Name: Teriyaki Style Sockeye Salmon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb. sockeye salmon (or other salmon*); 2/3 cup olive oil; 2/3 cup soy sauce; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 8 inches ginger (finely chopped (~1/3 cup when chopped)); 6 garlic cloves (minced); 5 scallions (finely sliced, or 4 tbsp minced shallot)

JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE

This is the teriyaki style salmon recipe that won over my heart and it only takes 7 ingredients! My partner cooked this dish for me when we first started dating…and won me over.

I FINALLY got him to share the recipe. This top-secret teriyaki salmon recipe is all you need to win someone over you've been dating for a week or married to for 50 years.

A piece of salmon skin side up in a baking sheet with teriyaki style sauce.

What You'll Find in this Post

Ingredients you need
What to serve with teriyaki salmon
Recipe with step by step photos
My favorite salmon recipes
Jump to Recipe

Simple Ingredients, Big Payoff

Traditional teriyaki sauce has four main ingredients: soy sauce, sake, sugar, and ginger. This recipe is very different from the traditional teriyaki sauce you are used to, but in my opinion, it's the only recipe you will ever need to get that teriyaki craving perfectly satisfied. Teriyaki sauce is traditionally Japanese, and we got to enjoy it on our trip to Japan. This recipe is not an authentic teriyaki sauce, but instead, a sauce that reminds me of teriyaki sauce.

Store bought teriyaki sauce can be filled with preservatives and processed ingredients. Know exactly what you're eating with the whole ingredients in this easy recipe. You will need: salmon, soy sauce, garlic, scallions, ginger, brown sugar, and olive oil.

Ingredients for teriyaki style salmon including scallions, ginger, soy sauce, and brown sugar.

What to Serve with Teriyaki Salmon

Here are some of my favorite things to serve with salmon:

Step by Step Recipe

First, pre-heat the oven to 350F. We want this salmon to roast slowly to infuse as much of the flavor into the salmon as possible.

Salmon flesh side down in a sheet pan with teriyaki style sauce.

Add the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and scallions/shallot to a baking dish that fits your salmon (see photo 1). Place the salmon SKIN SIDE UP. This is the big trick in the recipe. It allows all the fat to seep into the salmon as it cooks. Also makes for easy skin removal (photo 2).

TIP: When cooking for 2 instead of 4, I like to use a ¼ sheet pan instead of a ½ sheet pan. Easier to handle, easier to store, and easier to clean! (Amazon affiliate links open in new tab.)

Cook 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. You will know it is ready when the skin easily peels off in one piece. Also, it should easily flake when you cut into the center, and the white proteins should be slightly seeping out of the flesh side of the salmon.

Peel the skin off of the salmon. It should be easy or either the salmon isn't ready, or it's old.

Cut and serve. I flip it over to serve so the bottom is up. Top with sauce from pan if desired.

More Favorite Salmon Recipes

If you love salmon and it's salmon season, try theses favorites:

...or check out all my fish recipes here.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★

You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I am up to. (Links to social media open in new tab.)

Print Recipe

5 from 18 votes

Teriyaki Style Sockeye Salmon

I've got the secret to cooking the best teriyaki style salmon! Just 7 ingredients and 30 minutes make for an easy weeknight dinner.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Asian

Servings:

Calories: 675kcal

Author: Candice

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ lb. sockeye salmon or other salmon*
▢ ⅔ cup olive oil
▢ ⅔ cup soy sauce
▢ ⅓ cup brown sugar
▢ 8 inches ginger finely chopped (~⅓ cup when chopped)
▢ 6 garlic cloves minced
▢ 5 scallions finely sliced, or 4 tablespoon minced shallot

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350.
Add the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and shallot to a baking dish that fits your salmon.
Place the salmon SKIN SIDE UP. This is the big trick in the recipe. It allows all the fat to seep into the salmon as it cooks. Also makes for easy skin removal.
Cook 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. You will know it is ready when the skin easily peels off in one piece. Also, it should easily flake when you cut into the center.
Peel skin off (should be easy or the salmon isn't ready).
Cut and serve. I flip it over to serve so the bottom is up. Top with sauce from pan if desired.

Notes

*Adjust cooking time depending on the thickness of your salmon. Most of the time, it takes 15-20 minutes to cook. However, I have sometimes used a very thin sockeye salmon and it only took 12 minutes to cook. Watch for the white proteins to release and you will know it is ready.

Cook the salmon skin side up so the flavors of the sauce infuse into the flesh of the salmon.

The skin should easily peel off (see video in post). If it doesn't, the salmon isn't ready OR it isn't very fresh.

Nutrition

Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.

This post was originally published in February of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and changed from "Teriyaki Salmon" to "Teriyaki Style Salmon" August of 2020.