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This grilled teriyaki salmon is so perfectly flakey and has a sticky sweet glazed crust on top that will win the barbecue this season! The salmon is marinated in half of the sauce and then remaining is heated and thickened into a delicious teriyaki sauce that is smothered on top of the salmon in the final minutes. This grilled salmon pairs so perfectly with so many side dishes too!
I started making my own teriyaki sauce years ago when I made this Ground Turkey Teriyaki Stir Fry and haven’t had store bought since.
I took inspiration from that recipe for several others including this new grilled teriyaki salmon–you are sure to love it as well. Make extra sauce and drizzle it over veggies, chicken, rice and so much more!
And if you’re looking for more grilling recipes, try these as well: Grilled Balsamic Chicken, Mediterranean Grilled Chicken, Grilled Corn Chopped Salad or this fan favorite, Grilled Chicken Drumsticks.
Why you’ll love this Grilled Teriyaki Salmon
I am not the grill master in our house by any means, but with a little help, and my grill pan sometimes, I have some fun developing grilling recipes for the barbecue!
This new grilled salmon takes my FAVORITE sauce and turns it into a super simple but very flavorful dinner!
This teriyaki grilled salmon:
- is so simple to prep
- great to prep in advance and marinate during the day, then cook right before your meal
- a dinner recipe that can be cooked using a variety of methods, technically not just the grill
- the sauce–the teriyaki sauce is what will WOW and make this recipe stand out so much!
- Hope you love it!
Ingredient Notes
See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Choose salmon with skin-on for the best grilled salmon. The skin helps keep it from drying out and holds the filet together better. It will fall right off the skin once cooked. To pick the best salmon, look for vibrant color and make sure the salmon doesn’t have an overly fishy smell.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium levels down in this grilled salmon recipe.
- I refuse to make teriyaki sauce without orange zest (orange juice can work in a pinch). I added it when developing this ground turkey teriyaki recipe and will never make it any other way. It’s not a traditional teriyaki sauce ingredient, but it adds so much flavor!
Ways To Vary This Recipe
- make it spicy: add a touch of sriracha or red pepper flakes to kick up the sauce heat if you like a bit of spice.
- use a different cooking method: no grill? no problem! I have included other possible cooking methods below if you need them!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients except the corn starch in a small bowl and whisk.
Step 2: Dry the salmon filets with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper and garlic, gently pressing into the fish.
Step 3: Add the salmon to a shallow dish or large ziplock bag. Pour half of the teriyaki marinade over the salmon and massage into it. Allow to chill for about 1-2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
Step 4: Preheat grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the salmon from the salmon from the refrigerator, discard any excess marinade. Place salmon on the grill over direct heat and place skin side up to start, cooking about 6-8 minutes per side, until nice and flakey.
Step 5: Whisk together the corn starch and water until corn starch is dissolved and stir it into the reserved marinade. Transfer to a small sauce pan and heat on medium until thickened. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.
Step 6: In the last 2 minutes, brush with the teriyaki sauce. Remove from grill, rest for several minutes and serve with an extra drizzle or teriyaki sauce. Serve over rice if desired and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Other Cooking Methods
Air Fryer: Air fry the salmon filets at 400°F for about 7-9 minutes. Open air fryer and brush with the teriyaki sauce and heat for another 1-2 minutes or until desired doneness. Cook time can vary based on the thickness of the salmon and your air fryer.
Stove Top: Sear the salmon in a skillet over medium-high heat about 4-5 minutes per side. Brush with teriyaki sauce in the last couple minutes.
Oven: Bake the salmon at 400°F for about 15 minutes or until opaque and flakes easily with a fork. In the last few minutes, brush the teriyaki sauce over top. You can turn the broiler to let the top get nice and crispy. The cook time will vary if your salmon is very thick or very thin. Internal temperature should reach 145°F.
Recipe Tips
The thickness of the salmon filets will vary cook time. Salmon can come in a variety of thicknesses so this will add more time or decrease it a bit. This recipe uses about a 1 1/2 inch thick salmon filet at it’s thickest so adjust as needed.
Adjust cook time to desired doneness. For salmon that is cooked through, cook until the thickest part of it reaches 145°F. Some people prefer theirs a bit less done than this, but for food safety, 145°F is recommended.
Storage
Leftover salmon will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. I suggest reheating it in the air fryer for a nice crispy texture for several minutes at 350°F. If microwaving, cut it into smaller chunks and then heat in about 45 second increments so as not to dry it out or overcook.
Extra teriyaki sauce will stay fresh in the fridge for about 1 week. Add it over top of veggies, chicken, reheated salmon and more!
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Grilled Teriyaki Salmon
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- 2 tsp corn starch
Salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets
- ½ – 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- For serving: sliced green onions and sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
- Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients except the corn starch in a small bowl and whisk.
- Dry the salmon filets with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper and garlic, gently pressing into the fish.
- Add the salmon to a shallow dish or large ziplock bag. Pour half of the teriyaki marinade over the salmon and massage into it. Allow to chill for about 1-2 hours, or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
- Remove the salmon from the salmon from the refrigerator, discard any excess marinade.
- Whisk together the corn starch and water until corn starch is dissolved and stir it into the reserved marinade. Transfer to a small sauce pan and heat on medium until thickened. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water to thin it out.
- Place salmon on the grill over direct heat and place skin side up to start, cooking about 6-8 minutes per side, until nice and flakey.
- In the last 2 minutes, brush with the teriyaki sauce. Remove from grill, rest for several minutes and serve with an extra drizzle or teriyaki sauce. Serve over rice if desired and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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