This delicious Teriyaki Grilled Salmon is ready in 20 minutes. Serve with sushi style brown rice and a platter of veggie options for a healthy, frustration-free family meal. 
Yesterday, I ran into an old friend who’s son attended preschool with Lillian a few years ago. She mentioned that her family loves my recipe for Deconstructed Greek Chicken and that serving meals in this manner has been a real game-changer for her. Her kind words were incredibly motivating — with the kids home for summer, I’m trying to balance our playtime with my consulting and recipe development projects. As a result I’ve been short on time and feeling burned out in terms of blog content. My friend reminded me that the meals I fix almost every night are exactly what I should be sharing with all of you. This Teriyaki Grilled Salmon is what we ate last night and it was a clean-plate, no-fight hit with everyone.
My family can be a bit fussy about salmon. This is basically one of only two salmon recipes they’ll reliably eat. I’ve found that cooking the fish low and slow and serving it with a sauce that everyone likes is key. This recipe couldn’t be simpler and it cooks in 20 minutes — about the time it takes to make up a batch of brown rice in the pressure cooker.
The key to the amazing flavor comes from a quick teriyaki marinade and grilling the fish on a cedar plank. My brother-in-law makes something similar (his might actually be even better) and its always a hit. Just whisk together the marinade and let the salmon chill in it for a few hours. Soak your cedar plank for a bit before tossing it on the grill and grill your salmon for 20 minutes at a steady temperature of about 400 degrees. The result– tender, delicious, flaky fish with a slightly asian flair. For a stronger flavor, double the marinade quantity and use half to marinade the fish and reserve half to pass as a sauce when serving.
The key to making this meal fight-free is to serve it deconstructed– give everyone a plate or bowl with a portion of salmon and rice and let them choose their own toppings. We do this for almost every family meal and I believe its truly the key to happiness at mealtime. With so many healthy options, everyone is bound to find something they like and can easily avoid items they don’t. For example, last night in addition to salmon and rice, Max chose edamame and roasted seaweed, while Lillian had shredded carrots and seaweed. Both added a few slices of avocado. Jon and I ate everything offered and everyone was totally happy and satisfied.
This is definitely one of our favorite weeknight winners for summertime. My appearances here over the next few months may be sporadic (playing with my hooligans gets top billing), but I’ll do my best to share ideas to make summer dining delicious and fun for everyone.
Teriyaki Grilled Salmon with Brown Rice and Veggie Platter
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. fresh salmon, divided into four portions, skin removed
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cedar grilling plank (available in the seafood department at most supermarkets)
3 cups cooked brown short grain (sushi) rice (I love this pressure cooker version)
Suggested vegetable garnishes: chopped red and yellow bell peppers, chopped green onions, chopped cucumbers, roasted seaweed snacks, steamed edamame, shredded carrots, fresh lime segments, toasted sesame seeds, sliced avocado
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil and green onions in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour mixture over salmon portions in a shallow pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Note: If you would like to serve some of the marinade mixture as a sauce, double the marinade ingredients. Use half to marinade the fish and reserve half to serve as a sauce with the rest of the meal.
- While fish marinates, soak cedar plank in water according to package instructions, typically for about 1 hour.
- Preheat outdoor grill for medium heat (about 400 degrees F). Place cedar plank on the grill and allow to heat until the begin to smoke and crackle slightly.
- Place salmon portions on cedar plank, skinned side down, and discard marinade. Grill covered at a steady medium temperature (about 400 to 450 degrees F) for 20 minutes. Fish is done with it flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove salmon from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Top with additional green onions and, if desired, a drizzle of reserved marinade/sauce. Serve with cooked brown sushi rice and platter of veggie options.
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