Need an easy healthy dinner recipe? This teriyaki salmon is a weeknight go-to, with a quick homemade teriyaki sauce and no marinading needed!
Hey salmon fans! Here’s another one to tuck in your arsenal of healthy easy salmon recipes! This teriyaki salmon will become your weeknight go-to. It’s got a quick homemade teriyaki sauce, and best of all: no long marinading time needed! Do a quick sear on the stovetop, paint with teriyaki, then bake for a few minutes until cooked through. It’s quick and easy, and makes for the prettiest piece of salmon to adorn your plate. It works for dinner parties or quick weeknight dinners (Alex and I have made it for both!). Ready to cook?
Is this teriyaki salmon baked or seared?
Well, it’s both! We do have a baked salmon recipe that is mega delicious. But if you’re making teriyaki salmon, painting it with teriyaki sauce and throwing it in the oven results in soggy salmon. (Yep, we tried it!)
How to get that nice crispy top crust that you expect from a teriyaki salmon? Sear it on the stovetop first! The nice thing is that you can throw the entire skillet in the oven to bake and cook the remainder of the fish. It takes only 2 minutes to sear the salmon and 3 to 5 to bake, so it’s quick and easy to do.
Let the salmon come to room temp while preheating!
Here’s a tip for this teriyaki salmon, and really any seared fish recipe. Let the salmon come to room temp before cooking. Why? If the center of the fish is cold, the outside of the fish will cook faster than the center. You run the risk of a burned outside with an under-cooked inside. And no one wants that!
Good news: you need to preheat your oven anyway! If you set the salmon on the counter, it will come to room temp in about the same time it takes to preheat your oven. (At least, our oven takes 15 to 20 minutes to get to 400!) During this time, you can make the teriyaki sauce and prepare any other components of your meal. See below for recommended side dishes!
How to make a quick homemade teriyaki sauce
This teriyaki salmon uses our quick homemade teriyaki sauce! It’s very easy to make your own at home, and it comes out with the perfect flavor. Of course, you can substitute your favorite purchased teriyaki sauce if you’re in a rush. Here’s all you need for the sauce (they’re typical ingredients we always have on hand in our pantry):
- Soy sauce (or substitute tamari or coconut aminos)
- Maple syrup
- Rice vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Garlic powder and ground ginger
- Cornstarch to thicken
All you have to do is heat the sauce, then mix cornstarch with water and add that to thicken the sauce. It takes about 5 minutes to whip up!
What’s the best way to thaw frozen salmon?
You can absolutely use frozen salmon for this recipe. What’s the best way to thaw salmon? Here are two options:
- Best option: The night before, place the salmon in the refrigerator (you can leave it in the packaging).
- Day of: Place the salmon in its packaging in a bowl of cold water for about 1 hour, until thawed.
What to serve with teriyaki salmon
Here’s the fun part: what to serve with this easy weeknight teriyaki salmon? There are many ways to accessorize it to make a healthy dinner! Here are a few of our favorites:
- Easy Edamame Soy beans you eat right out the shell are perfect here. Also try it shelled or spicy.
- Rice or Quinoa Add a filling whole grain side of rice or quinoa.
- Soba Noodles Add these tasty quick soba noodles with sesame marinade.
- Broccoli Stir Fry These stunning stir fried vegetables are perfect alongside salmon.
- Steamed Green Beans These green beans come together in a flash.
- Steamed Broccoli or Sauteed Broccoli Top with sesame seeds and a sprinkle of soy sauce instead!
- Sauteed Asparagus Asparagus also pairs well; the sauteed version also keeps the oven free. (Or try our Roasted Asparagus and turn down the oven.)
Want a meal plan?
This recipe is included in our Pescatarian Meal Plan! Check it out for recipes for 1 month, including a meal planning spreadsheet download.
This teriyaki salmon recipe is…
Pescatarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free
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Teriyaki Salmon (Quick Weeknight Dinner!)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Need an easy healthy dinner recipe? This teriyaki salmon is a weeknight go-to, with a quick homemade teriyaki sauce and no marinading needed!
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 2 large salmon fillets (skin on, about 1 pound total)
- ½ tablespoon neutral oil
- For the garnish: Minced green onions, toasted sesame seeds
For the homemade teriyaki sauce (sub ½ cup purchased in a rush)
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce (or substitute tamari or coconut aminos)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground dried ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Prep the salmon: Place the salmon on a plate on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature before cooking, 15 to 20 minutes (this should be about the same time as the oven preheating). Pat it dry, then rub neutral oil on all sides of salmon.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
- Meanwhile, make the teriyaki sauce (makes ½ cup): In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder and ginger over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Whisk it into the saucepan until the mixture thickens, about a minute. Divide the teriyaki glaze in half into two small bowls and allow it to cool.
- Cook the salmon: When the oven is preheated, heat a dry oven-proof skillet over high heat until very hot. Place the salmon skin side up onto the hot skillet. Cook without touching for 2 to 3 minutes to sear the top of the salmon, until the center of the salmon is starting to cook and you see a layer of brown. Turn off the heat and use a thin spatula to flip the salmon. Brush the top and sides of the salmon with ½ of the teriyaki sauce (¼ cup).
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon), until just cooked through.
- Use a hot pad to remove the skillet from the oven. Spoon the desired amount of remaining teriyaki sauce onto the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions and serve.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Teriyaki Salmon
More great salmon recipes
While we eat mostly plant based around here, we also enjoy seafood now and then! Here are our favorite salmon recipes:
- Lemon Dill Salmon This fast lemon dill salmon takes just 10 minutes to bake! Mix up the zesty dill sauce while the salmon cooks. The ultimate healthy, easy weeknight meal.
- Classic Salmon Burgers Form it into burgers and top with creamy remoulade sauce!
- Pistachio Crusted Salmon This baked salmon comes together in minutes and tastes like restaurant quality.
- Simple Salmon Bowl Add salmon and broccoli, and drizzle with tahini sauce or miso sauce
- Seared Salmon or Blackened Salmon It’s a favorite easy way to cook fish in a flash, and the flavor is unbeatable.
- Miso Salmon The savory miso glaze is the perfect accent for this broiled fish and makes an easy dinner.
- Salmon Poke Bowl This delicious spin on a poke bowl features seared salmon and veggies in a colorful bowl. It’s an easy dinner idea perfect for weeknights or entertaining!
- Broiled Salmon with Bourbon Glaze Broiled salmon is a simple and efficient way to get perfectly cooked fish on the table: it cooks in 5 minutes!
I wanted to just buy some teriyaki sauce for this recipe. But then i thought it would be nice to be able to make it myself. Great read and delicious recipe!