Teriyaki Salmon with Soy-Mirin Glaze (Plus a Lite Option)

Juicy salmon portions meet a quick soy-mirin glaze in one pan. Sear the fish first, then gently reduce the sauce so it shines without scorching. A smaller-portion Lite option keeps the same Japanese flavours.

Ingredients for 2

An Australian tablespoon is 20 ml. The 20-minute time assumes thawed salmon. Contains fish, soy and wheat; check the mirin and soy labels. Mirin seasoning may contain alcohol, and brief cooking does not guarantee its complete removal. Rice and vegetables are separate serving suggestions, excluded from the nutrition. The Lite method is a variation of this recipe, not a separate shopping page.

Method

1. Step 1Dry and check the salmon

   Pat the two salmon portions dry with kitchen paper. Run clean fingers over the flesh and remove any pin bones with clean tweezers. Keep fish chilled until the pan is ready.

   

2. Step 2Mix the glaze

   Stir together 20 ml soy sauce, 30 ml mirin seasoning, 8 g sugar and 30 ml water. Keep another 15 ml water separate for steaming.

   

3. Step 3Start skin-side down

   Heat 5 ml neutral oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and press gently with a fish slice for the first 20 seconds. Cook for about 4–5 minutes.

   

4. Step 4Turn gently

   Turn the portions with a wide fish slice. Cook the flesh side for about 2–3 minutes. Adjust the heat to keep the skin golden rather than burnt.

   

5. Step 5Finish the thicker centre

   Add the reserved 15 ml water at the edge, cover and cook gently for about 1–2 minutes if needed for thick portions. Lift the lid away from you; check the centre is approaching cooked through.

   

6. Step 6Add the sauce late

   Lower the heat to medium-low. Pour the mixed sauce around the salmon. Simmer gently for about 1–2 minutes, keeping the fish intact.

   

7. Step 7Baste and check

   Spoon the bubbling sauce over the fish until lightly glossy. Check the thickest centre reaches 63°C and flakes easily. If the fish is ready before the sauce thickens, lift it out and reduce the sauce briefly on its own. Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick.

   

8. Step 8Serve with the glaze

   Plate the salmon and spoon over the glaze. The flesh should be moist and opaque, not translucent in the centre. Serve immediately; add rice or vegetables separately if wanted.

   

Watch it in 41 seconds

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Why this version works

• Dry the salmon so the skin sears rather than steams.
• Add the sweet sauce near the end: it needs a short reduction, not the full fish cooking time.
• Check the thickest part, because Australian salmon portions can be thicker than Japanese-style slices.
• A little water loosens the glaze without adding more salt.

Swaps and variations

• Lite option (2 servings): use two 120 g salmon portions (240 g total), 20 ml soy sauce, 20 ml mirin seasoning, 4 g sugar, 30 ml water plus 15 ml for steaming, and 2.5 ml oil. Start checking the smaller portions earlier and still cook the centre to 63°C. Serve with steamed greens, with rice separate.
• Salmon trim: weigh 360 g thawed skinless trim, remove bones and cut into similar-sized pieces. Sear in a single layer, turn gently and add the glaze near the end. Thin pieces cook sooner, so check early; use the same 63°C endpoint.

Nutrition per serve

Per-serving estimates use FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database Release 3 and the stated ingredient proxies. All listed oil and sauce are counted; actual values vary by brand, yield and portion. Classic: about 497 kcal per serving; Lite variation: about 328 kcal per serving. The Lite version uses smaller salmon portions and less oil, sugar and mirin. Mirin seasoning uses the Australian Obento label values. Rice and vegetables are extra.

Questions about Teriyaki Salmon with Soy-Mirin Glaze (Plus a Lite Option)

Sources and credit

Method adapted by the Umall recipe team from the sources below. Quantities are our own, adjusted for Australian kitchens and Umall products.

• キッコーマン — 鮭の照り焼き
• Yumiko, RecipeTin Japan — Teriyaki Salmon
• キッコーマン — 味つけの黄金比・鮭の照り焼き

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