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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Comments
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Hey yeah, what does nice side mean? I tried skin side first and ended up undercooked it
Hi Brad, sorry for any confusion. That refers to the side of the salmon that looks best and that you will serve facing up on the plate. I’m going to tweak the wording there a little to make it more clear.
Delish! Made the recipe as written and it was amazing. Served it with leftover rice pilaf and roasted vege stirfry. Will definitely make this again. Super easy and quick!
Hi Jenn,
What brand Mirin do you recommend?
Thank you!
Myrna
Hi Myrna, I like Kikoman. 🙂
I made this with Salmon and it was delicious. Would Cod work with this recipe?
Glad you liked it! Sure, cod should work. Please LMK how it turns out with cod. 🙂
Another awesome recipe Jen! I made this for my son who loves Salmon. My husband was not excited when I told him Salmon for supper as he does not like salmon. After the first couple of bites my husband said it was Excellent and he’d eat this anytime! Loved it and the sauce! I never thought I’d hear him say that! Thanks Jen for another excellent recipe!
This was absolutely delicious. Even though I had to use dark brown sugar it turned out great. The whole family loved it; it’s been added to favourites list for future repeat performance.
How long should it take for the sauce to thicken? I had mine heating for an extra 7-ish minutes after I took the salmon off the pan but it just stayed to same consistency 🙁 Flavours were delicious though!!
Hi Jess, sorry you had a problem with the sauce! I should’ve definitely thickened after that amount of time. Is there any chance you made a measuring error?
I measured everything according to the instructions. I’m going to try agin tonight, but if the same things happens, could I just add some cornstarch to thicken?
Sure, if you have that same problem, cornstarch would definitely help!
Which salmon do you use?
Hi Misti, it really depends on the store that I’m in and what’s available at the time. I use farm-raised Atlantic salmon if there aren’t other options available.
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!
I think my initial question did not post. I can’t cook with wine or any alcohol…is there anything I could substitute for the mirin and have it turn out just as well? Thank you!
Hi Ayesha, Because mirin is such a significant component of this recipe, I wouldn’t suggest substituting something else. I’d probably just use a different salmon recipe — sorry!
Thank you for your reply Jenn. Any other salmon recipe you would recommend? My kids love Asian food so I was looking forward to trying out this one!
Hi Ayesha, the one Asian salmon recipe that comes to mind is this one. Hope everyone enjoys if you try it!
What does “nice side down” mean?
Hi Issac, by “nice side down”, I’m referring to the prettier/presentation side of the salmon. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy!
Was looking at your Pan Seared Salmon with soy mustard glaze but that has Mirin also 🙁
True, I’d stay away from that one too because the mirin plays a relatively large part in the recipe. 🙁