Easy Baked Teriyaki Salmon

It’s heeeerrrrreeeeee (said in my best Oprah impression)!!!

Finally, an easy teriyaki salmon. It all started with our homemade spicy teriyaki sauce and the fact that we cannot get enough of this sweet, tangy, slightly spicy, sticky sauce on just about everything.

It’s a hit in lettuce wraps – both with a roasted cauliflower filling and a hearty jackfruit filling. And now it’s about time we slather this delicious sauce on a classic oven-baked salmon.

This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you’re short on time, or simply don’t really want to cook but want a well-balanced, satisfying dinner to feed you and your family. It’s also excellent for meal prep, or lunch leftovers the next day. That’s a win!

A Few Ingredient Notes

You really just need two ingredients for this recipe, but if you’re making homemade teriyaki sauce (which…you absolutely should) you’ll need a few extra ingredients to toss it together.

While the sauce is really easy to make, you can make it in advance or even freeze it to have on hand for when you need a really quick dinner!

• Teriyaki Sauce: the homemade version takes just 10 minutes. It’s a salty, slightly sweet, and tangy sauce with a soy sauce base. I like to add chili garlic sauce for an added kick, but you can omit it for a less spicy version.
• Salmon Filets: you can use fresh or frozen salmon filets and wild or farmed salmon. There are a few differences to keep in mind while baking the salmon to ensure it’s cooked perfectly:
  • Farmed Salmon: generally thicker filets that are fattier than wild-caught salmon. This means that you’ll have more leeway with cooking time and temperature, making it harder to overcook the salmon.
  • Wild Caught Salmon: these cuts tend to be a little thinner and less fatty, so it’s important to check them earlier and/or cook on a lower temperature.
  • Overall, the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon filets the most.

If you are using frozen salmon, thaw according to package directions, and be sure to pat dry before continuing with the recipe.

How to Make Teriyaki Salmon

This truly is such an easy recipe, and it makes the most filling, flavorful dinner!

Make the Sauce (or use Storebought)

So, we talked about the teriyaki sauce situation. And yeah, you can use storebought if you truly need a 2-ingredient dinner with the easiest route possible.

But do keep in mind, that making it from scratch is so dang easy and will take you less than 10 minutes (even less if you use pre-grated garlic and ginger!). Ok, so that’s my two cents.

To make the sauce, whisk soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, sesame oil, and rice vinegar together in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer for a few minutes, and your sauce is ready. Check out this recipe post for the full how-to on the teriyaki sauce.

Allergy-friendly tip: make your sauce with Tamari for a gluten-free recipe.

Prepare the Salmon

Now, what we’re here for. The salmon. This easy teriyaki salmon recipe, to be exact.

1. Use high-quality salmon filets. It’s important to know where your fish (or really any seafood) comes from, and how it’s caught. I recommend wild-caught when you can, or sustainability-farmed as an alternative.

I often buy the filets at the seafood counter or use frozen filets. However, if you have a slab of salmon available to you (like I use when making my rosemary salmon), you can either slice it into filets yourself or cook it as one large piece.

2. Lightly oil a baking dish for good measure. I have a 2-quart ceramic baking dish, pictured here, that I frequently use. Any ceramic or glass baker will work well.

3. Smother your salmon in teriyaki sauce and then you have one of two options once the sauce is over the salmon:

• If you’re in a hurry, go ahead and bake it immediately, reserving some of the sauce to brush on when it’s done baking, or…
• Let the salmon marinate for 10-20 minutes (however much time you have, really) to allow the flavors to soak in.

I still recommend reserving some sauce to brush on before you eat it. I’m all about being saucy though.

Bake the Salmon

Once your salmon is slathered (ok, ok, I’ll pause the alliteration for now) place the baking dish in the oven for approximately 12-15 minutes.

The cook time is going to depend on your salmon thickness. And the type of salmon, because fattier salmon filets do have a little more wiggle room in timing before drying out.

I’d recommend checking the doneness around 10-12 minutes and going from there. You want the centers to be cooked through to a light pink color without any dark pink/red spots that are raw. It should flake easily and be tender.

Once the salmon is done, top the filets with a little extra teriyaki sauce if you’d like. They’re excellent served with garnishes; try sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or cilantro. Then, it’s time to dig in and enjoy!

Serving Ideas

The eternal question: what goes with this?

When it comes to side dishes to serve with this Asian-inspired salmon, simple (and time saver) sides include rice and a green veggie. Give my Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice a try for an easy carb side dish and serve it with air fryer frozen brussels sprouts, green beans, or broccoli.

To make use of your hot oven, roast broccolini, zucchini, or crisp up diced potatoes.

Easily saute baby bok choy on the stovetop, or serve with a bright cilantro salad.

Expert Tips

• Make the teriyaki sauce in advance for a super quick throw-together meal later on in the week.
• Leftover sauce? Save it in the fridge for up to a week and use it in lettuce wraps, over chicken, beef, or shrimp.
• Roast a veggie at the same temperature for a delicious, nutritious side dish (and to multitask that oven!).
• If you have leftover salmon, enjoy it on a salad the next day for lunch – it’s great reheated or served cold!

Love salmon? Try these other recipes, too!

• Miso Ginger Glazed Salmon
• Rosemary Salmon Foil Packet
• Simple Salmon Citrus Salad
• Garlic Lemon Butter Salmon Pasta

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!

5 (10 ratings)

Get the Recipe Easy Baked Teriyaki Salmon

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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This baked teriyaki salmon recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner because it's so easy and quick to make! The homemade teriyaki sauce adds a ton of flavor to flakey, tender salmon filets making this the perfect Asian-inspired meal. Serve with rice and a side of greens for a wholesome seafood dinner the entire family will love!

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• ▢ ¾ cup teriyaki sauce, divided
• ▢ 4 salmon filets, ~4 oz. each

Garnishes as desired:

• ▢ green onions, sliced
• ▢ sesame seeds
• ▢ cilantro, chopped

Equipment

• ▢
  8×8 Glass Baking Dish

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with oil. Pat salmon filets dry and place in the baking dish, allowing to come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
• Using approximately 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, coat each salmon filet generously. Bake salmon for 12-15 minutes until flaky and cooked through. The recommended internal temperature for salmon is 145°F. I like to remove the salmon from the oven at around 135-138°F as it will continue to rise as it rests.
• Remove the filets from the baking dish and brush the remaining teriyaki sauce on top as desired. Add your preferred garnishes and serve with cooked rice and a veggie for a hearty meal. 

Notes

• Prepare the homemade teriyaki sauce up to 1 week in advance for a super quick and easy recipe!
• Time for the recipe is written as if your teriyaki sauce is already made. If making the teriyaki sauce the same night, add an additional 10 minutes to the total recipe time. 
• Leftovers: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave until heated through; or serve over a salad cold.

Serving: 1filet, Calories: 306kcal, Protein: 32g, Fat: 6.9g, Sodium: 1000mg, Sugar: 20.9g

Course: Dinner

Author: Becca Mills

Cuisine: Asian

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!