Use this quick and easy Teriyaki Salmon recipe to make a light and savory meal any night of the week. Salmon fillets are pan-grilled to tender perfection in the traditional method and finished with an authentic homemade teriyaki sauce.
Growing up in Japan, I enjoyed eating a variety of fish, with salmon being one of the most readily available option in our household. It’s a great source of protein and healthy Omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. Today, I’m going to share with you an authentic Teriyaki Salmon recipe and illustrate how the Japanese prepare it at home.
The salmon fillets are pan-grilled to achieve a golden-brown exterior while retaining their tender and juicy texture. We then finish it off with a sweet-savory glazed homemade Teriyaki Sauce. It’s easy and absolutely no fuss.
Table of Contents
- What Makes Authentic Teriyaki Salmon
- How to Cut the Salmon into Japanese-Style Fillets
- Homemade Teriyaki Sauce with 4 Ingredients
- Important Condiments: Sake and Mirin
- How to Cook Teriyaki Salmon
- Cooking Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Serve with Teriyaki Salmon
- What to Do with Leftover Teriyaki Salmon
- Related Recipes
What Makes Authentic Teriyaki Salmon
I noticed most of the teriyaki salmon recipes online are quite different from how the Japanese make it at home. Here are the main differences:
- Make your own teriyaki sauce. In Japan, convenient “teriyaki sauce” in a bottle is not as common as the ones found in American grocery stores. Instead, we typically prepare teriyaki sauce from scratch. Each family makes the sauce to suit their preferences and with the ingredients they have at hand. More on authentic teriyaki sauce below.
- Cut the salmon into Japanese-style fillets. The fillets are thinly sliced, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, and cut diagonally (see the next section). Since they are thinner, they cook faster in a frying pan.
- We do not marinate the salmon. Japanese cuisine focuses on bringing out the original flavor of an ingredient without overwhelming it with spices and seasonings.
- Pan-fry the salmon. Cooking in an oven is not very common in Japan. Most of the dishes are cooked on the stove as a typical Japanese kitchen has a countertop microwave oven and does not have an oven unless you’re a baker.
How to Cut the Salmon into Japanese-Style Fillets
In Japan, the salmon fillet is sliced differently than in the US. You will find the fillet available in diagonal cuts and thinner slices. Each cut is about ½ to ¾ inch (1.3-2 cm) thick.
If you buy salmon as a whole fish, you can fillet it the Japanese way. It will cook faster and absorb flavors quickly. Check out my tutorial here.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce with 4 Ingredients
When you come across authentic Japanese teriyaki recipes, you’ll find that 99% of them use just 4 ingredients: soy sauce, sake, mirin, and optionally sugar.
The best way to start making teriyaki sauce is to use equal parts of soy sauce, sake, and mirin and add sugar to your liking. My basic teriyaki sauce ratio is 2:2:2:1.
For optimal taste, we often play around with the ratio, depending on the ingredients and flavor combination of the dish. Therefore, each teriyaki recipe should have a slightly different taste.
In this recipe, for example, I cook the salmon with butter to give it a layer of rich creaminess. So I’ve tweaked the teriyaki sauce ratio to work perfectly with all the flavors.
If you’re a beginner cook, start with my basic teriyaki sauce (2:2:2:1). It’s easy to remember and you’re guaranteed a delicious sauce!
Important Condiments: Sake and Mirin
Japanese cooking doesn’t require many condiments compared to other ethnic cuisines. However, two of the essential pantry items I highly recommend are sake and mirin. Japanese recipes use both of these condiments 90% of the time (have you noticed?). You can’t create authentic Japanese flavors without sake and mirin because they are foundational to Japanese cooking.
Substitute:
Now, if you can’t consume alcohol, you can read the substitution option in my sake and mirin pantry pages.
Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari if needed. If you prefer to use honey or maple syrup, go ahead but take care as it burns easily.
How to Cook Teriyaki Salmon
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Skin-on salmon fillets – ¾ inch (2 cm) thick
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour – You can use cornstarch or potato starch for gluten-free
- Cooking oil (for cooking)
- Unsalted butter (for cooking)
- Sake (for steaming) – You can substitute it with Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or water
- Homemade teriyaki sauce: sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar
The Cooking Steps
- Make the teriyaki sauce by combining the ingredients.
- Season the salmon with salt and black pepper. Coat the fillets with flour.
- Sear the skin of the salmon. Cook the salmon from the skin.
Cooking Tips
- Use skin-on salmon fillets that are in diagonal cut and thinner slices. Don’t remove the skin. It will prevent the flesh from overcooking and drying out. You don’t have to eat it, although it’s delicious and good for you! Each cut is about ½ to ¾ inch (1.3-2 cm) thick. If you buy a whole fish, you can fillet it the Japanese way. It will cook faster and absorb flavors quickly.
- Coat the salmon evenly with flour for crispy skin. This is the secret to juicy salmon. The flour creates a protective layer and retains its umami flavor and juiciness. It also helps to thicken and absorb the sauce well. You can use cornstarch or potato starch for gluten-free.
- Sear the salmon skin before laying it down. Salmon skin is so delicious when it’s crispy. Hold the fillet and press the skin against the hot frying pan’s surface for 15 seconds.
- The presentation side (also the skin side) should go down into the pan first because the pan is clean and you will get the best browning on the first side that hits it.
- Highly recommend getting an instant-read thermometer and cooking the salmon until an internal temperature of 125-130°F* (52-54ºC) is registered at the thickest part of the fillet. Take the guessing out of your cooking: every salmon is cooked perfectly with the thermometer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why don’t you add these ingredients to teriyaki sauce while other popular recipes do?
I’ve seen many non-Japanese recipes that include ingredients such as rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, or garlic in the teriyaki sauce. Some recipes also use ground ginger or garlic powder. I would not recommend them if you wish to follow the authentic Japanese cooking method.
Some people even use cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but it is not needed for my recipe. The sauce will be naturally reduced and thickened during the simmering process. Plus, we coat the fish with flour (or starch) which helps thicken it.
We also don’t usually garnish the salmon fillet with sesame seeds, but it’s personal choice.
Depending on the teriyaki recipes, I occasionally add grated ginger and grated onion for extra flavors but never include rice vinegar, sesame oil, and hoisin sauce.
Q: Can I adapt your method for baked teriyaki salmon recipe?
If you prefer to bake or broil the salmon, you can follow the baking method from my Miso Salmon recipe for the instructions. You will need to make the teriyaki sauce separately and brush the salmon with the sauce several times while baking for a minimum of 10-15 minutes.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Salmon
With a sweet and savory soy-based flavor, teriyaki salmon pairs perfectly well with many different side dishes. For a healthy Japanese-style weeknight dinner, I like to serve the fish with pan-grilled asparagus and miso soup, alongside steamed brown rice.
Other veggies such as green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, and spinach are also delicious with salmon. Here are more suggestions I think you’d like:
- Blanched Broccoli with Sesame Oil
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Spinach with Sesame Miso Sauce
- Japanese Potato Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad
- Green Bean with Crumbled Tofu & Sesame
- 15 Best Healthy Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon
For a low-carb diet, you can serve the salmon with cauliflower rice or quinoa.
What to Do with Leftover Teriyaki Salmon
You can do a lot with leftover teriyaki salmon! Here are some of my favorites:
- Teriyaki Salmon Onigirazu (Rice Sandwich)
- Put it in the lunch box (bento), rice bowl, or noodle.
Related Recipes
- Teriyaki Recipes: Check out my authentic Chicken Teriyaki recipe and don’t miss our 17 Best Teriyaki Recipes You Must Make at Home!
- Salmon Recipes: Try out my other salmon recipes which I share on my blog. You can also substitute this recipe with fresh seasonal fish such as yellowtail or other white fish.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Teriyaki Salmon
Video
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
For the Salmon
- 2 skin-on salmon fillets (¾ lb, 340 g; ¾ inch (2 cm) thick)
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) (use cornstarch or potato starch for gluten-free)
- ½ Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for cooking)
- 1–2 Tbsp sake (for steaming; can substitute Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or water)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Teriyaki Sauce
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce: 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
- To help dissolve the sugar, you can microwave the mixture for 30 seconds.
To Prepare the Salmon
- Rinse 2 skin-on salmon fillets and pat dry. Season one side with half of the ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and half of the ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Tip: The salmon skin will hold the flesh together while cooking.
- Flip over and season the other side with the remaining salt and black pepper.
- Sprinkle half of the 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) on one side of the salmon and coat evenly. Tip: Coating the salmon with flour helps it retain its umami flavor and juiciness. It also helps absorb the sauce and thickens it.
- Flip over and sprinkle the rest of the flour on the other side. Gently press it to adhere and then remove the excess flour.
To Cook the Salmon
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add ½ Tbsp neutral oil and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. Take care not to burn the butter. If the frying pan gets too hot, reduce the heat or remove it from the heat temporarily. Then, sear the skin of the salmon fillets: One at a time, press the skin against the hot frying pan‘s surface for 15 seconds before laying it skin side (or presentation side) down in the pan. Repeat with the remaining salmon. Tip: The presentation side (skin side) should go down into the pan first because you will get the best browning on the first side that hits the clean pan.
- Cook the salmon for 3 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown, and then flip.
- To the pan, add 1–2 Tbsp sake—1 Tbsp for thin fillets and no more than 2 Tbsp for thicker fillets. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the stove‘s heat to low. Steam the salmon for about 3–5 minutes, depending on the fillet thickness. If the sake has evaporated but the salmon isn‘t cooked through yet, add another tablespoon of sake and continue steaming.
- Cook the salmon until it registers an internal temperature of 125–130°F (52–54ºC) at the thickest part of the fillet (I use a Thermapen instant-read thermometer). Then, transfer the salmon to a tray or plate. These fillets were about ¾–1 inch (2–2.5 cm) in thickness and took roughly 4 minutes to cook. Tip: The USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F (63ºC); however, the residual heat will continue to cook the salmon, so you must remove the fillets at 125–130°F (52–54ºC) to avoid overcooking.
- Add the teriyaki sauce ingredients to the pan and increase the heat a bit. When the sauce starts to boil, add the salmon back to the pan.
- Spoon the sauce over the salmon. When the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Transfer the salmon to a plate and drizzle the sauce on top.
To Serve
- Serve immediately. I like to serve my Teriyaki Salmon as part of a Japanese-style meal with Green Bean Gomaae (Sesame Dressing) or pan-seared asparagus, Tamagoyaki, Homemade Miso Soup, and Steamed Rice. Other side dishes that pair well with this savory-and-sweet salmon include Spinach with Sesame Miso Sauce, Japanese Potato Salad, Blanched Broccoli with Sesame Oil, Green Bean with Crumbled Tofu and Sesame, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, and Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 25, 2013. New step-by-step images and final images were added in March 2022. It’s been republished with a new video and new content on October 13, 2023.
Just made this and my hubby and my two tots are devoured it. I substituted the Mirin to Sake because I don’t have one. This is absolutely the keeper! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Charlotte! Thank you for trying this recipe! So happy to hear your family enjoyed it! Yay!!! Mirin is sweet. If you use sake instead of mirin, was the sauce sweet enough and not too salty (without adding extra sugar)? Feel free to add a tiny bit more of sugar (but if you’re okay, no need to add extra sugar). 🙂
Thanks for your wonderful recipe! Cooked it twice so far and my husband loves it too!
It’s way better than those teriyaki sauces that i bought outside ????
Love it! Cheers ❣️
I’m so happy you two enjoyed this recipe! Yeah, we (Japanese) don’t use the bottled teriyaki sauce (it tastes very different from what we eat in Japan). 😀 Thank you for your kind feedback!
Teriyaki Salmon – We made the dish just as told. Made wild caught salmon sold in Nijiya. Also made the teriyaki as instructed and the dish was delicious!! So simple and so good! I’m in heaven! Yum!
Hi Lora! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback, Lora! 🙂 xo
Hi, I love this recipe. The best teriyaki salmon I’ve ever made!! I would like to this again make one evening and bring to work the next day for lunch.
Can I do that? How do I store it in the fridge? To reheat, office has microwave and toaster oven, which reheat method is better?
Hi Michelle! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! You can pack your lunch after you cook dinner. Make sure not to close the lid because that will create condensation. So after the food is cool, you can put the lid, keep in the fridge and keep it still cool at work. You can microwave it for lunch. It’s better than toaster oven. 🙂
Koninchiwa! =^.^=
I made this dish and it was so easy and oishii!! Thank you so much for sharing! It’s nice that you told a little background story and explained e.g. why we put flour etc. I am now very inspired to try more new recipes, especially yours!! :)~
Arigato!
Konnichiwa Angie! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and glad you found some tip helpful too! Hope you find some recipes that you might enjoy. 🙂 Arigato for your kind feedback! xo
This is the way to do it!!
Hi Jared! Thanks for checking the recipe! 🙂
I made this for the third time yesterday – it is such a great and easy recipe! Thank you for posting this! My husband loves it, too!
He loves meat, but I don’t eat or cook any and hardly know any seafood/fish recipes, so your recipes are very good for us! And they are easy to follow with all the pictures. Thank you so much for all the effort!
Hi Miya! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoy this dish. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂 Japanese eat a lot of seafood, and I hope you can find some good recipes that both of you enjoy. Living in the U.S. the types of fish and number of fish available at the stores are so limited, but I try my best. 😀 Thanks again! xo
We love Japanese food! I’m so glad I found your page 🙂
Yes, it’s limited in the US…and some Japanese ingredients are just sooo expensive (it’s especially hard, when you know what the prices are in Japan, right?). Luckily we have some Korean supermarkets around that have fresh fish and seafood for a good price.
Thank you again for all the work you put in your recipe descriptions, photos and videos!!! 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind words, Miya! I wish Korean supermarkets are nearby, but closest one for me is like 30 mins away… 🙁
Thanks for the recipe! Just made this today – delicious!
Thank you Jenny! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! 🙂 Thank you for your feedback! xo
Thank you for this easy tasty recipe. I’ve made it twice already.
Hi Sarah! Yay! So happy to hear that. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
I tried out this recipe when I had guests over last week and it was a hit! It took longer to steam because the cuts were thicker (I found Alaskan salmon pieces super cheap at a local Mexican market), but it was worth the wait! I shredded the leftover pieces to use as onigiri filling the following morning.
Growing up, my mom always made a marinade/dressing of mayo, lemon juice and minced garlic. Then she covered the salmon with it, wrapped it up in foil and baked it in the oven. I always made my salmon this way as well until I found this recipe. I’m so happy to have a healthier alternative!
Hi Carolyn! I’m so happy to hear your teriyaki salmon came out well! The leftover for onigiri… yum!! 🙂 Your mom recipe sounds delicious! I make salmon in a foil or parchment paper too! Good to have several recipe option for salmon! 😀
Hi!
I see that sake is frequently used in your recipes. Do we use normal sake or cooking sake?
Thanks!
HI Selena! I use normal sake. Cooking sake includes other seasonings so I use drinking sake. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/sake/
Wonderful recipe and even someone who does not have much experience with cooking can do it easily. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Anna! I’m so happy to hear you like this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback, Anna! xo 🙂
What to serve the salmon with other than rice??
I usually serve with some vegetables (besides rice and miso soup). Hope these recipes will inspire you to make:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/categories/recipes/side/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/vegetarian/
Your salmon does look delicious….a beautiful cut of fish to begin with….I’ll try this for dinner….It looks YUMMY! Thanks
Hi Lyn! Thank you! Hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this, we love salmon & I am looking for more ways to eat to fish on a weekly basis!
Hi Anne! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂