Easy Teriyaki Salmon
Easy Teriyaki Salmon is the best choice for a busy weeknight dinner. Delicious, easy to make, and perfectly seared with a flavorful teriyaki sauce.
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what makes easy teriyaki salmon so delicious
Unlike other fish, salmon is meaty and it has a skin that’s very crispy when fried. The best way to cook salmon is with a delicious teriyaki sauce. The sauce is very easy to make, just saute the garlic and ginger then add the rest of the ingredients. It’s sweet, tangy, and thick, and goes so well with salmon fillets. This is my favorite way of cooking salmon.
Looking for other salmon recipes?
Grilled Salmon in Thai Curry Sauce
ingredients notes
FOR THE SALMON:
- Salmon fillets with skin on. Obviously, you would want to get fresh nice bright colored salmon. You can also test it by smell, it should have an ocean breeze aroma. Of course, salmon is a fish and certainly, it will have a fishy smell (you know what I mean).
- Salt and pepper are always important when seasoning your fish.
THE SAUCE:
- Soy sauce. I use less sodium soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce. I use the brand Sun Luck oyster sauce. The ingredients on the label seem pretty clean. I don’t see MSG or other artificial flavorings (not sponsored). In case of allergies, there’s also a vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms.
- Rice vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar or any white vinegar you have available.
- Brown sugar. If you rather have honey that will totally work.
- Cornstarch will help thicken the sauce.
- Sesame oil adds a nutty flavor.
- Red chili pepper flakes add a little heat. Surely, you can use ground pepper.
- Garlic and ginger are undeniably delicious aromatics for making teriyaki sauce.
- Avocado oil is a neutral oil and has a high smoke point. Perfect for searing.
- Butter, of course, is always delicious, making the salmon skin extra crispy. Just add a little.
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
how to make easy teriyaki salmon
SEAR THE SALMON:
- In order to perfectly sear the salmon and to get a crispy skin, make sure they are not frozen. Basically, you’re taking them out of the freezer the night before and placing them in the cooler or fridge. Pat dry with a paper towel before adding to the hot oil.
- The most important is to season your salmon with salt and pepper first before searing. Heat a skillet with oil, and add the butter. Wait until the butter melts, then add the salmon skin side up. Sear for 3 minutes on each side.
- Remove from the heat and set them aside.
MAKE THE SAUCE:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red chili pepper flakes. Then stir to combine and set it aside.
- After taking the seared salmon fillets, use the same pan and saute the garlic and ginger until aromatic.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and stir constantly until thickened about a minute.
- At this point, add the cooked salmon back into the pan. Lower the heat and baste the salmon with the sauce. Turn off the heat, and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with steamed rice.
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Easy Teriyaki Salmon
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet
- Measuring cup
- Wooden Spatula
- Tongs
Ingredients
FOR THE TERIYAKI SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1-inch size or thumb size, peeled
- chopped cilantro for garnish
FOR THE SALMON
- 4 4-6 oz. salmon fillets with skin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
MAKE THE SAUCE
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red chili pepper flakes. Stir until the sugar dissolve and all ingredients are well incorporated. Set it aside.
SEAR THE SALMON
- Pat dry the salmon with a paper towel before adding it to the pan. In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil medium-high. Add the butter and swirl to help melt. Use tongs to add the salmon fillets to the hot pan, skin side up. Sear for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set them aside.
- Use the same pan, add the garlic and ginger, and saute until aromatic. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir constantly until the sauce thickened for about a minute.
- Add the cooked salmon fillets to the pan. Baste with the sauce, turn the heat off and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and veggies.
Video
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Make sure to come back to the blog post and give us star ratings and reviews.faq
Certainly, the teriyaki sauce is very versatile. Equally delicious with any meat and veggies.
I like it, particularly with steamed rice or veggies. Even if you make some potatoes like baked or mashed potatoes, they’ll be delicious.
Generally, five days in the fridge and 3 weeks in the freezer. You can also make the teriyaki sauce ahead and freeze it. Then thaw whenever you need it.
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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.
Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Jen, a mom of 2 wonderful girls. I love to prepare home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. Surely, cooking more meals at home is worth all the effort. After years of cooking for my family and teaching culinary classes, I can honestly say that I have more control over the quality of the ingredients I use. It’s important to realize that when you cook better you eat better.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t have to eat the same thing repeatedly. There are ways we can naturally enhance our food’s flavor and enjoy home-cooked meals.