Easy Salmon Teriyaki Recipe

 Easy Salmon Teriyaki Recipe

Are you looking for something healthy but not your average salmon on the grill?  Try this delicious and healthy salmon teriyaki recipe!  This is truly a no-fail, delicious salmon recipe that comes together so well it is literally as though you went to your best take-out restaurant and ordered in!  I would serve this with rice, sweet potato, and/or roasted vegetables!  It is so easy to prepare, that you will wonder how making something so good could be so easy!  Another great thing about this recipe is that it is a one-pan dish.  You don't need to use a ton of dishes to make this and I use parchment paper for both roasting the veggies and baking the salmon.   

For the sauce, you use fresh ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.  Ginger has so many health benefits that when combined with the salmon makes for a super healthy dish!  Ginger helps speed up the digestion process and empty your stomach more quickly, improves immunity, alleviates PMS symptoms, relieves nausea and upset stomach, may help with cancer, reduces pain, and can aid in weight loss.  Garlic has it's own set of health benefits too!  Garlic is rich in nutrients such as manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium, and fiber.  Garlic can reduce blood pressure and alleviate symptoms of the common cold.  Garlic also improves cholesterol levels and can lower the risk of heart disease. Consuming sesame oil may reduce your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.   In addition, sesame oil reduces inflammation, helps regulate blood sugar, helps alleviate stress and depression, and helps prevent sun damage.  So, with all these healthy ingredients, this dish is a win/win.  I would make this dish at least once a week!

One really great side to make with this dish is either sweet potato and roasted vegetables.  You can roast asparagus or sweet peppers with this dish for a perfect combination!  

I usually use 2 lbs of salmon but you can also use 3 lbs of salmon if you are having a crowd over.  I just love a heaping dose of the sauce on each of my salmon pieces so I usually just go with 2 lbs of salmon.  I do prefer a thinner cut of salmon.  Thinner cuts of salmon, about an inch thick, usually cook faster than thicker cuts.  I like my salmon to be about 1 inch in thickness.  The main ingredient is the salmon but all the flavor is in the sauce.  You have to put all your effort into making the perfect sauce and this entire recipe will come together perfectly. So here goes...

Ingredients:

2 lbs salmon filet sliced into 2 inch wide slices

Sauce:

6 tbsp teriyaki sauce (see my recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce)

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

Garnish:

Sesame seeds to garnish, optional

Green onion, chopped

Instructions:

1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Combine sauce ingredients and stir until brown sugar is dissolved.
4. Place individual salmon slices into a bowl and pour the sauce over the salmon.  Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 20 minutes.
5. Transfer salmon to prepared baking sheet, setting marinade to the side. 
6. Bake the salmon at 400 degrees for 13-16 minutes or until the salmon is flaky and cooked through.  Baking times vary depending on the thickness of the salmon.  
7. Place the marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce is slightly thickened (3-4 min) then remove from heat.
8. Once salmon is out of the oven, brush with the teriyaki marinade and sprinkle with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.  

Enjoy this delicious salmon over rice, with sweet potatoes and/or with roasted vegetables!  A healthy and delicious meal you will want to make time and time again!