This sheet-pan Teriyaki Salmon with Baby Bok Choy requires minimal effort and features a succulent homemade teriyaki sauce that you will want to pour over everything. For a light and substantial meal, serve it alongside white fluffy rice.
Teriyaki Salmon with Baby Bok Choy – A Weeknight One-Pan Dinner
This time of year, we love to occasionally splurge on wild-caught salmon while it’s in season. This sheet-pan teriyaki salmon with baby bok choy has been a family favourite for years. Here’s the gist of the easy preparation for this outstanding dish: On a sheet pan, lay a gorgeous slab of a whole salmon side with heaps of crunchy bok choy surrounding it. Drizzle everything with a ginger-garlic homemade teriyaki sauce that takes about 3 minutes to prepare. Slide the tray into the oven. 20 minutes later the salmon emerges moist, tender and full of delicious flavour. The bok choy meltingly tender, yet still perfectly crunchy and flavourful.
Lastly, the whole lot gets drizzled with some of the teriyaki sauce that has been thickened, then garnished with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Served with white fluffy rice on the side, it’s a dish that is perfect for a weeknight but impressive enough for entertaining or for a special brunch. So simple, so dependable, and everyone loves it. You truly can’t ask for much more out of a quick sheet pan dinner.
Whole Side Wild-Caught Salmon
Here I used a whole side of fresh, wild-caught sockeye salmon which is in season right now for just a bit longer. You can find a whole side of salmon at your local fish market or at most well-stocked, fresh seafood sections of a supermarket.
You can also buy a frozen whole side of wild-caught salmon at most grocery stores. In fact, when wild-caught salmon is not in season, I like to keep a few packages in my freezer at all times. You simply thaw the frozen salmon in the fridge overnight and it will be just as good (or almost as good) as fresh. If you live in Ontario, I always have luck finding whole frozen salmon at this supermarket.
Don’t be intimidated by the whole piece of salmon, it takes a tiny bit longer to cook than individually portioned pieces, but essentially the technique is all the same. However, if you prefer, you can absolutely use individual pieces of wild caught salmon for this recipe. In my area, I can only find smaller pieces of wild caught salmon that have been previously frozen. Again, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
If you, or your family, finds the flavour of wild caught salmon too strong, try and seek out King Salmon. It has a milder flavour with a beautiful, buttery texture and it’s the closest tasting to farmed salmon.
If you have had difficulty with cooking wild salmon over farm-raised, you can find some good tips in this post.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki is actually not a sauce but a Japanese term that refers to the cooking method of grilling with a soy-based sauce. Teri – meaning glazed, yaki – meaning grilled or fried. I love teriyaki flavours but I have never been a huge fan of store-bought teriyaki sauce. Most are too sweet or full of not-so-great ingredients.
Making your own sauce could not be easier but if you want a really authentic tasting one, you will need to go to an Asian supermarket. A well-stocked grocery store will probably have 3 out of the 4 ingredients in stock: soy-sauce, sugar, and mirin. Cooking sake, however, you will likely only find at an Asian store. I have tried a few different recipes that omit the cooking sake but I find those to be less nuanced and less flavourful.
The teriyaki sauce recipe I use is from adamliaw.com and I highly recommend watching his quick how-to video. His recipe is flawless and takes about 3 minutes to make. Here I adjust it only because I wanted it a little less sweet, and to make a smaller amount. I also add a bit of ginger and garlic which adds wonderful flavours to the salmon. Tip: If you wish to double or triple the sauce, do not add the garlic and ginger to the saucepan. Instead, add the ginger and garlic to 1/2 cup of prepared teriyaki sauce, then proceed with recipe instructions.
I hope you give it a try because it is leaps and bounds better than store-bought. If you can’t be bothered to make your own, seek out a good-quality one that doesn’t include corn syrup or msg.
Ingredients You Will Need
This teriyaki salmon with baby bok choy recipe calls for few ingredients and a very easy preparation. Do try and opt for the homemade teriyaki sauce. So worth it.
- Salmon – See the “whole side wild-caught salmon” section above for all the notes on which salmon to buy.
- Baby Bok Choy – I simply adore the crispy texture of bok choy and almost always have a bag of it in my fridge drawer. Known as Chinese cabbage, bok choy is a member of the cruciferous vegetables. A staple in many Asian dishes, such as stir-fries, it is also incredibly nutritious. Roasting bok choy is crazy delicious and it cooks perfectly in the sheet pan along with the salmon. You can use other larger bok choy varieties for this recipe. Just be sure to quarter it, instead of halve, so it has enough time to cook. If you wish, you can substitute the bok choy with any other veggies of your choice. Just be mindful to pick the ones that will cook for a similar amount of time as the salmon. Alternatively, you can cook any vegetables in a separate sheet pan. This will allow you to remove the pan sooner, or leave it in longer, if needed.
- Homemade teriyaki Sauce – See section above for all my notes on homemade teriyaki sauce. This recipe calls for a bit of thickened teriyaki sauce to drizzle over the salmon once it is cooked. This will only take an additional 3 minutes or so. If you prefer, you can use a good-quality, store-bought teriyaki sauce.
- Fresh Garlic and Ginger – I love the flavours of ginger and garlic with the salmon. However, if you are making a large batch of homemade teriyaki sauce, don’t add the ginger and garlic to it. Simply separate the amount of sauce you will be using, and add it to that.
- Scallions and sesame seeds and scallions – Optional for garnish.
How To Bake Teriyaki Salmon with Baby Bok Choy
This dish is astonishingly easy to prepare and features a succulent homemade teriyaki sauce that you will want to pour over everything.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the teriyaki sauce: Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Place the salmon in the middle of the sheet pan and arrange the bok choy all around it. Drizzle the salmon and bok choy with half of the teriyaki sauce.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of your salmon.
- While the salmon cooks, place the remaining sauce over medium-high heat and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Don’t let the sauce come to a rolling boil – it will thicken as it sits. Remove from heat and set aside.
- If the salmon could use a little more colour, remove the Bok Choy from the sheet pan and place it on a plate. Turn the broiler on and once it’s very hot place the salmon under it for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch it closely so it does not overcook. Tip: If you don’t mind the Bok Choy a little charred (I don’t) just leave it on the tray when you broil the salmon.
- Drizzle the salmon and bok choy with thickened teriyaki sauce and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with fluffy white rice on the side, if you wish.
Other Serving Suggestions
White rice really is perfect alongside this teriyaki salmon with baby bok choy. Its neutral flavour soaks up all the delicious juices and lets them shine. That said, this dish is outstanding served with fragrant coconut rice, quinoa, farro or wild rice (so good!).
Baby potatoes, chopped up carrots or sweet potatoes would need a little more time to roast than the salmon but they would be so delicious, as well.
If you give this Teriyaki Salmon with Bok Choy recipe a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!
Teriyaki Salmon with Baby Bok Choy
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/3 cup (2.6 ounces) naturally brewed, low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar (I use cane sugar)
- 1/4 cup (1.6 ounces) mirin
- 1/4 cup (1.6 ounces) cooking sake
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2- inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced (or grated)
For the Salmon
- 1 - 2 pound side of salmon (boneless, skin-on, and wild caught if possible)
- 4-5 baby bok choy sliced in half lengthwise
- Sliced scallions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the teriyaki sauce: Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. (See notes for making large batch teriyaki sauce).
- Place the salmon in the middle of the sheet pan and arrange the bok choy all around it. Drizzle the salmon and bok choy with half of the teriyaki sauce.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes. Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of your salmon.
- While the salmon cooks, place the remaining teriyaki sauce over medium-high heat and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Don't let the sauce come to a rolling boil - it will thicken as it sits. Remove from heat and set aside.
- If the salmon could use a little more colour, remove the bok choy from the sheet pan and place it on a plate. Turn the broiler on and once it's very hot place the salmon under it for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch it closely so it does not overcook. Tip: If you don't mind the bok choy a little charred (I don't) just leave it on the tray when you broil the salmon.
- Drizzle the salmon and bok choy with thickened teriyaki sauce and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with fluffy white rice on the side, if you wish.
Notes
Donna
What’s the oven temperature for the salmon?
Sandra Valvassori
400ºF! So sorry about that – it’s now fixed!