Why This Recipe Works

This recipe works because:

You get perfectly cooked fish: flaky and juicy. First, there is no burnt salmon here. While testing this recipe, we tried coating the salmon with the sauce first, then cooking the sauce-coated salmon in a pan. That resulted in burnt salmon. Ouch! If you coat the fish in the sauce first, you create room for the sugar to caramelize and eventually burn probably before the fish even gets cooked. To prevent that we pan fry the fish first then simmer the sauce and baste the fish with the sauce. That gives perfectly cooked fish and allows enough sauce to enjoy.
There is a great balance of sweet and salty.
It is ridiculously easy to make. Just follow the guide for cooking the fish right!
It is quick. In less than 20 minutes you have a meal!
The sauce is worth making again with rice! And it pairs well with a wide variety of sides too!

Set up some rice on one burner to cook and then make this Pan Fried Teriyaki Salmon on another. The rice will be ready at about the same time as the fish and you’ll have a great dinner!

Pan fried teriyaki salmon in cast iron skillet.

What Is Teriyaki?

The word teriyaki comes from two Japanese root words: teri which means “shine” and yaki which means to “cook”, “grill”, or “fry”.

Teriyaki is used to refer to a sweet and salty sauce used in Japanese cooking either as a glaze, a marinade, or a dipping sauce. The main ingredients in teriyaki sauce are soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (a type of rice wine used in Japanese cooking).

For this recipe, we used hoisin sauce and lemon juice instead of mirin. The lemon juice provides acidity just like mirin does. If you want to try this recipe with mirin, try getting it from Asian stores near you.

Ingredients Needed

With a few ingredients, you get tasty teriyaki salmon all made in the pan and ready in less than 20 minutes. Here are the main ingredients needed:

Ingredients for teriyaki salmon with labels.

Salmon: Use wild-caught salmon for the best flavor if you can. If using farm-raised salmon, be sure to choose responsibly farmed fish.
Lemon juice: The acidity of the lemon juice balances the sweetness of the brown sugar.
Salt, pepper, and oil (not pictured): 3 classic ingredients used to pan-fry the salmon before simmering the teriyaki sauce.
Brown sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness without being overpowering.
Garlic and ginger: This duo really elevates the flavor of this dish. Mince them easily using a Microplane zester/grater.

For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.

Pantry notes

Fish: No salmon, no problem. Feel free to replace the salmon with other kinds of fish such as trout, halibut, or red snapper.
Soy sauce: Maggi seasoning sauce is a great replacement for soy sauce as they have a similar flavor profile.
Honey or Maple Syrup: Honey or maple syrup makes a great replacement for the brown sugar used in this recipe.
Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the sauce for a spicy kick.
Teriyaki Chicken: Replace the salmon with chopped chicken breasts or thighs and cook following the same method to make teriyaki chicken.
Sesame oil: Drizzle sesame oil over the salmon before serving for more flavor.

For a similar salmon recipe, check out our Cajun Honey Butter Salmon. Also, check out this Steak Fried Rice and Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry.

How To Pan Fry Salmon Teriyaki

In 4 easy steps, you could pan-fry salmon and coat it in an insanely satisfying sauce. These are the flavors you want when you order salmon from a Japanese restaurant! Follow our easy teriyaki salmon recipe:

Step 1: First, pat the salmon dry with paper towels then season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Heat up oil in a frying pan on medium heat and pan fry the salmon for 2-4 minutes on each side until done.

Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic and ginger, lemon juice, and water.

Step 4: Remove the salmon from the pan. Add the hoisin sauce mixture to the pan and let it simmer until it thickens to make the teriyaki glaze. Then, add the salmon back and baste with the sauce.

Hint: Our salmon fillets were about half to three-quarter inches thick, so we cooked them for about 2 minutes per side. If your fillets are about 1 inch or thicker, cook them for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the desired doneness.

According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), salmon should be cooked until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Recipe FAQs

How to serve it

You could serve Pan Fried Teriyaki Salmon with simple steamed vegetables like cauliflower, green beans, carrots, broccoli or roasted veggies. Also, consider serving with these side dishes:

Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 17 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound salmon fillets, 3 fillets
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons light olive oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 Tablespoons water

Method

Pat both sides of the salmon fillet dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle both sides of the salmon with the salt and pepper.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, minced garlic, minced ginger and water.
Place a 10-12 inch skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it heat up for 2 minutes.
Add the seasoned salmon to the skillet (skin side down if using salmon with skin on). Let it cook on one side for 2 minutes then flip to the other side and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Increase cooking time if the salmon fillets are 1 inch thick or thicker. (See the post for salmon cooking tips.)
Add the soy sauce mixture from step 3 to the pan and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for about one to two minutes.
Add the salmon fillets back to the pan. Generously spoon the sauce over the fillets ensuring that the sauce completely coats the salmon.
Turn off the heat and serve warm with your favorite sides. Consider garnishing the fish with sesame seeds and diced green onions or leeks.