Teriyaki Salmon

About This Recipe

Teriyaki (照り焼き) literally means 'shine grill' in Japanese — 'teri' refers to the glossy, lacquered finish the sauce creates, and 'yaki' means grilled or broiled. The classic sauce is a simple combination of soy sauce, mirin and sake in equal parts, sometimes with a little sugar, reduced to a sticky glaze that coats ingredients beautifully. Salmon is one of the best proteins for teriyaki: its rich fat content caramelises magnificently with the sauce, and the skin crisps perfectly when seared. This recipe produces restaurant-quality results in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 2 × 200 gsalmon fillets(skin-on)
• 3 tbspsoy sauce
• 3 tbspmirin
• 2 tbspsake
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspsesame seeds(to garnish)
• 2 servingssteamed rice(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make teriyaki sauce

   Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer 3 minutes until slightly thickened.

2. 2

   Sear skin-side

   Pat salmon dry. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high. Cook skin-side down for 4 minutes without moving.

3. 3

   Flip

   Flip and cook flesh-side 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Glaze

   Pour teriyaki sauce over salmon and baste for 1–2 minutes until glazed and caramelised.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve over rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Variations

• •

  Use chicken thighs instead of salmon and cook 5 minutes per side.

• •

  Add freshly grated ginger to the sauce for extra warmth.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently.

Frequently Asked Questions