Teriyaki Salmon is what I used to order at Japanese restaurants on the regular, but ever since I was given my friend's secret to the best teriyaki sauce, I have never looked back.
Ingredients
For the Salmon:
4salmon fillets6-8 oz each, about 1-inch thick
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
½cupTeriyaki Saucesuch as Kikkoman
½cupwater
¼cupwhite sugarplus more to taste
¼cupbrown sugarvery tightly packed
Juice of 2 fresh orange wedges
2tablespoonscornstarchfully dissolved in 2 TB water
dash of ground ginger
Garnish: toasted sesame seedsthinly sliced green onions
Method
In a heavy medium pan, combine all sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine well. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and whisk until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Taste and add more sugar, if you like it sweeter. Keep warm.
Thoroughly dry salmon fillets with paper towels. Sprinkle a light layer of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides (or just top side, if bottom has skin on.)
Lightly grease and heat outdoor grill or indoor cast-iron grill until very hot and smoky. Lay salmon fillets on grill and cook on medium-high heat until just-cooked. If cooking indoors, cover pan partially to reduce smoke. Cook about 2-3 min per side, depending on thickness. Do not over-cook.
Let cooked fish rest at room temp for a few minutes before serving.
Drizzle salmon fillets generously with teriyaki sauce and garnish as desired. Serve immediately. Delicious over a bed of rice or over a plate of green salad.
Notes
Make sure grill is extremely hot (smoking) before cooking fillets.
Feel free to make teriyaki sauce in advance, and serve it with any protein. It keeps well in the fridge for at least a week!
Serve teriyaki salmon over a bed of Instant Pot Jasmine Rice with Grilled Zucchini for a full, balanced meal.