Easy Teriyaki Salmon

This one pan easy teriyaki salmon recipe is quick, fuss-free & fabulous. With no fancy ingredients dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Easy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe

This teriyaki salmon recipe has been one of my go-to dinners since I first started cooking because it ticks all my fuss free food boxes.

It is super easy, uses everyday ingredients, is simple enough for a quick mid-week meal, but makes a real impression for entertaining and date night. Win, win, win!  

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am very fond of Japanese food. I love the balance of sweet and savoury, the combination of light dishes and full punchy flavours. Teriyaki glazed salmon shows off that simple balance beautifully.

No Japanese cook buys bottled teriyaki sauce. It is always made from scratch, using the store cupboard staples of sake, mirin, soy sauce and ginger (I’ve also got an easy healthy teriyaki sauce).

If you don’t cook Japanese dishes very often, you are unlikely to have the sake and mirin in the cupboard. For this recipe, I have substituted apple cider vinegar, which is a pantry staple for many and gives a good result.    

If you want to carry the Japanese influence throughout the meal, why not try my coconut matchamisu for dessert? 

Why You’ll Love this Teriyaki Salmon Recipe

• Quick and easy! No long marinading required.
• Ready in the time it takes the rice to cook. 
• The teriyaki sauce is made from scratch and in the pan, so there are no leftovers, and fewer pots to wash. 
• This uses everyday ingredients that you will have in your pantry, fridge and freezer, that can be used in numerous other recipes. 
• Teriyaki glazed salmon is a firm favourite for good reason. The rich salmon contrasts well with the strong flavours of the soy sauce based teriyaki sauce. 

How to Make Easy Teriyaki Salmon

 FIRST gather and measure out the ingredients. For the best results, you want a good fruity apple cider vinegar, that tastes of apples.  

Step one – Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the fish. Pop it into the pan skin side down, and leave to cook for several minutes. Turn and let each side cook. 

How to Stop Fish Sticking to the Pan

Simply put the fish into the hot pan and leave it. I know it’s tempting to prod and move it around in an attempt to stop it sticking, but just leave it be. 

I was taught this trick by one of the best chefs in the world; Michel Roux, at a class, and got perfectly cooked delicate mackerel fillets that didn’t stick at all when using a non stick pan.  

Once cooked, remove the salmon from the pan and set to one side. Pour out the fat and oil from the pan and give it a quick wipe with a paper towel. 

Step two – Add soy, honey, and apple cider vinegar to the pan. Grate in the ginger, and add the crushed garlic.

Cook on a medium heat until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken.

Remember that as the sauce cools, it will thicken further.  

How to Store Fresh Ginger 

Wrap in a bag, or pop into an airtight box and freeze. Use a fine Microplane style grater to grate from frozen then pop the rest of the ginger root back into the freezer. No need to peel. 

Step three – Turn the heat down, and return the fish to the pan to warm through. Turn the salmon gently in order to coat each piece evenly in the teriyaki sauce.

Step four – Serve immediately! We enjoy this teriyaki glazed salmon with rice, though you could opt for noodles or just steamed greens.

For an authentic but easy accompaniment, stir sesame seeds and chopped scallions/spring onions through freshly cooked rice. 

Hints and Tips for Teriyaki Salmon

• When frying fish, place it in the pan and leave it alone. It’s more likely to break up if you move it around. Turn it once onto each side. 
• If you are gluten free, then use tamari rather than soy sauce. Do check that the brand you are buying is 100% gluten free.
• I use a microplane grater for grating the ginger, which I keep in the freezer and grate frozen. There’s no need to peel it. You can buy both garlic and ginger puree, but I find they go off before I have finished them. It’s wasteful and results in unnecessary plastic waste too. 
• I prefer to always buy MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified fish because it’s so important to care for our oceans. 

Perfect Stove Top Rice

• To cook white/basmati rice, first measure rice into a heavy pan with a well-fitting lid. Add double the volume of water. Then put the lid on. 
• Bring to a gentle simmer, and then turn the heat right down to the lowest setting. DO NOT lift the lid. 
• After 18 minutes, turn the heat off and leave the rice for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.