This simple recipe for Japanese baked salmon combines the classic flavors of teriyaki into a light marinade that can then be doubled as a finishing glaze. It works best if you can marinate it overnight but works with just 20 minutes too. Bonus: leftovers from the fridge taste really good cold.
This recipe works really well when you buy fresh salmon, don't want to cook it right away, but have that antsy feeling you need to do something with the fresh salmon you just bought.
It can sit in the marinade from 20 minutes to 3 days. (It gets saltier the longer it sits in the marinade.) Then when it's time to eat, it's just baked in the oven.
Make it a mostly hands off, stove free dinner by serving with Japanese mushroom rice, addictive edamame pods, and quick, cool Japanese tofu salad.
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Ingredients
You'll just need a few standard ingredients used in many traditional Japanese recipes.
- Salmon - This works especially well with king salmon, the literal king of salmon in terms of flavor and fat content.
- You could also use Atlantic salmon.
- For sockeye or coho salmon, I would use this similar recipe that is a little stronger in flavor (to make up for the lack of fat) like this teriyaki baked sockeye salmon.
- Mirin - This is a traditional sweetened rice wine used in so many Japanese recipes such as Nobu's famous miso marinated cod and Japanese mushroom rice.
- Sake - Sake is also a traditional alcoholic rice wine used in Japanese recipes. It adds a subtle amount of sweetness, freshness, and umami.
- Fresh Ginger - Ginger and fish are like peas and carrots in Asian cuisine. Ginger helps make fish tastes fresher by adding that trademark spicy bite.
- I like to store large, peeled ginger pieces in the freezer. When you need a little bit of it, you just grate what you need on the microplane grater, and then throw it back in the freezer. (The frozen ginger will grate on the microplane.)
- Substitute with dried ginger powder, if you don't have fresh ginger.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
There are many ways to adapt this same recipe for multiple fish and diets.
- Other fish - This recipe would work all with lots of other 'meaty' types of fish including:
- Steelhead trout
- Catfish steaks
- Tuna
- Swordfish
- Black cod (sablefish)
- Vegetarian - This would also work really well with tofu for vegtarians.
- Use a firm or extra firm tofu.
- Marinate overnight to get as much flavor as possible into the tofu.
- Sweetener of choice - You can use any type of sweetener you prefer such as:
- Honey
- Agave
- Coconut Sugar
- Date Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Gluten Free - Use tamari or liquid aminos instead of soy sauce.
Instructions
Once the marinade is made, bake within 15 minutes or up to a week in the fridge.
- Step 1: Combine all marinade ingredients into a dish large enough to hold the fish. (A gallon sized ziploc also works too.)
- Step 2: Put the salmon in the marinade for at least 20 minutes. Be sure to flip half way through, so both sides get coated.
- Step 3: Put the salmon into a preheated 400 degree oven.
- Step 4: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the salmon reaches 145 degrees F in the thickest part of the salmon filet.
Hint: Remove the pin pones before cooking, if you'd rather not fish them out while eating.
You can feel them if you run your finger along the top of the flesh. Use fish tweezers and pull in the same direction that the bone is running through the fillet.
How to Get Moist, Juicy Salmon
- Buy King salmon
- I get mixed results with coho and sockeye, since they tend to have less fat than king salmon.
- If the salmon has a lot of fat (which king salmon does), it's hard to overcook.
- Don't overcook it. Fish cooks quickly, so check on it every 5 minutes or so after the outside has turned pale orange.
- A thermometer should read 145 degrees F in the thickest part of the fish.
- A general rule of thumb for cooking salmon is 10 minutes of cooking time for each inch of the height of the salmon fillet.
- Shorter marinade time
- The longer the salmon sits in the marinade, the more deeply flavored it become but also more water comes out. This results in a 'meatier,' jerky like salmon.
- If you want your salmon as moist as possible, marinade for just 20 minutes.
More Seafood Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Side Dish Recipes
Need some side dish inspiration? Try these:
Recipe
Japanese Baked Salmon (with a quick, simple marinade)
This simple recipe for Japanese baked salmon combines the classic flavors of teriyaki into a light marinade that can then be doubled as a finishing glaze. It works best if you can marinate it overnight but works with just 20 minutes too. Bonus tip: leftovers from the fridge taste really good cold.
Servings 2
Calories 386kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon fillet cut into at least 2 pieces for 2 servings
- ¼ c soy sauce or tamari for gluten free option
- 2 Tb mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine for cooking)
- 2 Tb sake omit, if you don't have sake
- 1 Tb sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger or ½ teaspoon ginger powder
Other
- oil to brush on the baking sheet to keep the salmon from sticking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove pin bones from salmon if desired. (You can feel them if you run your finger along the top of the flesh. Use fish tweezers and pull in the same direction that the bone is running through the fillet.)
- Mix together remaining ingredients (soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, ginger). Pour over salmon and marinate at least 20 minutes to overnight in an small container or ziploc bag. Flip half way through, so each side of the filet gets submerged in the marinade. (See Note 1 for marinade time notes).
- Remove salmon from marinade. Put onto an oiled or parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-20 minutes depending on thickness of the salmon. The salmon should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. (A general rule of thumb for cooking salmon is 10 minutes of cooking time for each inch of the height of the salmon fillet.)
Optional Sauce - for a bolder, stronger flavor
- While the salmon bakes, you can take the leftover marinade and boil it down in a pan until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. As it cools, it will further thicken into an intense teriyaki sauce that can be used as a finishing glaze. The marinade by itself results in a subtly, lightly soy flavored salmon. If you crave intensity, drizzle this sauce on top of the cooked salmon.
Notes
- The longer the salmon sits in the marinade, the more deeply flavored it become but also more water comes out. This results in a 'meatier,' jerky like salmon.
- If you want your salmon as moist as possible, marinade for just 20 minutes.
- The salmon can sit in the marinade in the fridge for up to a week.
- Use King salmon for premium moistness in the fish. Coho and sockeye salmon are good options too but may be a little drier.
- Try not to overcook the salmon, in order to get the juiciest piece of fish possible.
- Instead of baking, you could also grill or pan fry the salmon.
- This recipe also works well with other oily fish such as steelhead trout, tuna, swordfish, and black cod.
- For a vegetarian option, use firm or extra firm tofu.
Nutrition
Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 1130mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @agiletestkitchen or tag #agiletestkitchen!
Fortune Cookie 🥠
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Carla Hanin says
This glaze matched the salmon extremtly well After marinating it for an hour I cooked it on high directly on the grill. The moisture of the salmon was retained.
Thanks ever so much
asiantestkitchen@gmail.com says
Thanks so much for the comment Carla and for trying the recipe! So happy to hear that you liked it! 🙂