Teriyaki Salmon

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In just 20 minutes and with only six ingredients, you can whip up teriyaki salmon that’ll rival your favorite Japanese restaurant.

teriyaki salmon in skillet with bowl of white rice and scallions.

This teriyaki salmon recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson, where it’s known as “mirin glazed salmon.” It’s a deceptively simple dish that looks much more complicated than it really is—my favorite kind! You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already, and you can have the whole meal ready in just 20 minutes. Just remember to start your rice before the salmon so that everything is ready at the same time. The real magic happens when the sweet marinade hits the hot pan, caramelizing the salmon to create a gorgeous sear and a rich, mahogany glaze that will have everyone thinking you spent all day in the kitchen.

“Oh my gosh, this is a wonderful dish! Other salmon dishes of yours are favorites of ours but this takes the stars for ease and flavor!”

Gay

What You’ll Need To Make Teriyaki Salmon

ingredients to make teriyaki salmon
  • Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine): Adds sweetness and depth to the teriyaki sauce; contributes to the glaze’s sheen.
  • Light brown sugar: Enhances the sweetness and helps thicken the sauce; ensures a balanced teriyaki flavor.
  • Soy sauce: Provides the savory, umami base of the teriyaki sauce.
  • Salmon fillets: Salmon’s natural richness make it ideal for teriyaki sauce, as it beautifully complements the bold flavors. The pre-cut 6 oz portions, typically available at markets, are ideal for this recipe; ask your fish monger to remove the skin.
  • Water: Dilutes the sauce slightly for the right consistency and ensures it doesn’t become too salty.
  • Rice vinegar: Adds a slight tanginess to balance the sweetness and saltiness of the sauce.
  • Scallions: Used as a garnish, adding a fresh, crisp contrast in flavor and color.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mix the mirin, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will hold all 4 salmon fillets.

teriyaki marinade ingredients in baking dish

Stir to dissolve sugar. Place the salmon in the dish and marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, turning once.

Salmon marinating in teriyaki sauce

Meanwhile, set a very large non-stick skillet on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Place the salmon fillets in the hot, dry pan – presentation sides down – and cook for a few minutes until nicely seared and coated with a rich brown glaze (keep a close eye on the pan; this happens quickly).

searing marinated salmon in skillet.

Turn the fillets over.

browned teriayki salmon in skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add the marinade and water to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until fish reaches desired doneness.

spooning teriyaki sauce over salmon.

If the sauce looks like it’s reducing or thickening too quickly, just add a bit of water a few tablespoons at a time. Do not let it burn. Transfer salmon fillets to serving platter or plates.

cooked salmon pieces on white plate.

If sauce is nicely reduced and thickened, turn off heat. If not, continue to cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Add the rice wine vinegar to the sauce and stir.

adding rice vinegar to teriyaki sauce.

Place the salmon back in the sauce, or pour the sauce over the salmon fillets, top with scallions and serve.

teriyaki salmon in skillet with bowl of white rice and scallions.

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Teriyaki Salmon

In just 20 minutes and with only six ingredients, you can whip up teriyaki salmon that’ll rival your favorite Japanese restaurant.

Servings: 4
Total Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar (do not substitute dark brown sugar)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed (preferably cut narrow and tall, rather than wide and flat)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Mix the mirin, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will hold all 4 salmon fillets. Stir to dissolve sugar. Place the salmon in the dish and marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, turning once.
  2. Meanwhile, set a very large non-stick skillet on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Place the salmon fillets in the hot, dry pan – presentation sides down – and cook for a few minutes until nicely seared and coated with a rich brown glaze (keep a close eye on the pan; this happens quickly). Turn the fillets over, reduce the heat to medium, and add the marinade and water to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more, until fish reaches desired doneness. If the sauce looks like it’s reducing or thickening too quickly, just add a bit of water a few tablespoons at a time. Do not let it burn. Transfer salmon fillets to serving platter or plates. If sauce is nicely reduced and thickened, turn off heat. If not, continue to cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Add the rice wine vinegar to the sauce and stir. Pour the sauce over salmon fillets, top with scallions and serve.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 437
  • Fat: 23 g
  • Saturated fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Sugar: 14 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 36 g
  • Sodium: 1005 mg
  • Cholesterol: 94 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • Hi Jenn, I LOVE this recipe!!! Right after the salmon was cooked, I removed it from the pan, added white rice, and mixed it in really well to soak up all the sauce. It was so good that I think I’ll be making this at least once a week. Thank you so much!!

  • Delicious, one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. That Nigella sure knows her stuff! (And so do you!)

  • Have always cooked salmon either over or under. This one was perfect

  • I think I make this at least once a week. It gets my kids to eat fish and I love having extra sauce to pour on top of whatever green vegetable is on the side which provides further motivation for eating the vegetables too!

  • This sounds fantastic! I’m always looking for new ways to make salmon

  • This is my husband’s favorite dish. I make it at least once a week! Thank you!

  • why not dark brown sugar? would it cause it to burn?

    • Yes, Joley, it may burn.

  • Made this for my husband and it was wonderful, and very easy to make too!!

  • made this for a big family dinner and it was a big hit. we had extra sauce so i put it in a sauceboat and served it on the side. everyone loved it.

  • I never cooked with Mirin before and am so glad to have finally tried it. I made this over the weekend and even my husband who does not usually like salmon loved it. The sauce was amazing. I’ll definintely be making this again…it was so easy too!

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