How to make teriyaki sauce for salmon

This teriyaki glazed salmon is quickly seared to create a golden crust then baked to flaky perfection with a sweet and tangy sauce in just 20 minutes.  Serve with rice and roasted asparagus for a balanced (and delicious!) weeknight meal.

• Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Teriyaki Glazed Salmon (step-by-step)
• Prefer to Watch Instead of Read?
• Expert Tips
• Teriyaki Glazed Salmon: FAQs
• What to serve with Glazed Teriyaki Salmon
• Storage and Reheating
• More Easy Salmon Recipes
• Recipe

Teriyaki glaze is a classic sauce to cover salmon. It's sticky, sweet and has a punch of flavor. Teriyaki glaze is made of simple ingredients including soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and cornstarch.

I wanted to take the cooking method up a notch so I seared the outside of the salmon to create a crispy golden crust (pan frying), then finished baking it in the oven to cook evenly. It comes together in 20 minutes, making it a great recipe for after work and school. We love to serve it with our coconut rice and air fryer asparagus.

Ingredient Notes

For the salmon

• Salmon fillets: wild caught, fresh salmon is ideal, but that's not always available depending on where you live. Most salmon in the seafood department is previously frozen, so grabbing filets from the frozen section is just as good as an option.
• Salt: for flavor
• Avocado oil: this has a higher flash point, which allows you to cook at a higher heat before it smokes. I highly recommend a high-heat oil like avocado oil because we're searing he salmon at high heat. Olive oil will work too, just keep an eye on how hot the pan gets.

What is Teriyaki Glaze Made Of?

• Soy sauce: traditional teriyaki glaze is made with soy sauce, but we really like using tamari as a gluten-free option.
• Honey: this adds sweetness and helps create the gooey texture. You can also use maple syrup, and if you don't want to keep this paleo you can add or swap in some brown sugar as well.
• Sesame oil: a nutty oil traditionally used in Asian cuisine.
• Garlic: fresh garlic is another classic ingredient to build flavor in the sauce.
• Ginger: we love fresh grated ginger that you can find in the 
• Cornstarch: mix this with a bit of water to thicken the sauce as it heats and bubbles. You can also use tapioca starch to keep it paleo.

How to Make Teriyaki Glazed Salmon (step-by-step)

Make the homemade teriyaki sauce

1. Whisk the teriyaki glaze ingredients together in a small bowl until combined and set aside.

Sear the salmon

1. Add the avocado oil to a heavy bottomed, oven-safe skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon, without moving, for 2-3 minutes to create a crispy brown crust. You can peek at the corners of the salmon to make sure they aren’t burning, but do your best not to move them too much.

Bake the salmon

1. Flip the salmon over then pour the Teriyaki glaze over it. Carefully transfer the entire skillet to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes at 425°F, or until the fish begins to flake and reaches about 130°F. 
2. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the salmon to a serving platter or plate to stop the cooking process. The teriyaki sauce should have thickened and bubbled in the oven to form a glaze. Spoon it over each piece of salmon before serving with sesame seeds and green onions.

Prefer to Watch Instead of Read?

Expert Tips

• Temper the fish by bringing it to room temp for 10-15 minutes before searing. The cold salmon can reduce the heat i the pan so this helps it cook evenly.
• Pat the salmon dry with paper towels before cooking to help it sear and crisp.
• Use an oil with a high flash point like avocado oil. 
• Use an instant read thermometer to check when the salmon is done. Insert it into the thickest part of the salmon for the best reading.

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon: FAQs

How Long to Bake Salmon? 

A regular, 4 ounce, salmon fillet takes about 12-15 minutes to bake in the oven. This time may vary based on how thick your salmon is in the center. Always use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. The salmon should be at least 125°F for medium rare.

Can this be grilled?

It can be grilled, but you will have to grill the fish and make the teriyaki glaze separately.  Brush the flesh side of the salmon with oil and salt then cook over 450-500°F heat directly onto the grates for 6-8 minutes with the lid closed. Flip the salmon and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan and simmer until thickened then drizzle it over the salmon.

What temperature should salmon be cooked at?

The FDA recommends salmon be cooked to 145°F. However, I prefer my salmon cooked medium or medium-rare. I pull my salmon off the heat at 125°F-130°F.

Do you pan sear salmon skin side down?

Pan seared salmon will end up being cooked on both sides. Start by searing flesh side down to create a crispy crust then flip it over and finish cooking all the way through with the skin side down.

How do you thicken teriyaki sauce?

The most simple way to thicken a teriyaki sauce is by using cornstarch. Mix the cornstarch with a bit of water to create a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce over medium heat for a few minutes and you'll have a sweet, stick sauce with the perfect consistency. You can also use arrowroot or tapioca starch.

What to serve with Glazed Teriyaki Salmon

• ​Instant Pot Coconut Rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice
• Stovetop Coconut Rice
• Air fryer asparagus
• Cucumber tomato avocado salad
• Garlic roasted mini peppers
• Roasted broccoli or steamed green beans

Storage and Reheating

• To store: store leftover salmon in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It's great to top salads or put in tacos the next day.
• To reheat: The best way to reheat is in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan and cook until the salmon and teriyaki glaze is warm all the way through. You can also microwave it on high in 30 second increments until warmed through.

More Easy Salmon Recipes

• Blackened Salmon
• Herb Grilled Salmon (Olive Garden Copycat)
• Salmon Pesto Pasta
• Honey Glazed Salmon
• Tahini Ginger Salmon with Sesame Asparagus
• One Pan Everything Bagel Salmon

Recipe

For the salmon

• 4 (3-4 oz) salmon filets
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil*
• Toppings: sesame seeds and sliced green

For the Teriyaki glaze

• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch

• Oven-Safe Skillet

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

• If you have time, let the salmon rest, covered, at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. This helps temper the salmon so cold salmon doesn’t bring down the temperature of a hot pan. This helps the fish cook more evenly, but can be skipped if you’re short on time.

• While the salmon is resting, whisk the the teriyaki glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined and set aside.

• Add the avocado oil to a heavy bottomed, oven-safe skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to get hot, until it starts to ripple, then pat the salmon dry and sprinkle the flesh of the salmon filets with kosher salt. Place them flesh side down (skin side up) in the pan. They should start to sear and sizzle immediately.

• Sear the salmon, without moving, for 2-3 minutes to create a crispy godlen crust. You can peek at the corners of the salmon to make sure they aren’t burning, but do your best not to move them too much.

• Carefully flip the filets over and turn the heat down to medium-low. Pour the prepared Teriyaki glaze over the salmon then carefully transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven.

• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the fish begins to flake and reaches about 130°F. The FDA recommends salmon be cooked well done at 145°F, however, i find it best around 125-130°F. The amount of time the salmon bakes will depend on the thickness of your salmon.

• Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the salmon to a serving platter or plates to stop the cooking process. Stir/whisk the teriyaki glaze in the pan. It should have thickened and bubbled in the oven. Spoon the glaze over each piece of salmon before serving.

• Avocado oil: I prefer avocado oil because it has a high flash/smoke point to sear the salmon, however, olive oil will work too. Just be careful your pan doesn’t get too hot or the oil could smoke.
• Cornstarch: I prefer cornstarch because of the texture it creates. Tapioca starch can be a bit more gummy, but is a great option for a paleo (corn free) version of this recipe.
• Salmon temperature: The FDA recommends salmon be cooked to 145°F. However, I prefer my salmon cooked medium or medium-rare. I pull my salmon off the heat at 125°F-130°F.
• Gluten-free: be sure to use a gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
• To store: store leftover salmon in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It's great to top salads or put in tacos the next day.

Serving: 1g | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.4g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 18.2g | Cholesterol: 57.8mg | Sodium: 957mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 9.7g | Vitamin A: 55.5IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg

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