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Salmon Teriyaki

Salmon Teriyaki reads umami 8.5, richness 6.0 and salinity 5.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 14 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.5 · Richness 6.0 · Salinity 5.7 · Marine & Briny 4.1 · Allium 3.9 · Sweetness 3.6 · Sourness 3.2 · Nutty 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Floral 1.2 · Smoke 0.9 · Earthy 0.8 · Bitterness 0.8 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (14)

• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 1 g
• vegetable oil — 14 g
• soybean soy sauce — 79 g
• mirin — 59 g
• rice wine vinegar — 22 g
• light-brown sugar — 38 g
• ginger — 15 g
• garlic — 6 g
• cornstarch — 5 g
• short-grain white rice — 355 g
• scallions — 200 g
• ground toasted sesame seeds — 5 g

Time & effort: about 14 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 172.9 kcal, 10.7 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 24.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Pat the salmon fillets very dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and sear undisturbed until the skin is deeply crisp and releases easily from the pan, 4-5 minutes.
3. Flip the salmon and sear the second side until the fish is opaque at the edges and reaches 125 degrees F in the center for medium, 2-3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
4. Add the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic to the same skillet, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
5. Simmer the glaze, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about a third, 2-3 minutes.
6. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the glaze and simmer until it thickens into a glossy, spoon-coating lacquer, 1-2 minutes.
7. Return the salmon to the skillet skin-side up, spooning glaze over the top, and simmer until the fish is heated through and evenly coated, 1-2 minutes.
8. Divide the rice among plates, top with the glazed salmon, spoon over any remaining glaze, and finish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Salmon Teriyaki Bowl — Japanese
• Grilled Tuna Steaks with Sesame-Ginger Glaze — Fusion
• Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry — Chinese-American
• Shrimp Fried Rice — Chinese-American
• Shrimp Lo Mein — Chinese-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.