An easy, baked Teriyaki Salmon recipe will soon become one of your go-to weeknight dinners! The thick, sweet marinade and glaze yields a flavorful piece of fish that's delicious with rice, noodles or vegetables. Best of all, the entire meal is ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes!
Baked Teriyaki Salmon
Teriyaki is a sweet-and-salty sauce commonly used in Japanese cooking. The four main ingredients of a simple teriyaki sauce include soy sauce, sake (or mirin), sugar and ginger. When paired with chicken, seafood, beef or vegetables, teriyaki creates a rich, flavorful, umami dish. It's a great way to yield a complex, satisfying meal in a short amount of time.
For this easy teriyaki salmon, you'll marinate the fish in a homemade teriyaki sauce. While the salmon bakes in the oven, thicken the remaining teriyaki on the stovetop to make a thick, sweet glaze that you can spoon over the cooked fish. Pair the tender, flavorful salmon with rice, noodles or veggies for a quick, easy, family-friendly dinner!
Teriyaki Marinade vs. Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki marinade typically has a thinner consistency than teriyaki sauce. The marinade is used to flavor beef, chicken or fish by slowly permeating the meat. By contrast, a thicker teriyaki sauce or glaze is added to the fish during or after cooking.
Here, you'll use the homemade teriyaki sauce in two ways: first, to marinate the fish before baking. For added flavor, you'll then simmer and thicken the sauce on the stovetop to make a rich glaze that you can add to the salmon just before serving. It's a marinade and a sauce in one!
How Long to Marinate Salmon
Marinate the salmon in teriyaki sauce for at least 15-30 minutes, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. In a pinch, you can likely leave the fish in the marinade longer than 2 hours, but if it sits in the marinade for too long, the acid will start to break down the fish and will result in mushy salmon.
How to Make Teriyaki Salmon
This easy teriyaki salmon bakes in the oven in about 10 minutes! I find that the oven-baked method is a fool-proof way to achieve moist, tender fish -- and it's a simple hands-off process that gives you time to finish the glaze on the stovetop. If you prefer, you can use the same marinade and sauce on grilled salmon or on pan-fried salmon.
Ingredients
- Salmon fillet: Fresh or frozen and thawed is fine; cut into individual pieces for easy serving
- Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce, but any variety is fine
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: gives the sauce a sweet flavor and a thick consistency
- Mirin: a subtly sweet Japanese rice wine. It's similar to sake, but has more sugar and a lower alcohol content. I find mirin in the Asian aisle at my little local grocery store -- right near the soy sauce.
- Fresh ginger: for zesty flavor; substitute with a smaller amount of ground ginger if necessary
- Garlic: a large, minced fresh clove gives the sauce more aromatic flavor
- Sesame oil: adds a distinctive toasty, nutty flavor to the dish
- Cornstarch and water: to make a slurry that thickens the glaze
Step 1: Make Teriyaki Sauce
Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Pour half of the sauce into a large Ziploc bag, and pour the other half into a small saucepan.
Step 2: Marinate Salmon
Add the salmon to the Ziploc bag and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3: Bake
Remove the salmon from the marinade and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake the salmon at 400 degrees F for 8-11 minutes. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your fish.
How to Know When Salmon is Done
You know the salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork. If you're using an instant-read thermometer, the USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, which should be measured at the thickest part of the fillet.
Step 4: Thicken Teriyaki Glaze
While the salmon is in the oven, prepare the teriyaki sauce on the stovetop by simmering over medium-low heat. Add the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Drizzle the thickened glaze over the cooked salmon just before serving.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Salmon
A teriyaki salmon bowl typically includes rice or noodles, as well as steamed, stir-fried, roasted or grilled vegetables. Here are a few great options to pair with the fish and sauce:
- Oven-Roasted Sesame Broccoli or Steamed Broccoli
- Sauteed Spinach
- Marinated Cucumber Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Steamed Green Beans
- Oven-Roasted Asparagus
- Stir-Fried Peppers and Onions
- Vegetable Lo Mein
Wine Pairing
Serve the teriyaki salmon with medium to full-bodied white wines with good acidity, such as Chardonnay without oak, Pinot Gris, or a fuller-bodied dry Riesling. A rich sparkling white wine would also be great!
Storage
Leftover teriyaki salmon will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The cooked salmon can be frozen for four to six months, too. Thaw cooked salmon in the refrigerator or immersed in cold water. Use cooked, thawed salmon in salads or as a substitute for canned salmon in casseroles, pasta dishes, sandwiches or wraps.
Recipe Variations - Easy Teriyaki Salmon
- Substitute sake (a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice) for the mirin called for in this teriyaki sauce.
- Use ¼ teaspoon ground ginger in lieu of the fresh ginger, when necessary.
- Sesame oil gives the sauce that rich, nutty, toasted flavor that's a hallmark of many Asian dishes. I highly recommend using it here! That said, if you can't find any sesame oil, you can substitute with olive oil or a neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil).
- Use the teriyaki marinade and sauce to cook your salmon in a variety of ways. This is obviously an oven-baked version, but you can also grill salmon, bake salmon in foil, or pan-fry the salmon.
Tips for the Best Teriyaki Salmon Recipe
- If starting with a larger whole fillet, cut the salmon into individual pieces before marinating and baking. I use sharp kitchen shears to easily cut through the fish's skin.
- Line the baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.
- For an even crispier exterior, place the salmon under the broiler during the final 1-2 minutes of cooking.
- Garnish the cooked fish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for even more flavor and texture!
More Salmon Recipes to Try
- Perfect 15-Minute Grilled Salmon
- Honey Soy Glazed Salmon
- Salmon Pasta with Garlic Cream Sauce
- Salmon Burgers
- Baked Salmon Fillet
- Parmesan Herb Baked Salmon
- 5-Ingredient Blackened Salmon
Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) salmon fillet cut into individual pieces, or as many smaller fillets as needed
- ⅔ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- Garnish: sliced green onions; sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, brown sugar, mirin, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Pour half of the mixture into a Ziploc bag or dish; pour the other half into a small saucepan.
- Add the salmon fillets to the Ziploc bag or dish. Toss to coat; marinate for at least 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Remove the salmon from the marinade; place on the prepared baking sheet (skin-side down). Roast salmon in the 400 degree F oven for 8-11 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. For an even crispier exterior, place the salmon under the broiler during the final 1-2 minutes of cooking time. Just make sure that you keep a close eye on the fish so that the herbs on top don't burn quickly.
- While the salmon is in the oven, prepare the glaze on the stovetop. Heat the reserved marinade in the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan and simmer until thickened. Drizzle the glaze over the salmon just before serving. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Substitute sake (a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice) for the mirin called for in this teriyaki sauce.
- Use ¼ teaspoon ground ginger in lieu of the fresh ginger, when necessary.
- Sesame oil gives the sauce that rich, nutty, toasted flavor that's a hallmark of many Asian dishes. I highly recommend using it here! That said, if you can't find any sesame oil, you can substitute with olive oil or a neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil).
- Use the teriyaki marinade and sauce to cook your salmon in a variety of ways. This is obviously an oven-baked version, but you can also grill salmon, bake salmon in foil, or pan-fry the salmon.
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