Teriyaki Salmon + Best Teriyaki Sauce
This Teriyaki Salmon is out-of-this-world delicious. It’s tender and packed with juicy flavor. The teriyaki sauce was handed down by Grandpa, and still is our favorite teriyaki sauce for chicken, shrimp, beef, or salmon.
Teriyaki Salmon is a Crowd Pleaser
After years of hosting a dinner parties and cookouts, friends and family have come to expect teriyaki grilled salmon on our menu. Contrary to popular notion, salmon is actually one of the most effortless, no-sweat choices for everything from everyday family dinners to impressing dinner guests.
Grilled salmon can be done indoors or outdoors; it’s super easy, healthy, and flavorful. Everyone, from Littles and Bigs alike, will polish off this salmon like nobody’s business.
Even if you’re not a fish cooker-maker, you can totally do this.
Salmon Rules
- Fresh salmon fillets are best, but individually sealed flash-frozen fillets are also very good. As with all protein, the better quality your salmon, the better your results will be.
- Always gently rinse fillets with cool water and dab off all excess moisture before seasoning and cooking.
- Always be sure your cooking surface, whether outdoor or indoor stovetop grill, is smoking hot (literally) before laying down the fish.
- Be sure not to overcook the salmon. You don’t want a chalky finish. Cook just until center is almost cooked through. The edges should be browned and flaky, with a tender just-done center.
- Let cooked fish rest at room temperature for a few minutes before serving, as this helps fish retain juiciness and tenderness.
The Teriyaki sauce
Introducing our all-time favorite teriyaki sauce. No other sauce is as fail-proof and consistent. After years of making variations of teriyaki sauce, nothing else comes close to this straightforward, snap of a recipe. (Side note: it’s also fabulous over grilled chicken, shrimp, and even grilled vegetables.)
Feel free to make extra sauce to keep in the fridge, as it keeps well for at least a week. This sauce is wicked good over chicken, shrimp, and beef too. Even burgers. Pretty much anything you throw onto the grill will turn out fabulous when drizzled with this sauce.
What to serve with teriyaki salmon
- Rice: fluffy jasmine rice or this Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice for a healthy, hearty choice.
- Noodles: Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a tasty, simple side that pairs well here. If you love stir-fry noodles, try this Lo Mein Noodles recipe.
- Veggies: this Chinese Chicken Salad can be made with or without the chicken; the dressing is unbelievable.
- Drinks: for a cookout, nothing beats a pitcher of ice cold Hawaiian Mai Tai (make-ahead!) For a smaller group, shake up a couple of these Mango Cocktails | 5-Ingredient Recipe
- Teriyaki Party: have several protein options, including 30-Minute Beef Teriyaki and Grilled Teriyaki Chicken.
More to grill and eat
- Grilled Salmon with Honey Lime Glaze – this simple glaze lends a tangy, sweet, and savory flavor combination to your salmon
- Spicy Thai Grilled Shrimp – grill up something different! Try this succulent shrimp with a kick.
- Honey Mustard Grilled Pork Chops – it couldn’t be easier to grill up flavorful, tender pork chops with this honey mustard sauce.
- Grilled Steak Tacos, Hawaiian Style – after trying this steak taco recipe, you’ll be putting it on regular dinner rotation all summer long.
- General Tso’s BBQ Grilled Chicken – you can get better-than-takeout flavors with this mouthwatering chicken recipe.
Also try this easy thai fried rice:
Did you make this?
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Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets, 6-8 oz each, about 1-inch thick
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- ½ cup Teriyaki Sauce, such as Kikkoman
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup white sugar, plus more to taste
- ¼ cup brown sugar, very tightly packed
- Juice of 2 fresh orange wedges
- 2 TB cornstarch, fully dissolved in 2 TB water
- dash of ground ginger
- Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- Teriyaki Sauce: In a heavy medium pan, combine all sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine well. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and whisk until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Taste and add more sugar, if you like it sweeter. Keep warm.
- Prep Salmon: thoroughly dry salmon fillets with paper towels. Sprinkle a light layer of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides (or just top side, if bottom has skin on.)
- Cook: lightly grease and heat outdoor grill (or indoor cast iron grill) until very hot and smoky. Lay salmon fillets on grill and cook on medium-high heat until just-cooked. If cooking on stovetop, cover pan partially to reduce smoke. Cook about 2-3 min per side, depending on thickness. Do not over-cook. Let cooked fish rest at room temp for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve: drizzle generously with teriyaki sauce and garnish as desired. Serve immediately. Delicious over a bed of rice or over a plate of green salad.
