This is the best teriyaki salmon bites recipe in a pan on the stove with homemade teriyaki sauce, or you can use bottled. They come out super tender with a ton of flavor when served over rice, as a healthy meal we love!
Jump To
- Ingredient Notes
- Can you use frozen salmon?
- Can you use skin-on salmon to make teriyaki salmon bites?
- Can you make teriyaki salmon bites breaded?
- How Long to Cook Teriyaki Salmon Bites on Stove
- How do you know when they are done?
- What to serve with teriyaki salmon bites
- Teriyaki Salmon Bites Recipe
- How to Save Leftovers
This is great with an Alaskan fillet but could be a great coho salmon recipe or with Pacific wild caught if you would rather. I like to amp up the sauce I cook my fish in, which I will share below, but if you have your own favorite brand that is bottled go ahead and use that with our instructions and cook time below.
I experimented with this idea after going to a wonderful fish restaurant in Seattle and had this meal. It was so incredible I felt like I just had to figure out how to make it for my family once I got back. Once I perfected it I couldn’t wait to share…so here it is.
I tried it a few different ways starting with how to bake salmon at 350 with this sauce and in a pressure cooker but in a pan on the stove turned out to be the best method so that is what I am sharing here.
Ingredient Notes
You want a salmon fillet that is about 1 lb. You’re going to want a sharp knife so you can cube it into fairly large bite size pieces right off the bat.
In this case I like to use a thick teriyaki sauce, just a bit but I am going to tweak it to give it an even bolder flavor. This is how to make teriyaki sauce if you want to start that from scratch (which is great because you can make it spicy that way if you want).
Can you use bottled teriyaki sauce?
Yes. If you wanted to make this quicker you could just use bottled sauce instead of amping it up with the other ingredients below. I used Yoshida’s because it is thicker than my typical favorite, Veri Veri, which is more like a marinade.
For more of a punch you are going to want to add some hoisin sauce which comes in a wide mouthed jar and less is more as far as this goes.
Soy sauce gives it the balance of salty to the brown sugar sweetness you will add in there too. Alternatively for a gluten free option you can use aminos and/or a sugar-free sugar option like Splenda if need be.
To round out the sauce you want some white vinegar for a pop of wow, ginger and minced garlic will give it that Asian flare you are looking for.
Can you use frozen salmon?
In this case I wouldn’t suggest it. However you could follow the directions for our frozen salmon in oven recipe first. Boil the sauce ingredients and pour that on top when done. Allow to sit for a few minutes and serve. It won’t be quite as flavorful since the fish isn’t cooked in the sauce but an option.
Can you use skin-on salmon to make teriyaki salmon bites?
I mean you can but you need to cut that off initially. It is almost impossible to cube the flesh with the skin in tact. You can do this but I will say that removing it isn’t very easy and you usually rip the meat when you try slicing it off so without skin is best.
Can you make teriyaki salmon bites breaded?
Yes and no, not this way. You would first need to follow our air fryer salmon bites recipe, which is breaded, so they come out crispy using that kitchen appliance. Then bubble the sauce on the stove and drizzle that on top to make these breaded.
How Long to Cook Teriyaki Salmon Bites on Stove
There is a little bit of a range depending on how large your pieces are but if you follow my suggestion of 1.5″ squares they typically take about 4 minutes total. I suggest flipping during this time so both sides can get a bit caramelized with the sauce. You do not want to over-cook fish or it will get grey and dried out.
How do you know when they are done?
The color will be caramelized on all sides like you see here above. When bitten into your pieces should still be tender, chewy means they were cooked too long. If cut in half you shouldn’t see any opaque raw looking fish in the middle, instead it should be a light pink color.
What to serve with teriyaki salmon bites
I like to include some steamed broccoli in oven to add vegetables to everyone’s plate. When we get this at our favorite restaurant that is how it is served so it is expected. And we always serve this on a bed of brown or arborio rice of course.
Teriyaki Salmon Bites Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 pounds salmon, no skin, cut into large bite size pieces, 1.5"x1.5" in size
- 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce, I used thick Yoshida brand
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, or aminos for a gluten free option
- 2.5 tbsp brown sugar, could use sugar-free Splenda
- 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
Instructions
- Cut salmon into large bite size pieces.
- In a small bowl whisk together ingredients for sauce (or you could just use bottled teriyaki sauce).
- Heat a small pot on the stove over low heat with 3/4 of the sauce made until it reaches a low steady boil.
- Add raw salmon bites into sauce, turn over for sauce to coat all sides. Cook at a consistent low boil for 4 minutes, turning each piece over twice in this time to cook thru.
- Turn off heat, leave fish pieces in hot sauce for another 4 minutes, serve over a bed of rice topped with sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Save Leftovers
These actually save better than you might think, as long as you keep them in a sealed container with some of the sauce in the pan. Always wait until it has cooled completely first.
When reheating do so in a pan, covered, for a few minutes, bake salmon in foil or in microwave covered with a paper towel to steam so they don’t dry out.
