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Skillet Night
Asian 3 min read

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Skillet

Teriyaki salmon rice skillet sears salmon, then simmers rice in a sweet-savory glaze in about 35 minutes. One-pan weeknight Japanese-inspired dinner.

Takeout teriyaki salmon is usually a glazed fillet over plain rice. This skillet builds the rice in the same pan: salmon sears first, then rice simmers in a soy-honey-ginger liquid that doubles as the glaze.

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Skillet
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

You get sticky-savory grains and flaky fish without juggling a saucepan and a sheet pan. Dinner lands in about 35 minutes with grocery-aisle staples.

Ingredients

Teriyaki sauce

  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water
  • 3 Tbsp (45 ml) honey or packed brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch

Skillet

  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
  • 4 salmon fillets (about 5 oz / 142 g each), skin removed if preferred
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup (185 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 1¼ cups (300 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 2 cups (180 g) broccoli florets or snap peas
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Lime or lemon wedges, optional

Method

  1. Whisk all sauce ingredients until the cornstarch dissolves. Set aside.
  2. Pat salmon dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Sear salmon 3 minutes per side until golden (it will finish later). Transfer to a plate.
  3. Lower heat to medium. Add rinsed rice to the skillet; stir 1 minute to coat in the pan juices.
  4. Pour in broth and half the teriyaki sauce. Scrape browned bits. Bring to a boil.
  5. Nestle broccoli around the edges. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 12 minutes.
  6. Nestle salmon on top of the rice. Spoon remaining sauce over the fish. Cover and cook 5–7 minutes more until rice is tender and salmon flakes (145°F / 63°C).
  7. Rest uncovered 2 minutes. Top with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with citrus if you like.

Cook’s note

Rinse the rice so the skillet stays fluffy, not gluey. Skin-on fillets work — sear skin-side down first, then proceed; the skin helps hold the fish together when you nestle it back in.

What to serve with it

Cucumber salad with rice vinegar, steamed edamame, or a bagged Asian slaw. Microwave rice is not needed here — the skillet rice is the side and the base.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Mix the sauce up to 3 days ahead. Leftovers keep 2 days; reheat gently covered with a splash of water so the salmon does not dry out. Not ideal for freezing — fish texture suffers.

Troubleshooting

Rice crunchy? Add 2–3 Tbsp broth, cover, cook 3–5 minutes more. Salmon overcooked? Pull it as soon as it flakes; carryover heat finishes it. Sauce too salty? Use low-sodium soy and a drizzle of honey at the end.