Gluten-Free Teriyaki Salmon

This teriyaki salmon starts with a simple homemade teriyaki sauce made from tamari, honey, ginger, and garlic. Half of it goes over the salmon to marinate while you get your sides together. The other half goes into a saucepan, gets thickened with a cornstarch slurry, and becomes the glaze that goes on right when the salmon comes out of the oven.

I make this on weeknights when I want something that feels a little more put together without a lot of extra work. The sauce is the same one I use for my Teriyaki Chicken Wings , so if you already have those ingredients on hand, you’re most of the way there. Serve it over brown rice with green beans or whatever vegetable you have going and dinner is done in under 40 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One sauce, two jobs. The teriyaki sauce marinates the salmon and becomes the glaze. You make it once and it does everything.
• Ready in under 40 minutes. Twenty minutes to marinate, fifteen minutes in the oven, and a few minutes to thicken the glaze on the stovetop. Most of that time is hands-off.
• Homemade teriyaki sauce with no soy sauce required. Tamari is the gluten-free swap that tastes exactly the same. No specialty ingredients, just a bottle of tamari in place of soy sauce.

Ingredients

• Salmon fillets – I use 6-ounce fillets with the skin on. The skin helps the salmon hold together on the baking sheet and peels off easily after baking if you don’t want to eat it. Look for fillets that are similar in thickness so they cook evenly.
• Tamari – This is the gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. It tastes the same and is made without wheat. Always check the label to make sure it’s certified gluten-free.
• Honey – This is what gives the teriyaki sauce its sweetness and helps the glaze get glossy.
• Ground ginger – I use ground ginger here rather than fresh for convenience. If you want to use fresh, substitute 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger for the 1 teaspoon of ground.
• Cornstarch – This is what thickens the sauce into a glaze. Mix it with cold water first to make a slurry before adding it to the hot sauce. Adding it directly to hot liquid will cause it to clump.

Recipe FAQs

Traditional teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, which contains wheat and is not gluten-free. This recipe uses tamari instead, which is made without wheat and tastes the same. Always check the label on your tamari to make sure it’s gluten-free. As someone with celiac disease, San-J is the brand I trust most.

Yes. Substitute 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger for the 1 teaspoon of ground ginger in the recipe. Fresh ginger gives a brighter, more pronounced flavor.

Expert Tips

• Buy salmon fillets that are similar in thickness. Uneven fillets mean some will be done before others. If yours vary a lot in size, check the thinner ones a few minutes early.
• Taste the sauce before you thicken it. If you want it sweeter add a little more honey, or more tamari if you want it saltier. Once the cornstarch goes in it’s harder to adjust.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this over rice with a simple vegetable on the side. My Gluten-Free Fried Rice works really well here since it uses a lot of the same pantry ingredients and comes together in about 30 minutes while the salmon is marinating. If you want to use the teriyaki sauce in another meal the same week, my Gluten-Free Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry uses the same sauce base and a double batch of sauce covers both recipes. And if you want a simple vegetable side that roasts at the same temperature, my Sheet Pan Roasted Rainbow Vegetables goes in at 400°F and can cook alongside the salmon.