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Teriyaki Salmon

This teriyaki salmon recipe is buttery tender, juicy, succulent and gloriously flavorful thanks to the sensational sweet, sticky, salty, savory homemade teriyaki sauce. Best of all, the teriyaki sauce can be whisked up in minutes and doubles as the quick marinade so there isn’t any double work! The teriyaki salmon can be baked, cooked a skillet or grilled - all methods included – but our favorite is baked in one pan with pineapple and a rainbow of crisp tender veggies. The baked teriyaki salmon may look impressive but is SO easy and comes together very quickly with hardly any cleanup. Serve your teriyaki salmon with a side of rice for a recipe that everyone will be raving about!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Salmon (Pineapple and Veggies Are Optional)

  • 4 6 oz. skinless salmon fillets or 2 1/2 lbs. salmon fillet, sliced into 4 pieces
  • 1 small fresh pineapple chopped into 1” chunks (about 3 ½ cups)
  • 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups snap peas, trimmed NOT snow peas
  • 1 bell pepper chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup THINLY sliced carrots
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Teriyaki Marinade/Sauce

Instructions

  • Whisk together all of the Teriyaki Marinade/Sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Add 1/3 cup to a large freezer bag and whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add salmon and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the fridge. If marinating longer than 30 minutes, refrigerate teriyaki saucepan as well.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet/jelly roll pan (15x 21) with foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. If you don't have a large pan, you can use two half sheets.
  • To the prepared baking pan, add pineapple, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Push pineapple to one side of pan. Add all of the vegetables to the other side of the pan. Toss with 2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce (from saucepan), 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Spread into an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F.
  • Remove pan from the oven and push pineapple and vegetables to each side of the pan to make room for salmon, overlapping carrots and snap peas as needed. Add salmon in a single layer and discard marinade. Bake 12-16 additional minutes at 400 degrees F, until salmon reaches 130 degrees F and easily flakes with fork.
  • Meanwhile, simmer reserved teriyaki sauce in the saucepan just until slightly thickened, stirring often.
  • Remove pan from oven and brush some teriyaki sauce over salmon. Garnish salmon with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with rice/noodles/zoodles etc. with desired amount of additional Teriyaki Sauce and salt/pepper/sriracha to taste.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

  • Don't skip the pineapple:  The sweet, juicy pineapple with the savory, salty, tangy salmon makes this recipe!  I recommend fresh pineapple if you can get your hands on it (and yes, it’s worth the extra money when it’s not in season), otherwise you can use canned pineapple, drain well and omit the 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
  • Swap the veggies: You can swap the veggies or omit some altogether.  For example, instead of snap peas, use more broccoli or carrots.  I don’t recommend, however, skipping the pineapple, it is INCREDIBLE in this teriyaki salmon recipe!
  • How long to marinate salmon: 30 minutes is perfectly acceptable, but go for 2 hours if you have the time.  Do not marinate longer than 2 hours because the acid in the vinegar breaks down the proteins and can make the salmon mushy.   
  • Cook room temperature salmon:  Salmon should NEVER be cooked cold straight from the refrigerator otherwise it will cook unevenly. If marinating for 2 hours, remove the salmon from the refrigerator the last 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature.
  • Use the correct pan size or two smaller pans:  This baked teriyaki salmon recipe is cooked on a two-thirds size sheet pan (15x21) or larger, NOT a half sheet pan (18" x 13").  If you don’t have a large sheet pan, then divide the ingredients between two half sheet pans.
  • Don’t overlap broccoli:  For the first 5 minutes of baking, all of the veggies will be able to be spread out in an even layer.  When you add the salmon, the pan gets a little crowded.  I suggest keeping the broccoli and pineapple in an even layer so they can continue to caramelize and overlapping the carrots and snap peas because they require less cooking time.
  • Don’t over-cook salmon:  Take care not to overcook your salmon because it will only remain buttery, juicy and tender as long as it isn’t overcooked.  It is better for salmon to be undercooked than overcooked in my opinion. Make sure to check your salmon at the early part of the doneness window, especially if your salmon is on the thin side.  If you have different size salmon fillets, you may need to remove one fillet before the rest are done.

Skillet Teriyaki Salmon

  • Melt 2 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot and the butter is melted, remove salmon from marinade, pat dry and add the skillet.
  • Cook salmon for 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip salmon over and cook for 2-3 minutes, or to desired doneness (I recommend 130 degree F), then remove to a plate.
  • Add reserved teriyaki sauce to the now empty skillet. Bring to a simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add salmon and spoon sauce over top.

grilled teriyaki salmon

For grilled teriyaki salmon, you will want to use skin-on salmon fillets so they don’t fall apart easily. To make:
  • Clean, grease and preheat the grill to 450 degrees F.  Take care to GENEROUSLY grease the grates with a high smoking oil such as vegetable oil (not olive oil).
  • When ready to grill, remove fillets from the marinade, pat dry, then generously brush both sides with oil.
  • Place fillets flesh side down (skin-side up) on the hot grill.   If the skin is already removed, that side should be facing up.  You need skinless side down first because it holds together better while it’s still firm. 
  • Close the grill lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the salmon can be easily lifted off the grill.  Check at 4 minutes, then every 30 seconds until the fish no longer sticks. Use a spatula if needed to gently release the flesh from the grates.
  • Flip the fillets over so they are skin side down.  Close the grill lid and cook for 3-5 minutes until 130 degrees F.

How to Store and reheat

  • To store: Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. The teriyaki sauce can be stored separately for up to five days as well.  You can enjoy the cooked teriyaki salmon warm or cold in salads, rice bowls, sandwich, wraps etc. 
  • To freeze: Place cooked salmon fillets in a freezer size bag, squeeze out excess air to preserve freezer burn, label and freeze for up to 3 months.  Add the sauce to a freezer bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat: You can gently reheat the teriyaki salmon in a nonstick skillet, covered, or in the microwave at 30-second intervals. You can also warm in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 275 degrees F, until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F to 130°F. Take care not to overcook the salmon or it will become dry. 
  • To reheat from frozen: Thaw teriyaki salmon in the refrigerator overnight then reheat per any of the above methods.