Teriyaki Salmon
This teriyaki salmon recipe is the perfect easy weeknight meal with grilled salmon glazed in a sweet and flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce. So delicious!
Quick and easy dinner recipe alert, my friends. We’re making Easy Teriyaki Salmon in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, and it is crazy awesome.
I love having teriyaki sauce around. It’s great for so many dishes, like a quick stir fry or recipes like these, which makes making dinner super easy. It’s nice to have easy meals some nights! I love to cook, but sometimes you just don’t feel like making a big mess in the kitchen.
Of course you can use a store bought brand, but I use my own homemade teriyaki sauce recipe, which is super easy to make. I often make a big batch on Sunday so I can use it throughout the week. It’s perfect when you’re know your schedule is going to be slammed. Trust me. Your family will love it.
I know we all lead busy lives! This is a recipe you’ll want in your back pocket for those times. Being busy doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy good food, right? And good food doesn’t always have to take a lot of time in the kitchen.
So what do you say? Ready to get cooking?
Let’s talk about how we make teriyaki salmon, shall we?
Teriyaki Salmon Ingredients
- FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE
- Liquids. Use ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup water, 3 tablespoon mirin and 2 teaspoon sesame oil. Try to use a good quality soy sauce for better flavor. Low sodium soy sauce works for this as well.
- Sweet Factor. Use ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon honey. I love the combination.
- Heat Factor. Use 1 tablespoon chili flakes, or more to your preference. You can omit if you don’t want spicy.
- Fresh Ingredients. Use 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger.
- For Thickening. Use 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed into ¼ cup cold water to form a slurry. This is optional, for a thicker teriyaki sauce.
- FOR THE TERIYAKI SALMON
- Salmon Fillets. This recipe calls for four 6-ounce salmon fillets. You can easily make more if you’d like.
- Seasonings. I am using 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice and a bit of salt and pepper. I actually use a bit more, but use to your own preference. Or, feel free to use your own favorite seasoning blend. I love this with a simple Blackening Seasoning blend or some dried herbs.
- For Serving. I like to sprinkle my finished salmon with spicy chili flakes and sesame seeds. Fresh herbs are always nice, too. The choice is yours.
How to Make Teriyaki Salmon – the Recipe Method
Make the Teriyaki Sauce. Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, chili flakes, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and mirin to a small pot. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes to thicken and allow the flavors to develop.
Thicken the Sauce. To thicken (if desired), swirl together cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl until you have a thin slurry. Pour into the pot and stir to incorporate. Continue to heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, cool, and store in the fridge. Strain, if desired. Doesn’t it look wonderful? Set it aside for now.
Heat the Grill (or Grill Pan). Heat your grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Alternatively, heat a grill pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Season the Salmon. Season the salmon fillets with Chinese 5 spice (or your own preferred seasonings) and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the Salmon. Grill the salmon filets (skin side down first if using skin-on salmon) for 4-5 minutes, then flip the salmon and grill flesh side down for another 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through to your preference.
Final Mopping. Mop the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce over the salmon during the last minute of cooking.
Serve. Serve the salmon and drizzle with a bit more teriyaki sauce as desired.
The FDA recommends salmon reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer. Cook to 165 degrees F for well done.
Boom! Done! Such an easy recipe, isn’t it? I do love easy. And tasty! This salmon is HUGE on flavor. I can see this quickly becoming one of your favorites.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- For Baked Teriyaki Salmon. You can bake the salmon instead of grilling or pan frying it. Simply season then bake the salmon for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until cooked through to your preference. Cooking time could be longer, up to 30 minutes, for thicker cut salmon or larger portions.
- Seasoning Options. Chinese 5 Spice is a great pairing with teriyaki sauce, but you can use other seasonings that you love. You can just use salt and pepper if you’d like, maybe with a touch of garlic powder. The sauce brings in a huge amount of flavor, so you can go easy on the seasonings. Try it with a nice smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper for a simple yet amazing seasoning. Or, try my salmon marinade for a great flavor base.
- Teriyaki Marinade. If you have extra teriyaki sauce, it also makes for a wonderful base for teriyaki marinade. Give it a try!
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy your teriyaki salmon! I love this recipe. So good! Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Teriyaki Shrimp
- Szechuan Salmon
- Szechuan Salmon Tacos
- Grilled Salmon with Honey-Sriracha Sauce
- Salmon Tacos with Pomegranate Guacamole
- Baked Salmon with Cajun Lemon Butter
- Cajun Baked Salmon with Cajun Rice
- Blackened Salmon
- Jerk Salmon
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Teriyaki Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes omit if you don't want spicy
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
FOR THE TERIYAKI SALMON
- 4 6-ounce salmon fillets
- 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice or more to your preference - or use your own favorite seasoning blend
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR SERVING: Spicy chili flakes, sesame seeds
Instructions
FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE
- To a small pot, add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, chili flakes, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and mirin.
- Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes to thicken and allow the flavors to develop.
- To thicken (if desired), swirl together cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl until you have a thin slurry. Pour into the pot and stir to incorporate. Continue to heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat, cool, and store in the fridge. Strain, if desired. Set aside.
FOR THE TERIYAKI SALMON
- Heat your grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Alternatively, heat a grill pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Season the salmon fillets with Chinese 5 spice (or your own preferred seasonings) and salt and pepper to taste.
- Grill the salmon skin side down (if using skin-on salmon) for 4-5 minutes, then flip the salmon and grill flesh side down for another 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through to your preference.
- Mop the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce over the salmon during the last minute of cooking.
- Serve the salmon and drizzle with a bit more teriyaki sauce as desired. Garnish with chili flakes and sesame seeds.
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