This delicious teriyaki glazed salmon recipe will be a hit with the whole family! You'll love how quickly this great recipe comes together - it's ready in less than 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal.
Teriyaki is a wonderful, tangy sauce with complex flavors that combine sweet, savory, and salty. In Japanese, it means "glossy broil" which is exactly what it looks like - a good teriyaki sauce is very shiny.
For this recipe, you'll make a homemade teriyaki sauce with just the right amount of sweetness and savoriness. You can use this teriyaki sauce for dishes like chicken teriyaki or teriyaki tofu as well!
Pan frying the salmon allows it to cook slowly so it's tender and juicy. The teriyaki sauce is added in the last few minutes of cooking time, so it doesn't burn.
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Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you'll need to make this teriyaki salmon recipe.
- Fresh Salmon Fillets
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- Soy Sauce
- Mirin
- Brown Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Sesame Seeds
- Sesame Oil
- Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
Optional toppings include - chopped fresh chives, sliced green onions, or additional sesame seeds
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Heat one tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once hot, add the grated garlic and ginger and allow to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar to the pot. Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer gently for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Combine the tablespoon of cornstarch and the warm water in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add the cornstarch slurry to the pot and whisk to combine. Continue whisking for 30 seconds until the sauce has thickened.
Remove the pot from the heat, add the sesame seeds to the pot, and stir to combine.
Pat the salmon filets dry with paper towels and sprinkle with the sea salt and black pepper.
Add the second tablespoon of sesame oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Place the salmon skin side up and cook for 2 minutes.
Flip the salmon skin side down and cook for 6 minutes.
Brush the teriyaki sauce onto the salmon fillets and allow them to cook for another minute or until the salmon easily flakes apart and reaches an internal temperature of 145 on an instant-read thermometer.
More Great Salmon Recipes
See all our delicious salmon dinner recipes, or try one of these favorites!
- Maple Glazed Salmon - another sweeter salmon recipe made with soy sauce and maple syrup.
- Easy Broiled Salmon - the best way to cook salmon quickly while still locking in moisture and tenderness!
- Baked Lemon Salmon Recipe - this easy recipe is foil-baked with a garlic butter sauce for a succulent dish.
Substitutions & Variations
Here are a few optional ingredient swaps you can make for this recipe.
- Sweetener - you can substitute the brown sugar for maple syrup or honey. Use the same amount.
- Rice Wine Vinegar - you can substitute rice wine vinegar for the mirin. However, rice vinegar is sour in comparison, so add an additional teaspoon of brown sugar to the sauce if you make this substitution.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Salmon
Salmon pairs well with all sorts of side dishes, but if you'd like a Japanese-inspired dish to complement the flavors, try one of these:
Storage
The cooked salmon will keep for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Any remaining sauce will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Cooking Tips - The homemade teriyaki glaze cooks very quickly - do not step away from the stovetop while it's cooking or leave it simmering for longer than stated in the recipe! The glaze will be quite thick, but it should brush onto the salmon easily.
Specialty Ingredients - I like using toasted sesame seeds for this recipe - they can be found in some specialty grocery stores, Asian markets, and online.
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Teriyaki Salmon
This wonderful teriyaki glazed salmon has just the right amount of sweetness! It's a standout main course recipe that will be popular with the whole family.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- ½ inch fresh ginger, grated
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons of warm water
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 pound fresh salmon fillets
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Once hot, add the grated garlic and ginger and allow to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar to the pot. Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer gently for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Combine the tablespoon of cornstarch and the warm water in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pot and whisk to combine. Continue whisking for 30 seconds until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the pot from the heat, add the sesame seeds to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and sprinkle with the sea salt and black pepper.
- Add the second tablespoon of sesame oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Place the salmon skin side up and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the salmon skin side down and cook for 6 minutes.
- Brush the teriyaki sauce onto the salmon fillets and allow them to cook for another minute or until the salmon easily flakes apart and reaches an internal temperature of 145 on an instant-read thermometer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 1212mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 28g