Teriyaki Salmon

Use this quick and easy Teriyaki Salmon recipe to make a light and savory meal any night of the week. Salmon fillets are pan-grilled to tender perfection in the traditional method and finished with an authentic homemade teriyaki sauce.

Servings: 2

Ingredients

▢ 2 skin-on salmon fillets (12 oz, 340 g; ¾ inch (2 cm) thick; the skin will hold the flesh together while cooking)
▢ ¼ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
▢ ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
▢ 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) (coating the salmon with flour helps it absorb the sauce and retain its umami flavor and juiciness; it also thickens the sauce; use cornstarch or potato starch for gluten-free)
▢ ½ Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.) (for cooking)
▢ 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for cooking)
▢ 1-2 Tbsp sake (for steaming; can substitute Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or water; for thick salmon fillets, you may need the full amount)

For the Teriyaki Sauce

▢ 1 Tbsp sake (can substitute Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or water)
▢ 1 Tbsp mirin (can substitute 1 Tbsp sake/water + 1 tsp sugar for 1 Tbsp mirin)
▢ 2 Tbsp soy sauce
▢ 1 Tbsp sugar

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients.

To Make the Teriyaki Sauce

Combine the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a (microwave-safe) bowl and mix well.
You can also microwave the mixture for 30 seconds and mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

To Prepare the Salmon

Rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry. Season one side with half the salt and black pepper.
Flip over and season the other side with the remaining salt and black pepper.
Sprinkle half of the all-purpose flour on one side of the salmon and coat evenly.
Flip over and sprinkle the rest of the flour on the other side. Gently press it to adhere and then remove the excess flour.

To Cook the Salmon

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and butter. Take care not to burn the butter. If the frying pan gets too hot, reduce the heat or remove it from the heat temporarily. Sear the skin of the salmon fillets, one at a time. Press the skin against the hot frying pan’s surface for 15 seconds before laying the fillet skin side (this is also the “presentation side”) down. The presentation side should go down into the pan first because you will get the best browning on the first side that hits the clean pan. Repeat with the remaining salmon.
Cook the salmon for 3 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown, and then flip.
Add the sake (1 Tbsp for thin fillets and no more than 2 Tbsp for thicker fillets) to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the stove’s heat to low. Steam the salmon for about 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. If the sake has evaporated but the salmon isn’t cooked through yet, add another tablespoon of sake and continue steaming.
Cook the salmon until it registers an internal temperature of 125-130°F (52-54ºC) at the thickest part of the fillet (I use a Thermapen instant-read thermometer). Then, transfer the salmon to a tray or plate. These fillets were about ¾ to 1 inch (2-2.5 cm) in thickness and took roughly 4 minutes to cook. Tip: The USDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F (63ºC); however, the remaining heat will continue to cook the salmon, so you must remove the fillets at 125-130°F (52-54ºC) to avoid overcooking.
Add the teriyaki sauce ingredients to the pan and increase the heat a bit. When the sauce starts to boil, add the salmon back to the pan.
Spoon the sauce over the salmon. When the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Transfer the salmon to a plate, drizzle the sauce on top, and serve immediately.