Teriyaki Salmon Recipe with Avocado Crema
Sweet-savory teriyaki salmon baked until tender and finished with avocado crema. A restaurant-style salmon dinner ready in about 25 minutes.
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- ½ cup Sake
- ½ cup Mirin
- ¼ cup Pineapple Juice
- 2 Tablespoon Honey
- 2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Fresh Ginger Grated
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Minced
Avocado Crema
- 2 whole Avocados
- 1 Tablespoon Shallot Minced
- 2 Tablespoon Greek Yogurt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Serrano Pepper Seeded
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger Grated
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ juice Lime
Salmon
- 4 filets Salmon
- 5 Tablespoon Teriyaki Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
Prepare the Teriyaki Sauce
Combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sake, mirin, pineapple juice, honey, brown sugar, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and let cool. Add a little water if needed to adjust the consistency.Prepare the Salmon
Inspect the salmon and remove any pin bones. Pat the salmon dry, then season with kosher salt and black pepper. Lightly coat the bottom of a glass casserole dish with olive oil. Place the salmon in the dish and coat with teriyaki sauce. Set a roasting rack over the dish and place the salmon on the rack. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of water to the bottom of the dish to create steam while baking.Bake the Salmon
Start by lightly coating a glass casserole dish with two teaspoons of olive oil. Place the salmon in the dish and coat it fully with teriyaki sauce so the glaze can cook onto the fish.Bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. As the salmon cooks, the sauce will begin to caramelize and deepen in flavor.During the last 5 to 10 minutes, re-glaze the salmon with additional teriyaki sauce to build more flavor and create a richer finish.Once the salmon is cooked through, brush with a small amount of fresh sauce just before serving for a clean, glossy finish.
Serving / Plating
- Take the plates and warm them up in the oven for a few minutes.Warning: placing a warm piece of fish on a cold plate will suck the heat out of your salmon very quickly.
Make the Avocado Crema
Add 2 avocados, half of 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, fresh ginger 1 to 2 teaspoons, 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt or more to taste, the juice of ½ of one lime, add more if needed.- PlatingSpoon a few tablespoons of avocado crema onto the center of the plate and spread gently with the back of a spoon.Place the cooked salmon on top of the crema or slightly off-center for a more refined presentation.Drizzle a small amount of fresh teriyaki sauce over the salmon. Garnish with chopped parsley or microgreens. Finish with a light squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice.
Video
Notes
- Use evenly thick salmon fillets for more even cooking.
- Keeping the skin on can help protect the fish from drying out during baking.
- Bake time will vary based on thickness, so start checking around the 10-minute mark.
- Use fresh teriyaki sauce for finishing, not the sauce that touched the raw fish.
- To check doneness, insert a metal skewer or cake tester into the thickest part of the fish for a few seconds, then touch it to your chin or lower lip. If it feels hot, the salmon is ready.
- Salmon is typically done at about 140°F in the center.
- Leftover salmon can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.