Honey Teriyaki Salmon
From the kitchen of CarlyWeeknight salmon at its laziest. A four-ingredient glaze (soy, mirin, honey, ginger) caramelizes on the fillet under medium-low heat, producing the sticky lacquer with no fancy basting. On the table in 15 minutes. Medium-low is the entire trick. Crank the heat and the honey turns to bitter ash before the fish cooks through.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 lb (4 fillets)skin-on salmon fillets
- 1 tbspolive or vegetable oil
- 3 tbspsoy sauce
- 2 tbspmirin or sake
- 2 tbsphoney
- 1 tspfresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 clovegarlic, finely grated (optional)
- 1 tbspsesame seeds
- 2scallions, sliced thin
Instructions
Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, honey, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. This is your glaze.
Pat the salmon fillets very dry with paper towels. Wet salmon doesn't sear; it steams.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Don't go higher; honey burns fast.
Place the salmon in the pan, skin-side down. Cook 4 minutes without moving it.
Flip the fillets. Pour the glaze over and around the salmon. The pan will hiss.
Cook 3 to 4 more minutes, spooning the bubbling glaze over the tops every 30 seconds, until the salmon flakes at the thickest point and the sauce thickens to a syrup.
Transfer salmon to plates. Spoon the remaining pan glaze over the top.
Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve over rice.
Substitutions
- salmon to trout, mahi-mahi, or chicken thighs. Any oily fish works. Chicken thighs need 6 to 8 minutes per side.
- mirin to 1 tbsp dry sherry + 1 tsp sugar. Mirin is sweet rice wine; this gets you to the same place.
- honey to maple syrup or brown sugar. Maple gives a more caramel note; brown sugar dissolves slower but works.
Pairs well with: Steamed jasmine rice (mandatory), Quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar and chili crisp, Cold lager or unsweetened iced green tea
Adapted from TheMealDB.