This Teriyaki Salmon recipe might be a little pricier than some of my usual meals, but it’s worth every penny. Honestly, this is some of the best salmon I’ve ever made (I’ve been coming back to this recipe since I first posted it in 2011!!), and it’s just so easy. The salmon turns out tender and delicate, coated in a sticky teriyaki-style glaze that tastes like it came straight from a restaurant. And the kicker? A drizzle of creamy sriracha mayo on top that ties it all together.
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“This was the best salmon recipe I’ve ever tried! My husband and I thought it was restaurant quality, and all of my kids (even my toddler) gobbled it up. The sriracha mayo was a really nice addition, but it was tasty without as well (left it off my kids’ portions since they don’t like spicy food). I paired it with your mango cucumber salad recipe and jasmine rice. Definitely going into our dinner rotation!”
Katie
Pan fried Teriyaki salmon with Sriracha Mayo
Since I usually have soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar to hand, I never need to think twice about making a homemade teriyaki sauce. For this recipe, the salmon gets a quick soak in a simple teriyaki-style marinade, which turns into the most delicious glaze once it hits the pan. I like to cook mine in a skillet so the sauce gets nice and sticky, but you could just as easily bake it in the oven, throw it on the grill, or use an air fryer.
I also decided to whip up a quick sriracha mayo because I thought the spicy, creamy mixture would pair perfectly with the sticky sweetness of the teriyaki. Right I was. Plus, sriracha mayo is good on just about everything under the sun, so it’s no biggie if there’s extra!
Budget-Saving Tips!
- If you can get a good deal on frozen salmon, go ahead and use that in place of the fresh. Thaw it following the package directions and then follow the recipe as written.
- Don’t have rice wine? I’ve also made this recipe with rice wine vinegar before, and it turned out delicious. You will want to use less rice wine vinegar (about 1/2-1 Tbsp) as the flavor is sharper and more acidic. Alternatively, you can leave the rice wine out of the marinade!
Teriyaki Salmon with Sriracha Mayo
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce ($0.20)
- 2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- ½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.28)
- 1 inch fresh ginger (grated, $0.13*)
- ½ tsp minced garlic ($0.04)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.06)
- 2 Tbsp rice wine ($0.27)
- 1 tsp corn starch ($0.02)
- 1 lb. salmon filet ($11.49)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise ($0.20)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.24)
Instructions
- Make the teriyaki marinade by whisking together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, brown sugar, rice wine, and cornstarch.
- Cut the salmon filet into four equal sized portions and place in a large zip top bag. Pour the marinade over top, remove as much air as possible and close up the bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, mixing the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
- Heat a large, well oiled skillet over medium/high heat. It’s a good idea to use a non-stick surface here too just to be safe (teflon or well seasoned cast iron). The teriyaki sauce gets thick and sticky when cooked. Once the skillet is hot, add the fish, face down. Cook on all four sides for 2-3 minutes each side or until the fish has reached your desired doneness.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sriracha hot sauce and mayonnaise. Serve the fish with a dollop of sriracha mayo on top!
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Equipment
- Skillet
- Ziplock Bag
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Teriyaki Salmon step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Make the marinade: Whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp water, ½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 inch fresh grated ginger, ½ tsp minced garlic, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp rice wine, and 1 tsp cornstarch. This is your teriyaki marinade.
Prep the salmon: Cut 1 lb. salmon into four pieces of about the same weight.
Marinate the salmon: Place the salmon pieces in a zip top bag and add the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. I place the bag face down so that the flesh side will be in contact with the marinade the whole time.
Cook the salmon: Heat the skillet over medium/high heat and make sure to add plenty of oil or non-stick spray. When it’s nice and hot, add the salmon flesh side down. Cook the salmon for 2-3 minutes on each side or until it is cooked to the point that you like it.
Turn the salmon and cook on each side. The marinade will get nice and thick and sticky as it cooks, which is why you need to make sure it’s all oiled well. I cooked the salmon with the skin side down last.
Make the sriracha mayo: You can use any ratio you’d like, depending on how spicy you want it. I used 2 parts mayo to one part sriracha. I had plenty for all four pieces with just ¼ cup of mayo and 2 Tbsp of sriracha. This stuff is so good. Eat it on sandwiches, as a chip dip, or whatever. It’s so YUM.
If you don’t like sriracha or mayo, this fish is pretty phenomenal by itself, too! I had a hard time not just gobbling it up before the photos were taken.
Recipe Success Tips!
- I usually cook this recipe in a skillet, but I think it’ll turn out just as delicious baked in the oven, tossed on the grill, or cooked in an air fryer. Try it in a 425ºF oven for about 15-20 minutes (see my baked ginger salmon for more guidance), on the grill for about 10 minutes (see grilled salmon), or in an air fryer preheated to 400°F for about 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness (see air fryer salmon). Whatever you do, make sure to oil your surface well so that your fish comes off in one piece. It’s deliciously delicate, and the teriyaki sauce is sticky!
- Toss the leftover marinade once you’ve used it. It’s done its job, and you don’t want to reuse it since it’s been in contact with raw salmon.
- Keep the skin on the salmon while it cooks. It helps the fillets stay together, keeps the fish moist, and adds great flavor. If you’re not a fan of eating the skin, no worries! It peels right off after cooking.
- Cut each fillet into similar sizes so they cook evenly in the skillet. You may need to work in batches if your pan’s a little crowded. You’ll know your teriyaki salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork and looks opaque in the center. If you have an instant‑read thermometer, the internal temperature should hit 145°F in the thickest part.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this teriyaki salmon with some savory coconut rice and a quick vegetable stir‑fry of your favorite veggies, and you’ve got yourself a meal that feels totally gourmet (for at least half the price of eating out). I also love adding a little crunch and tang with some fermented veggies, or serving it alongside my sesame cucumber salad. And when I’m not in the mood for rice, I’ll happily whip up some quick garlic noodles.
Storage & Reheating
This recipe for teriyaki salmon is best served fresh, but you know I’ll never turn down leftovers! Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in a 275°F oven (wrapped in foil with a little oil) or on the stovetop over low heat until heated through. You can also freeze the salmon for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Teriyaki Recipes
Our Teriyaki Salmon recipe was originally published 9/11/11. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 8/11/25.
My husband really dislikes salmon, I am wonderinf if Icould use the marinade and sauce on halibut or cos
Definitely!
I had a random desire to make this one day, which is interesting because I never liked teriyaki that much. But after making this, I realized I don’t like store-bought teriyaki sauce. This, however, is easy to make and amazing! It’s now in my top three ways to prepare salmon. If you’re in a rush, you really don’t need to marinate the salmon for 30 minutes before cooking. Of course, it is better marinated but don’t let the time commitment prevent you from making this!
Also, I forgot to mention that you can replace rice wine with a little bit of rice vinegar instead. I had to do this because I didn’t have rice wine and my roommate is allergic to alcohol.
What are instructions for baking? Temperature? Time?Â
This one is cooked in a skillet, not baked.
Amazing…. it looks so nice
This was definitely good and we ate it up. I think it would be better if cooked in cast iron or on the grill because ours didn’t crisp up at all on the outside, and I used a piping hot nonstick skillet. At least the fish was very tender and flaky. I would also be sure to marinade it all day or overnight. I left mine for a few hours in the fridge and the flavor seemed like it hadn’t really saturated as much as I had hoped. I poured about half of the marinade into the skillet after I had cooked one side, not sure if that helped or hurt the outcome but the fish looked so plain without it.
I served this with the sesame kale recipe from this blog and I was amazed by how quickly it all came together. Highly recommend!
Also, don’t forget to serve with the sriracha mayo like I did! Whoops! Went good with the leftovers at least.
I halved the recipe and used frozen skinless salmon filets from Aldi instead of fresh, which worked fine.
I was confused on what to do with the excess marinade, so I initially dumped it all in the skillet with the salmon (face palm). I quickly realized that and it was WAY too much liquid and awkwardly dumped most of it into the sink, which seemed to save it.
Love the sriracha mayo complement! I served over brown jasmine rice sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds.Â
Really liked the marinade! I’m pretty new to cooking salmon but I think it went well overall! I did not get the spicy mayo but it probably would have went well with the fish.
I accidentally added the sriracha and mayo into the marinade, and it turned out AMAZING! I put the salmon on a hot cast iron for a couple minutes then put it in the oven with a tinfoil hat for 10 min, removed the hat for the last 5-10 minutes, and added rebased it in its sauce a couple times during baking. It turned out so juicy and was the best salmon we have ever made. Thank you!
Made this tonight and it was SO FREAKIN GOOD. 🤤 So simple and so delicious. I love recipes that are minimal work and yield high returns. I made it with Budget Byte’s soy glazed eggplant and wow those were amazing too. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!Â
Happy to hear it Jordan!
This was the best salmon recipe I’ve ever tried! My husband and I thought it was restaurant quality, and all of my kids (even my toddler) gobbled it up. The sriracha mayo was a really nice addition, but it was tasty without as well (left it off my kids’ portions since they don’t like spicy food). I paired it with your mango cucumber salad recipe and jasmine rice. Definitely going into our dinner rotation!
This is the best salmon recipe I have ever tried! I baked it in the oven instead of cooking it in a pan and it was amazing!
This might be my favorite Budget Bytes recipe. It’s delicious.
I was afraid the teriyaki marinade would be too salty, but the fish came out perfect! I let the salmon sit in the marinade overnight & cooked it the next day. I also made a side of stir-fried vegetables and cucumber salad (all budget bytes recipes!). It was an amazing meal! I will be making it again and again.Â
Really good! Â I substituted Honey for the brown sugar (because I didn’t have any on hand). Â Came out really good – it’s a keeper! Thank you!
This turned out delicious! I actually didn’t have time to marinate the salmon but coated it in sauce and browned it and baked it in the oven. In the mean time, I stir fried vegetables in the sauce then when the salmon was ready, added cooked egg noodles to the vegetables and topped it with the salmon with coriander and cashew nuts. I also added a bit of japanese mirin sauce to the marinade.