This post may contain affiliate links.
This easy Teriyaki Salmon is sweet, sticky, and flaky, with a caramelized glaze and just four simple ingredients. I make it on busy weeknights when I want something that feels special but is on the table in 20 minutes. Serve it over rice for a quick dinner the whole family loves, like our salmon sheet pan dinner.
A quick bake and a few minutes under the broiler caramelize the teriyaki sauce into a sticky, golden glaze.
Teriyaki Salmon Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 2 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 442kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory, sticky, and umami
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a quick 20 minute dinner, like our slow cooker chicken teriyaki
Quick Answer
To make teriyaki salmon, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down and brush them generously with teriyaki sauce. Bake for about 10 minutes, basting with more sauce halfway through, then switch the oven to broil on high for about 5 minutes until the glaze is caramelized and golden, watching closely so it does not burn. Serve the teriyaki salmon over white rice or noodles, garnished with chopped green onions. It comes together in about 20 minutes.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Just four ingredients. Salmon, teriyaki sauce, rice, and green onions are all you need for a restaurant-worthy dinner.
- Ready in 20 minutes. A quick bake plus a few minutes under the broiler means dinner is done fast.
- Sticky caramelized glaze. Broiling at the end turns the teriyaki sauce into a sweet, golden, slightly sticky glaze.
- Flaky and tender. Baking the salmon gently keeps it moist and flaky, never dry or overcooked.
- Weeknight easy. Minimal prep and one baking sheet make this an easy meal with hardly any cleanup.
- Family favorite. The sweet-savory glaze is a hit with kids and adults alike, served over fluffy rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A sweet, sticky teriyaki glaze caramelizes over flaky, tender salmon in just 20 minutes.
- It uses only four simple ingredients and one baking sheet for easy cleanup.
- It is a quick, restaurant-quality dinner, like our Asian glazed Chilean sea bass.
Key Ingredients
Just four simple ingredients make this sweet and savory teriyaki salmon.
- Salmon fillets: The star of the dish, baking up flaky and tender under the sticky glaze.
- Teriyaki sauce: Store-bought or homemade, it brings that signature sweet-savory umami flavor.
- White rice: The perfect fluffy base to soak up all that delicious teriyaki glaze.
- Green onions: A fresh, sharp garnish that adds color and balances the sweet sauce.
- Optional sesame seeds: A sprinkle on top adds a little nutty crunch and a beautiful finish.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this teriyaki salmon your own with a few easy twists.
- Make your own sauce: Simmer soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and a cornstarch slurry for homemade teriyaki.
- Add veggies: Roast broccoli, snap peas, or bell peppers on the same sheet for a complete meal.
- Swap the base: Serve it over noodles, fried rice, or cauliflower rice instead of white rice.
- Try a different protein: Use the same glaze on chicken, like our slow cooker chicken teriyaki.
- Switch the fish: This method works on other fillets too, like our Chilean sea bass.
How to Make Teriyaki Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment, then spray or brush it lightly with oil.
- Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on the baking sheet.
- Brush each fillet generously with teriyaki sauce.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, basting with more teriyaki sauce halfway through.
- Turn the broiler to high and broil for about 5 minutes, until the glaze is caramelized and golden, watching closely so it does not burn.
- Cook the white rice according to package directions while the salmon bakes.
- Serve the teriyaki salmon over rice or noodles, garnished with chopped green onions.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Watch the broiler closely since teriyaki sauce has sugar and can go from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Baste halfway through baking and again before broiling to build up that sticky, glossy glaze.
- Bake skin-side down so the skin protects the flesh and the fillet stays moist and tender.
- Check for doneness when the salmon flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145 degrees inside.
- Line the pan with foil for the easiest cleanup, since the caramelized sauce can stick.
- Start your rice first so it is fluffy and ready when the salmon comes out, just like with our beef and broccoli.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This teriyaki salmon is made to be served over a bowl of fluffy white rice with all that sticky glaze spooned on top. Add a side of steamed or roasted vegetables to round it out into a complete, balanced meal. It pairs beautifully with our garlic ginger snow peas for an easy Asian-inspired dinner at home.
Turn it into a bigger spread by serving it alongside other takeout favorites like our bourbon chicken or a warm bowl of wonton soup. Sprinkle sesame seeds and extra green onions over the top for a restaurant-style finish that looks as good as it tastes.
Store leftover teriyaki salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat it gently so it stays moist. Flake any leftovers over a salad or into fried rice for an easy lunch. For another quick fish dinner, try our Asian glazed Chilean sea bass next.
Teriyaki Salmon FAQs
Any salmon fillet works well for teriyaki salmon, but fresh or thawed center-cut fillets give the most even results. Wild-caught varieties like sockeye or coho have a firmer texture and deeper flavor, while farmed Atlantic salmon is milder, richer, and a bit more forgiving if slightly overcooked. Look for fillets of similar thickness so they cook at the same rate, and skin-on fillets help keep the fish moist during baking.
Absolutely, store-bought teriyaki sauce makes this recipe incredibly quick and easy, and it tastes great. Just pick a brand you enjoy, since the sauce is the main flavor. If you prefer homemade, you can simmer soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and a little cornstarch until thickened. Either way, brushing it on in layers and broiling at the end gives you that signature sticky, caramelized glaze.
Teriyaki salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees at the thickest part. The flesh should look opaque and just barely cooked through in the center. Because oven strengths and fillet thickness vary, start checking a minute or two early, especially under the broiler. Salmon continues to cook a little after it comes out, so pull it right when it flakes to keep it moist.
Teriyaki sauce contains sugar, which caramelizes quickly and can burn in seconds under a high broiler. Always keep the oven light on and watch the salmon the entire time it broils, and position the rack a few inches below the heat rather than right at the top. If the glaze is browning too fast, move the pan to a lower rack or turn off the broiler a little early. A golden, glossy glaze is the goal, not charred.
Teriyaki salmon is classically served over fluffy white rice or noodles to soak up the glaze, with a side of vegetables to complete the meal. Steamed broccoli, snap peas, edamame, roasted asparagus, or a simple cucumber salad all pair beautifully. For a bigger Asian-inspired spread, add egg rolls, dumplings, or a light soup. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions ties everything together.
Teriyaki salmon is best served fresh, but you can prep ahead to save time. Make or measure the sauce and have the salmon patted dry and ready on the lined pan, then bake just before serving. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently in a low oven or microwave, though the texture is softest when fresh. Cooked, flaked leftovers are also delicious cold over salads or in rice bowls.
Craving more easy takeout at home? Try our beef and broccoli next for another quick, family-friendly dinner.
Pair this with our healthy cauliflower fried rice for an easy dinner.
For another quick protein, our teriyaki salmon is a weeknight favorite.
Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 salmon filets
- ¼ cup teriyaki sauce store-bought or link your own recipe
- ½ cup white rice
- Green onions for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.2 salmon filets
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray with baking spray or brush with vegetable oil.2 salmon filets
- Place salmon skin-side down on top of the baking sheet.2 salmon filets
- Brush each piece of salmon with the teriyaki sauce.2 salmon filets
- Bake for 10 minutes. Halfway through cooking baste with teriyaki sauce again.2 salmon filets
- After the 10 minutes is up, turn on the broiler to high. Let the salmon broil for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure to keep your eye on it or it can burn.2 salmon filets
- Serve salmon over rice or noodles and garnish with chopped green onions.2 salmon filets
Notes
- We use bottled teriyaki sauce for this recipe but you can make your own homemade sauce if you like.
- Easily double this recipe to make more.
- You can use a a whole salmon fillet and cut it into the size fillets needed for this recipe.
- Garnish with green onions if desired.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
If you are receiving pop-up notifications that is something you have to disable on your computer, I’m sorry I cannot help with that.
I am sorry to do this but I need to be unsubscribed from your mailings. At 80 years old I am no longer able to stand and cook your wonderful recipes. Thank you