Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

This oven baked teriyaki glazed salmon is moist, tender, flaky and coated in a glossy homemade teriyaki sauce that’s perfectly sticky, sweet and savoury. Whether you choose individual portions or an impressive slab of salmon like this one, is up to you. Using a slab actually makes it more affordable too!

This restaurant quality baked teriyaki salmon is also a weeknight hero since it’s so quick and easy to make. If you prepare the sauce ahead of time, this can be on the table in 25 minutes! And if you love Japanese food, try this this karaage chicken and these air fryer teriyaki chicken drumsticks as well.

What is teriyaki

Teriyaki is a dish of Japanese origin, of meat or fish, marinated in a sweet and salty sauce then grilled. Most popular is teriyaki chicken but beef and salmon are close runners up. Teriyaki literally translates to “shine grilled”, referring to it’s glossy look and the way it’s traditionally cooked.

Traditionally, teriyaki sauce does not use cornflour (aka cornstarch) like I have here. It’s added into this recipe to allow it to turn into a thick glaze that coats the salmon and doesn’t just run off.

Does teriyaki sauce have honey?

Authentic teriyaki does not have honey. Traditional teriyaki sauce has a sweet Japanese wine called “mirin” and a little sugar so some recipes over the years have been adapted to use honey in place of those two ingredients. This could be due to the fact that honey was easier to find than mirin, however, these days mirin is available in pretty much any grocery store.

While quite acceptable, using honey will add that unmistakeable honey flavour which technically teriyaki does not have so you choose what works for you.

Ingredients you’ll need

You have to love a dinner with 8 ingredients. Just add some rice and steamed veg and you have a wonderful, easy meal that everyone will love.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

• Salmon: I use roughly half a side of salmon (around 675g / 1 ½ pounds) for this sticky teriyaki salmon recipe. You can use salmon steaks, or salmon fillets though you’ll need to alter the cooking time to suit.  
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce is your seasoning, your salt, in this recipe. A Japanese soy sauce is perfect here. Light soy sauce is saltier but will still work. If you want to make it gluten-free, use tamari instead.
• Mirin: Mirin is a Japanese sweet wine used in cooking. It has a bit of a syrupy texture and is just a light sweetness. I recommend going out of your way to get this for a truly authentic teriyaki flavour. It’s readily available these days in grocery stores. While mirin should technically be gluten free, some brands contain soy sauce so they will have gluten. Check the label first if you are need it to be GF. If you can find GF mirin, cook a mixture of 1:1 cooking sake and sugar just until the sugar has dissolved.
• Brown sugar: This rounds out the typical sweetness you need in teriyaki sauce. While white sugar will work, I find the flavour of brown works best.
• Ginger: Ginger and salmon, ginger and teriyaki – such great flavour combos. Make sure to use fresh ginger or, at a minimum, jarred. Don’t use powdered ginger in this.
• Rice wine vinegar: Made from fermenting rice, rice wine vinegar is used in many Asian cuisines. You can substitute apple cider vinegar if you need to. Rice vinegar is readily available in most large grocery stores.
• Cornflour: Cornflour (aka cornstarch), while not typically used in teriyaki, is used in this sauce to give it the thickness of a glaze. This is so it doesn’t just run straight off the salmon and sticks to it when you baste. If serving gluten-free, check that your cornflour is certified gluten free.
• Sesame seeds: The perfect finish to some Japanese salmon has to be toasted sesame seeds.

I finish this off with some finely chopped spring onions (scallions / green onions) too.

How to make the best teriyaki glazed salmon

For such a simple meal this oven baked teriyaki salmon recipe pays big rewards with flavour and texture.

Variations

If you love garlic, add a clove or two to the teriyaki glaze while cooking. You can also add dried chilli flakes or a bit of pepper for a kick of spice.

What to serve with teriyaki salmon

There’s something so special about serving up a side of salmon like this in the middle of the table. I use a larger serving fork to gently break it apart and serve it up and you could let your guests do it for themselves too. Now, for some side dishes for this sticky teriyaki glazed salmon;

• Steamed rice – perfect for making it a complete meal and it’s subtle flavour allows the salmon to shine. It’s also perfect for mopping up the teriyaki sauce. You could also use brown rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa.
• Sliced fresh cucumber – cool and refreshing, it’s a lovely contrast in texture but a light flavour that doesn’t mess bold teriyaki.
• Pink pickled onions – I make my own but Japanese pickled vegetables or even just some pickled ginger on the side are also lovely.
• Steamed vegetables – steamed broccoli, asparagus, pak choy or snow peas are a lovely fresh side.
• Miso mushrooms – they’re hiding behind the salmon in the photo above but I love these.

For some less traditional but still very satisfying sides, you could try this rainbow vegetable tray bake or this creamy cucumber salad.

Storing leftovers

This baked salmon is best eaten fresh, though you can certainly store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat it in the oven or microwave until hot through before eating.

This sticky, sweet and savoury oven baked teriyaki salmon is an absolute winner, perfect for any night of the week or when you want to impress guests and wonderful if you want some Asian-inspired dishes for a Lunar New Year bash. You don’t need any special tools or knowledge to make this incredibly special dish.

More recipes you’ll love

• Beef teriyaki bowls
• Salmon wellington
• Honey mustard salmon
• Furikake Salmon
• Pork Gyoza (Japanese Pork Dumplings)
• Sesame Prawn Toast