Baked Teriyaki Salmon

Easy, healthy, gluten free and chock full of flavor, this baked teriyaki salmon is the perfect dinner recipe. It’s glazed in an easy teriyaki sauce and ready in just 20 minutes!

Raise your hand if 30 minute dinners are your best friend!! Same. Especially 30 minute dinners that involve any sort of Asian sauce (hi crispy orange salmon!). So when I received a request for a simple baked teriyaki salmon recipe, I jumped on board.

Salmon is my favorite protein source since it’s so easy to prep and pairs with just about anything. Rice? Yup. Veggies? Yup. Quinoa? Yup. Absolutely nothing at all? Honestly… yeah.

This recipe is saucey (big sauce gal over here), sticky, perfectly sweet, subtly spicy and did I mention it’s easy to make? Probably, but I’ll mention it again for good measure.

It’s gluten free, doesn’t need to be marinated (unless you want to) and every bite is bursting with flavor. I also love salmon broiled, which gives it a crispy top.

You can bake it as usual in the oven, then broil it for the last two or so minutes to crisp it up.

How to make teriyaki salmon

First, prep the teriyaki sauce, this takes about 10 minutes, and lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish to prevent any sticking. 

Add the salmon, skin side down, with half of the teriyaki sauce. I like to use these silicone brushes to glaze the sauce right on top of the salmon and ensure everything is evenly spread.

If you’re hungry and can’t bother to let it marinate (I’ve been there!) then go ahead and pop it in the oven once it has reached 400 degrees.

Otherwise, allow the salmon to marinate for about 15 minutes to let it absorb some of the sauce.

The longer you can let it marinate for, the better, but if you’re going to marinate for more than 30 minutes, be sure to keep it in the fridge. Otherwise, the counter will be fine.

It is possible to marinate salmon for too long, I wouldn’t suggest any more than a few hours for this recipe.

Bake for 12-18 minutes, depending on your preference and how thick the salmon fillets are. Check them at 12 minutes, they should easily flake with a fork and slide right off the skin. The color should be even throughout. 

Drizzle with some of the remaining teriyaki sauce, reserving some for rice or steamed veggies if desired.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and chopped scallions and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

There are a million and one ways you can serve this teriyaki salmon, but my personal favorite is with my cilantro lime rice, steamed broccoli, edamame and a sprinkling of scallions and red pepper flakes.

You can also have it on top of a salad, with quinoa, or use some of the extra sauce to make a stir fry with a bunch of different veggies. Anything goes!

For a paleo or grain free option, you can serve it on top of some cauliflower rice. I like to use frozen store bought cauliflower rice, but homemade is also great!

Can I use frozen salmon?

If you have frozen salmon and don’t have time to defrost it, you can totally just cook it frozen, follow the same instructions but add about 5-10 minutes of cook time.

If you do this, the sauce will unfortunately not seep into the salmon as well as it would if it were defrosted, so save a bit extra for adding on top after it cooks.

Frequently asked questions

How to store

Once prepared, this baked teriyaki salmon will store in the fridge for about 2 days. Let cool completely before transferring to an air tight container. Reheat on the stove or in the oven for best results.

Should I keep the skin on or remove it?

When baking salmon, you want to keep the skin on since this will keep it nice and moist and prevent it from drying out.

When it’s done, it should slide off very easily, if it doesn’t then it was either over or under baked. If you carefully lift it up and take a knife, the skin should just slide right off.

How long can I marinate salmon? I

I usually allow the sauce to marinate into the salmon for about 20 minutes for this recipe. However, you usually don’t want to marinate salmon for more than a few hours because it can break down the proteins and result in mushy fish.

This is especially true if you’re using something acidic in the sauce like vinegar or lemon juice.

Try these next

• Sheet Pan Sesame Tofu
• Baked Fish Tacos
• Maple Glazed Salmon
• Air Fryer Cauliflower
• Crispy Orange Cauliflower

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