Teriyaki Herb Glazed Salmon

Flaky salmon is glazed with an herbaceous sweet-and-spicy sauce, then baked to perfection in the oven. Done in under 15 minutes, this Teriyaki Herb Glazed Salmon is a weeknight winner!

The weeknight dinner struggle is real, friends. You make elaborate meal plans, buy all the ingredients you need, then you come home tired and hungry (or hangry) and end up heating up a frozen pizza or getting takeout. Sometimes even a “quick and easy” dinner feels like too much work, and for these days, I present to you this Teriyaki Herb Glazed Salmon recipe.

If you’re looking for easy, it doesn’t get much easier than this. (And I mean easy for real, not “it’s so easy, you only need 15 ingredients and an hour to make it!”) Whip up an herbed teriyaki sauce, baste the salmon, pop it in the oven for 10 minutes, baste it a bit more, and bake it for another 5 to 10 minutes.

That’s it.

While this is cooking, you can zap a bag of rice in the microwave (no shame here!), steam some frozen veggies, and you have an effortless dinner in less than the time it would take to get carryout. Or, if you’re feeling more ambitious, pair your Teriyaki Glazed Salmon with Sesame Ginger Garlic Green Beans.

What You’ll Need

This is a great dinner to make when you have leftover fresh herbs from another recipe!

• Pacific salmon fillets – Look for salmon that is moist and free of brown spots or edges. 
• Teriyaki sauce
• Garlic
• Sweet chili sauce – This adds a little kick to the salmon, but it’s not so spicy that it dominates the flavor here. (In other words, this recipe is kid-approved!)
• Ground pepper
• Basil
• Thyme
• Lemon zest

Can You Eat the Skin on Salmon Fillets?

When it comes to the skin on salmon, you have two options. You could remove it as the first step in the recipe (before glazing and baking), or you can leave it on and eat it. Salmon skin is safe to eat. 

How to Make Teriyaki Herb Glazed Salmon

If you’ve never made fish before, this is a great recipe to start with because salmon fillets are much easier than working with whole fish. Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Prepare. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Make the glaze. Combine the minced herbs with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.

Baste the salmon. Place the salmon fillets skin-side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Pat them dry with paper towels, then baste the fillets with half of the teriyaki mixture. 

Bake. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Baste with the remaining sauce, then return the salmon to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the glazed salmon is cooked through and flaky.

How Do You Know If Salmon Is Done?

Use a fork to press down on the top of the fillet; if the flesh flakes (separates along the white lines), the salmon is done.

Tips for Success

Here are some tips for making perfect glazed salmon.

• Know your salmon. And by this I mean know the variety you’re buying. I like using Pacific salmon fillets and that’s what I’ve developed this recipe for. Farmed salmon is usually thicker, with a higher fat content, which means if you use that instead, you’ll likely need to bake the salmon longer. And if it says “Atlantic” you know it is farm raised, not wild. And as a girl who grew up in Seattle, wild salmon is the only way to go.
• Removing the pinbones. You don’t have to remove the pinbones before cooking the salmon, but it makes it easier to eat. The best way to do this is with needle-nose pliers. I keep a pair in my kitchen tool drawer just for this purpose.
• Using frozen salmon. You can use frozen salmon here, but for this particular recipe, I do recommend thawing it first. 

Can You Save Leftover Salmon?

Salmon will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped. Reheat it in a 275ºF oven for about 15 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 to 130ºF.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Teriyaki Herb Glazed Salmon is best enjoyed fresh, but cooked salmon can be frozen for 4 to 6 months in an airtight container. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat it as instructed above.

Try These Teriyaki Recipes

Teriyaki Orange Roasted Chicken

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Meatballs

20 Minute Teriyaki Meatball Noodle Bowls

Grilled Salmon Soft Tacos

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