Teriyaki Salmon

This Teriyaki Salmon recipe shows you how to marinate salmon in teriyaki sauce to give it a sweet and sticky glaze.

Teriyaki Salmon has to be one of my favourite ways to eat salmon! It gives the most beautiful glaze to the salmon which is sweet, sticky and so good.

In this recipe, I've used a homemade teriyaki sauce which is super easy to make and is always much healthier and tastier than store-bought.

I rarely eat seafood these days however I can never say no to this dish! I've also shared a teriyaki tofu recipe for a vegan option, which is perfection!

Below I have different cooking methods whether you’re using an air fryer, oven baked, or also pan frying. Whichever you choose, you’ll have delicious teriyaki salmon everytime!

If you love salmon, then you must try my salmon tacos with a creamy fish taco slaw.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make Teriyaki Sauce
• How to make Teriyaki Salmon
• Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
• Oven Baked Teriyaki Salmon 
• Pan Fry Teriyaki Salmon
• Tips and Tricks
• More Salmon Recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Salmon fillets, I’ve used medium sized fillets in this recipe. The more fresh the better! I always prefer buying seafood from a fish market or grocer
• Soy sauce is the base of the teriyaki sauce. I prefer using low sodium soy sauce. You can also use tamara for a gluten free option
• Pure maple syrup is added for its sweetness and to make it nice and sticky. Always opt for pure maple syrup which doesn’t have any other ingredients. You can also use honey or agave
• Rice wine vinegar is added for a touch of acidity. You can also use mirin, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• Sesame oil is added for its nice scent and taste
• Garlic is grated into the sauce, because garlic always makes everything better!
• Ginger is also added for its lovely scent and taste. I love ginger so I add quite a lot of it myself
• Corn flour / corn starch is used to make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce up

How to make Teriyaki Sauce

1. Add soy sauce, maple syrup and water in a small pot. Grate in the garlic cloves and as much ginger as you like, then add the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil
2. Place pot on the stove on low heat and let it slowly simmer for about 5 minutes
3. In the meantime, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornflour and water in a small ramekin. Add to the pot and stir through which will thicken the sauce
4. Remove from the heat, allow to cool in a bowl or jar, and you have the perfect thick teriyaki sauce

How to make Teriyaki Salmon

1. Once teriyaki sauce is made (refer above for steps), allow to cool in a bowl or jar
2. Pat dry the salmon and place in a container or zip lock bag. Add a few tablespoons of teriyaki sauce over the top until nicely coated and allow to marinate for a few hours in the fridge. If you don’t have much time, 10-15 minutes is still fine
3. Cook salmon your preferred way. This recipe includes how to cook teriyaki salmon in the air fryer, oven baked, or pan fry
4. Top with sesame seeds and spring onions and serve with jasmine or basmati rice. You can also add extra sauce on top if you like it extra saucy

Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

1. Preheat air fryer to 180°C/350°F
2. Spray the bottom with oil spray and place the salmon fillets skin side down
3. Brush on extra teriyaki sauce from the marinade and cook for 10 minutes for fully cooked salmon, or 7-8 minutes for medium rare

Oven Baked Teriyaki Salmon 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
2. Place baking paper on a baking tray and place salmon fillets skin side down
3. Brush on extra teriyaki sauce from the marinade and cook for 15 minutes for fully cooked salmon, or 10-12 minutes for medium rare

Pan Fry Teriyaki Salmon

1. Heat oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Place salmon fillets down, skin side down and hold them down with a spatula for about 30 seconds so they don’t curl up
2. Brush on extra teriyaki sauce from the marinade and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until you see the fish is cooked half way up on the side. Gently flip the salmon fillet over and cook for an extra 3-4 minutes on the second side for fully cooked salmon.
3. For medium rare, cook for 4-5 minutes skin side down and 2-3 minutes on the second side

Tips and Tricks

1. Make sure to pat dry the salmon before marinating to remove any excess water
2. It's best to marinade the salmon in the teriyaki sauce for a few hours for optimum flavour. If you can’t do this ahead of time, not to worry. Even if marinated for 15 minutes it will be great! You can just add an extra brush of sauce for more flavour
3. Cooking times will vary on the size of the salmon. If you’re cooking larger fillets, you’ll need to increase the cooking time slightly. If using smaller fillets, they will need a slightly reduced time
4. Use foil in your airfryer for easier clean up
5. When removing from the airfryer, do this gently. As the teriyaki sauce is quite sticky, it can cause the salmon skin to stick at that bottom so use a spatula when removing so you don’t break the fillets

More Salmon Recipes

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Teriyaki Salmon photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

Recipe