Baked Teriyaki Salmon
Baked Teriyaki Salmon features tender salmon fillets glazed with a homemade teriyaki sauce that caramelizes beautifully in the oven. Sweet, savory, and deeply satisfying, this dish delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal effort, perfect for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets about 6 oz each, skin-on preferred
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin Japanese sweet rice wine or substitute with 1/4 cup white wine plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water slurry
- 2 green onions thinly sliced for garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for heat
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking dish with parchment paper or lightly oil it to prevent sticking.
- Make the teriyaki sauce by combining soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering sauce, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels (this ensures better caramelization) and place them skin-side down in the prepared baking dish, leaving a little space between each fillet.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce for serving, then brush the remaining sauce generously over the salmon fillets, making sure to coat the tops and sides well.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork but is still moist in the center. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fillets.
- Brush the salmon with more teriyaki sauce halfway through cooking to build up that delicious glaze.
- For extra caramelization, broil on high for the last 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Let the salmon rest for 3-5 minutes after removing from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the fish.
- Drizzle with the reserved sauce, then garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- For the best texture, bring salmon to room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking.
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, simply skip the cornstarch slurry step.
- The teriyaki sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- Look for center-cut salmon fillets of even thickness to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- The sauce works beautifully with other proteins too—try it with chicken thighs or firm tofu.
- For a complete meal, start cooking rice right before preparing the salmon so everything finishes at the same time.