Teriyaki Salmon
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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.
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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
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- 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.
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My daughter seems only to be a picky eater when it comes to fish,, so I’m always looking for a recipe that she will eat and the mirin glazed salmon is it! she ate her entire portion — sweet but not too sweet, it was the perfect flavor combination. My kids have come to know that recipes from your web site are always winners!! thank you!
I love a sweet glaze on salmon, and this was delicious and easy. THANK YOU for providing healthy and easy weeknight dinner recipes!
As good as I’ve had in restaurants! I usually make fish on Sunday evenings as it is fast. I am happy to have another recipe to add my repertoire. Thanks, Jenn.
I actually loved this so much I verbally gave the recipe to a man at the seafood counter with me! I found him the ingredients and your website with the recipe. He called to tell me it was delicious!
Jenn! Again you deliver! This salmon recipe outdoes every one I have tried! My two girls and I absolutely love it! Your website is the best and I love the alterations you make! They bring out serious flavor! Please don’t ever go anywhere!
Made this for the first time, followed your instructions to the “T”. DELICIOUS!! I would not change a thing and will surely be making this more often! Thanks!
Hi,
I was wondering if I can bake instead of frying?
Hi Lynda, Unfortunately, baking won’t work for this recipe. Sorry!
Another absolutely stellar recipe from you! Thank you so much. Every recipe I have made from your site has been 5 stars. My husband, 9 month old, and 2.5 year old all loved the mirin glazed salmon tonight. : )
Excellent, quick, simple, concise, tasty and just lovely! My wife loved it. I actually skinned the salmon, battered the skin with lightly with flour, salt and garlic, fried it with sesame oil till it was crunchy. I used the same base for the glaze sauce, grated a bit of ginger, cooled it off and used it as salad dressing. Everyone loved it!
This is another simple and quick meal to prepare, but I found it a little hard to pull off the skin, and that the salmon meat came apart a little….so next time I will just leave the skin on. I also came across a similar recipe (i.e. soysauce-based sauce) from justonecookbook.com that I think is a little more flavorful – it calls for butter/olive oil when pan-frying. I served it with a simple baby bok choy stir-fry and it was a hit….