Seafood

Serving

Seafood Quick & easy

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

Name: Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets (6 oz each); 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp grated fresh ginger; 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Pan-seared salmon glazed in a sweet-savory homemade teriyaki sauce, finished with sesame and scallions.

25 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

11 min prep

19 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish Seafood Sesame Soy Wheat

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Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
Whisk soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan.
2
Bring to a simmer, stir in cornstarch slurry, and cook until thickened; set aside.
3
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear salmon skin-side down 4 minutes.
4
Flip and cook 2-3 minutes more until nearly cooked through.
5
Pour teriyaki glaze over salmon and simmer 1-2 minutes, spooning sauce over the top.
6
Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions before serving.

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon — plated and served — Serving moment. How Teriyaki Glazed Salmon looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

60/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 50

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 86

Budget-friendly 62

Great leftovers 50

Pantry-friendly 50

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

450

Calories

36 g

Protein

13 g

Carbs

26 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Teriyaki, meaning glazed and grilled, is a Japanese cooking method that became one of North America's most familiar ways to eat fish, thanks to decades of teriyaki-sauce bottles on grocery shelves. Making the glaze from scratch here keeps the sweetness in check and lets the salmon's own richness come through.

Listahan note

This version sears the salmon first and builds the glaze in the same pan, so the fish gets real color instead of just being coated in sauce.

Technique cues

Sear the salmon skin-side down first without moving it for a full 4 minutes; that undisturbed contact is what renders the skin crisp.
Make the glaze in a separate small pot so it can simmer to the right thickness before it ever touches the fish.
Spoon the glaze over the salmon rather than dunking it in the pan; this keeps the top glossy without overcooking the fish in extra liquid.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Make the glaze while the salmon sears so both finish at nearly the same time.
Make-ahead: The glaze can be made up to 3 days ahead and reheated gently before spooning over freshly cooked salmon.
Leftover move: Flake cold leftover salmon over a rice bowl with extra scallions and a drizzle of the reserved glaze.
Cleanup rhythm: Deglaze the skillet with a splash of water right after cooking so the sticky glaze does not harden onto the pan.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Salmon fillets

Main protein

Purpose: Its natural fat content stands up to the sweet glaze without the dish tasting one-note.

Handling: Pat the skin very dry before searing for the best crisp.

Adaptation: Steelhead trout or arctic char both work well with the same glaze.

Soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar

Glaze base

Purpose: This trio builds the classic teriyaki balance of salty, sweet, and savory in one saucepan.

Handling: Whisk together before heating so the sugar dissolves evenly.

Adaptation: Tamari makes it gluten-free; coconut sugar can replace brown sugar.

Fresh ginger and garlic

Aromatics

Purpose: They keep the glaze from tasting flat or purely sweet.

Handling: Grate the ginger finely so it melts into the sauce rather than leaving stringy bits.

Adaptation: Ground ginger and garlic powder work in a pinch, using about a third of the amount.

Cornstarch slurry

Thickener

Purpose: Turns the thin glaze into something that clings to the fish instead of pooling on the plate.

Handling: Mix with cold water before adding to the hot glaze to prevent clumps.

Adaptation: Arrowroot starch works the same way for a gluten-free pantry.

Technique notes

Do not flip the salmon too early — an underdone sear will tear the skin instead of releasing it cleanly.
Reduce the glaze until it coats the back of a spoon; a thin glaze slides right off the fish.
Let the salmon rest a minute off the heat before serving so the glaze sets slightly and does not run off the plate.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a naturally gluten-free glaze.
Lower-sugar direction: Cut the brown sugar by half and add a splash more rice vinegar to keep the balance bright rather than syrupy.
Sesame-free direction: Skip the sesame oil and seeds and finish instead with a drizzle of neutral oil and extra scallions.

Serve alongside

Steamed jasmine rice
Sesame-dressed broccoli
Quick-pickled cucumber salad
Iced green tea
Sparkling water with lime
Dry Riesling

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftover salmon in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat to keep the fish moist; microwaving toughens it slightly.
Freezing is not recommended once glazed — the sauce separates on thawing.

Equipment

Nonstick or well-seasoned skillet
Small saucepan for the glaze
Whisk

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