnish
Instructions
To make Teriyaki Salmon
- In a pan with medium heat, pour sesame oil, and add ginger, garlic, and dry red chili. Saute until it turns aromatic
- Add the tamari sauce, mirin sauce, brown sugar, black pepper powder, chili flakes, and honey. Give it a good mix
- Now pour water and bring the mixture to boil
- Once the mixture starts to boil, add the cornstarch slurry and give it a good mix. Now season the mixture with salt according to your taste
- Stir and cook the mixture until it thickens. Once the sauce is thick remove it from the heat. Now the flavor loaded Teriyaki Sauce is ready for us to make Teriyaki Salmon
- In an oil-greased baking tray or bakeware, place the salmon fillets one by one
- Pour a generous amount of Teriyaki Sauce over the Salmon fillets. I have used approximately ½ cup of sauce to coat 4 fillets. (Note: The sauce prepared here can be used for 6 to 8 fillets)
- Bake the Sauce coated Salmon at 400° F for about 12 to 15 minutes or until it turns fork tender
- Remove the Teriyaki Salmon from the oven and garnish with white, black sesame seeds and chopped spring onions
To Serve
- Serve this Teriyaki Salmon over white rice, brown rice, or jasmine rice along with roasted asparagus, roasted green beans, roasted broccoli, or other roasted vegetables of your choice
Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
- Sauce - Sauce plays an important factor in delivering the best Teriyaki Salmon, so I recommend not compromising on the ingredients to achieve the desired results. If some of the ingredients are not handy feel free to check out the substitutions section below for alternatives
- Cooking Time - I have used farm-raised salmon here and I baked it at 400° F for about 12 to 15 minutes. And I would also suggest checking the salmon with a thermometer to confirm whether the salmon reached the safest internal temperature of 145 °F recommended by the FDA. You could also confirm that the fish is cooked if the flesh is clear and separates easily with a fork
- Garnish - Garnishing the salmon with some toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onions delivers crunchiness in every bite
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer: We’re not nutrition experts. Nutritional info is estimated and should be used as a guide. For precise details, consult a professional.
FAQ
Teriyaki Salmon is a sweet, savory, and light Japanese seafood dish. It is usually made with salmon fillets, basic aromatics, mirin, tamari sauce, and other basic seasonings. The term Teriyaki refers to the basic Japanese cooking method in which the food is broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
This recipe does not require marinating the salmon in the marinade, as the salmon is naturally so versatile to absorb the flavors from the seasonings that we add.
Teriyaki Marinade is used to flavor up meat, chicken, or fish. The soy sauce, mirin sauce, brown sugar, and other aromatics are mixed together. The marinades are usually thinner in consistency. It is used to marinate or soak up meat or other proteins. On the other hand, Teriyaki sauce is usually simmered in heat until it thickens. And then it is used to baste, stir fry or pour over the meat or other proteins for enhancing the flavor.
Serve this Teriyaki Salmon over white rice, brown rice, or jasmine rice along with roasted asparagus, roasted green beans, roasted broccoli, or other roasted vegetables of your choice.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe I shared here and would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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