The Very Best Teriyaki Salmon Recipe

This is the best and easiest teriyaki salmon recipe I have ever tried. (Ok, I haven’t tried that many.)

I make this recipe about once a week, rotating my fish selection. The photos here are of salmon. Last night we had this with a new fish that I picked up at the farmers’ market last Saturday – I think it was called Cobia. Delicious as always!

I got the original recipe out of a book: Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat. I borrowed it from my mother in law a while ago and have not given it back yet… there are just too many good recipes in there.

Teriyaki Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 4-ounce pieces of salmon (works well with any firm fish – tilapia is the only one I’ve tried that doesn’t work well and that’s because it tends to fall apart)
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, olive oil, or ghee

For the marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons mirin

For the teriyaki sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

  • Mix the marinade and let the salmon sit in it, flipping once, for about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the teriyaki sauce by mixing those ingredients (soy sauce, mirin, sugar).
  • Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat.
  • Remove the salmon from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel.
  • Reduce heat to medium and cook the salmon, skin side down, for about 5 minutes.
  • Flip the salmon and cook for one more minute (skin side up).
  • Whisk the teriyaki sauce one more time to make sure the sugar is dissolved, then pour it over the fish.
  • Tilt the pan to spread out the sauce and use a spoon to spoon some over the top of the fish.
  • Cook for about 1 more minute to let the sauce thicken.
  • Remove from heat, and pour any extra sauce over top of the fish.
  • Serve with fresh rice and a veggie side.

The only changes I made from the original recipe are:

  • I use a little more oil and sugar. It still doesn’t have a lot of oil or sugar.
  • I don’t remove the fish to wipe out the oil before I add the teriyaki sauce. It’s an extra step to reduce the fat but I don’t really mind skipping that. Fats make this dish yummy.

Original here.

5 Replies to “The Very Best Teriyaki Salmon Recipe”

  1. Literally, just yesterday, I dumped my bottle of mirin and threw the bottle in the recycling bin. I bought it last year for a recipe that called for 1 TBSP and haven’t used it since. I don’t like keeping big jars/bottles of condiments that I don’t think I’ll use again. Man, if only I’d read this yesterday. Guess I’ll have to get more – at least I actually have a use for it now. 🙂 This sounds delicious – been looking for a good salmon recipe with a little flavor. Tried a miso one not too long ago, but the kids didn’t like it. I bet they’d like this one since it’s a little sweet. Thanks Maggie!

    1. Oh no… I am always doing that!! It’s totally worth buying a new bottle for this recipe. It is the only reason I keep mirin in the house! Both my kids eat this.

  2. Yay!!! So excited to see a post from you, and equally as excited that it is a delicious recipe! Definitely going to try this soon 🙂

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