Teriyaki Salmon
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
In just 20 minutes and with only six ingredients, you can whip up teriyaki salmon that’ll rival your favorite Japanese restaurant.
This teriyaki salmon recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson, where it’s known as “mirin glazed salmon.” It’s a deceptively simple dish that looks much more complicated than it really is—my favorite kind! You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already, and you can have the whole meal ready in just 20 minutes. Just remember to start your rice before the salmon so that everything is ready at the same time. The real magic happens when the sweet marinade hits the hot pan, caramelizing the salmon to create a gorgeous sear and a rich, mahogany glaze that will have everyone thinking you spent all day in the kitchen.
“Oh my gosh, this is a wonderful dish! Other salmon dishes of yours are favorites of ours but this takes the stars for ease and flavor!”
What You’ll Need To Make Teriyaki Salmon
- Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine): Adds sweetness and depth to the teriyaki sauce; contributes to the glaze’s sheen.
- Light brown sugar: Enhances the sweetness and helps thicken the sauce; ensures a balanced teriyaki flavor.
- Soy sauce: Provides the savory, umami base of the teriyaki sauce.
- Salmon fillets: Salmon’s natural richness make it ideal for teriyaki sauce, as it beautifully complements the bold flavors. The pre-cut 6 oz portions, typically available at markets, are ideal for this recipe; ask your fish monger to remove the skin.
- Water: Dilutes the sauce slightly for the right consistency and ensures it doesn’t become too salty.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a slight tanginess to balance the sweetness and saltiness of the sauce.
- Scallions: Used as a garnish, adding a fresh, crisp contrast in flavor and color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix the mirin, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will hold all 4 salmon fillets.
Stir to dissolve sugar. Place the salmon in the dish and marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, turning once.
Meanwhile, set a very large non-stick skillet on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Place the salmon fillets in the hot, dry pan – presentation sides down – and cook for a few minutes until nicely seared and coated with a rich brown glaze (keep a close eye on the pan; this happens quickly).
Turn the fillets over.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the marinade and water to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until fish reaches desired doneness.
If the sauce looks like it’s reducing or thickening too quickly, just add a bit of water a few tablespoons at a time. Do not let it burn. Transfer salmon fillets to serving platter or plates.
If sauce is nicely reduced and thickened, turn off heat. If not, continue to cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Add the rice wine vinegar to the sauce and stir.
Place the salmon back in the sauce, or pour the sauce over the salmon fillets, top with scallions and serve.
You May Also Like
Teriyaki Salmon
In just 20 minutes and with only six ingredients, you can whip up teriyaki salmon that’ll rival your favorite Japanese restaurant.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (do not substitute dark brown sugar)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed (preferably cut narrow and tall, rather than wide and flat)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Mix the mirin, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will hold all 4 salmon fillets. Stir to dissolve sugar. Place the salmon in the dish and marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, turning once.
- Meanwhile, set a very large non-stick skillet on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Place the salmon fillets in the hot, dry pan – presentation sides down – and cook for a few minutes until nicely seared and coated with a rich brown glaze (keep a close eye on the pan; this happens quickly). Turn the fillets over, reduce the heat to medium, and add the marinade and water to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until fish reaches desired doneness. If the sauce looks like it’s reducing or thickening too quickly, just add a bit of water a few tablespoons at a time. Do not let it burn. Transfer salmon fillets to serving platter or plates. If sauce is nicely reduced and thickened, turn off heat. If not, continue to cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Add the rice wine vinegar to the sauce and stir. Pour the sauce over salmon fillets, top with scallions and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 437
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Sodium: 1005 mg
- Cholesterol: 94 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This dish is fabulous. Both my husband and I never get tired of it. I serve it with brown rice and drizzled the sauce over the rice. Fast and easy. Thanks for another great recipe.
We loved this salmon! Want to try this sauce with chicken and beef also.
We eat salmon about once a week and this was such a great way to mix it up! The only thing I changed was using tamari instead of soy sauce to make this gluten free.
This is my FAVORITE salmon dish! I’ve also used the glaze for Mongolian Beef – perfect!
Jenn, So delicious! Your recipes are so easy to follow, and everything I’ve made has been fabulous! Tomorrow I’m going to try the homemade granola.
I was unclear in step 2, once you add the water and marinade to the fish, do you cook covered or uncovered? ( I covered it, and it worked fine.) I served the salmon over a salad of greens and avacado. It was DELISH! The sauce, as other reviewers have said, is just perfect. Definitely a do-over.
Hi Lisa, No need to cover the pan. Glad you enjoyed!
Loved this recipe. One salmon filet browned up really well in the glaze and the other didn’t, so maybe i’ll use a different pan next time. But the flavor was excellent.
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. My husband is not a big salmon lover and he asked if there was enough for seconds!
This is, in my opinion, one of your best recipes! The sauce is so good I usually make double the recipe just to have leftover! I tried it on flank steak and it was really similar to Mongolian Beef. Love it!!
I made this for three friends (2 females and 1 male), last night and they all loved it! Thanks again, Jenn!