Teriyaki salmon is one of my favorite ways to prepare this flavorful fish. This easy recipe is oven-baked and ready in just 25 minutes!
Teriyaki sauce is wonderfully flavorful, and it pairs perfectly with bold-flavored fish such as salmon.
Teriyaki sauce is delicious, but it can be overwhelmingly sweet. That's why I developed this recipe, featuring no sugar and just a small amount of honey. It's so good!
I use this sauce when making teriyaki chicken wings and teriyaki chicken drumsticks, and I also use it to make teriyaki salmon. Savory-sweet and intensely flavored, this flavorful recipe has quickly become a family favorite.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
For the Glaze:
- Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. You can use a gluten-free alternative.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a thickener for the sauce. I only use 1 teaspoon.
- Dry white wine: Classic teriyaki recipes typically call for sake, but I don't usually have that on hand, and dry white wine works perfectly well.
- Honey: Just one tablespoon to add a bit of sweetness.
- Minced garlic and ginger: You can mince them by hand for the optimal flavor, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Just don't use the powders - they're not as potent or tasty.
For the Fish:
- Salmon fillets: I like to use skin-on fillets because salmon skin is delicious.
- Oil spray: I usually use avocado oil, which is a good oil with a neutral flavor.
- Sesame seeds: Used purely for garnish, but they do make the dish look aesthetically pleasing.
Variations
- Use sake instead of white wine. I tend to use wine because that's what I have on hand, but sake works well and is more authentic.
- Maple syrup is a good replacement for honey.
- You can brush the fish with oil instead of spraying them.
- Sometimes, in addition to sesame seeds, I also sprinkle the finished dish with chopped green onions, chives, or parsley.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Bake the salmon fillets until they are cooked through. You can also broil the salmon instead of baking it. Broiling is faster, but both methods work.
While the fish is in the oven, prepare the teriyaki sauce: Mix its ingredients in a small saucepan, then heat the mixture over low heat, whisking often, until it thickens. This happens fast - just a few minutes.
To finish the dish, brush the cooked salmon with the sauce, sprinkle it with sesame seeds, and serve.
Expert Tip
The sauce tends to thicken fast and without warning. If you don't watch it closely, it can thicken too much. So, keep an eye on it while you heat it, and remove it from the heat as soon as it thickens.
Recipe FAQs
Teriyaki is a rich and sticky salty-sweet Japanese sauce. Traditionally, its main ingredients include soy sauce, sake, sugar, and ginger. It's used as a marinade or glaze for many dishes, including meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
The white stuff coming out of the salmon is albumin, a protein that remains liquid in the raw fish, but coagulates when the fish is heated.
It's fine to eat it - it's just not aesthetically pleasing. The best way to minimize it is to cook the fish gently and avoid overcooking it.
That's unnecessary. I like to keep things quick and simple, so I bake the salmon, make the sauce separately, and then brush the sauce on the cooked salmon.
Both are excellent methods. I usually bake it, but broiling is faster and saves you from the need to preheat the oven. Here's a recipe for broiled salmon.
Serving Suggestions
While steamed rice is an obvious choice, I like to serve teriyaki salmon on top of cauliflower rice. It's also very good on a bed of shirataki noodles or sauteed spinach.
On the side, I add an Asian-style vegetable such as cabbage pancakes, Asian cucumber salad, sauteed sugar snap peas, or sauteed bok choy. Sometimes, I simply steam broccoli and drizzle it with sesame oil.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
However, the leftovers tend to dry out when reheated, so I prefer to crumble them and use them as a cold salad topping the next day for lunch (removing the skin). Delicious!
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Recipe Card
Easy Oven-Baked Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients
Teriyaki glaze:
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine - or sake
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root - grated
Salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets - 6 ounces each, pin bones removed
- Avocado oil spray
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds - for garnish
Instructions
Cook the salmon:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray it with oil. Place the salmon pieces on the foil and lightly spray them with oil. Bake until cooked to 145°F, 12-15 minutes.
Make the sauce:
- While the salmon is in the oven, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add the white wine, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger, whisking to combine.
- Heat the glaze over medium-low heat, whisking often, for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens into a syrup. Remove from heat as soon as it thickens.
Finish the dish:
- Remove the cooked salmon fillets to a serving platter. Brush them with the teriyaki glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can broil the salmon instead of baking: Preheat your broiler on high and position a rack 3-4 inches below the heating element (top rack). Line a large, rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet with foil and spray it with avocado oil. Place the salmon pieces on the foil and lightly spray them with oil. Broil for 5-6 minutes, until opaque and cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F.
- The sauce tends to thicken fast and without warning. If you don't watch it closely, it can thicken too much. So, keep an eye on it while you heat it, and remove it from the heat as soon as it thickens.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. However, the leftovers tend to dry out when reheated, so I prefer to crumble them and use them as a cold salad topping the next day for lunch (removing the skin). Delicious!
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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