Baked Teriyaki Salmon Lettuce Wraps (original) (raw)

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This easy recipe for Baked Teriyaki Salmon is sure to become a family favorite. Nestled in crisp lettuce cups, these Teriyaki Salmon Lettuce Wraps are a protein-packed meal for lunch or dinner.

White plates with lettuce cups holding pieces of salmon with teriyaki sauce. They are garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

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In my younger, pre-children days, some friends and I would frequent a local Japanese restaurant nearly every weekend. The food was phenomenal, and that’s really where my love of sushi began.

Along with sushi, we would order the barbecued salmon (which had a sweet teriyaki flavor) and the tiger shrimp lettuce wraps with this incredible, creamy sauce. They were seriously amazing, and we would gorge ourselves to the point you’d think we would have rolled out of there.

A wood cutting board with lettuce cups holding pieces of salmon with teriyaki sauce. They are garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

How to Make Baked Teriyaki Salmon Lettuce Wraps

This particular recipe is a bit of a combination of the barbecued salmon and the shrimp lettuce wraps I devoured as a young adult.

Small portions of salmon are marinated in a sweet, homemade teriyaki sauce for a good 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time.
Then the marinated teriyaki salmon is baked in the oven, while the remaining marinade is cooked on the stove-top to become a sweet glaze for the finished salmon. Toasted sesame seeds are completely optional, but really add a nice, slightly nutty flavor. Boiling the sauce is important to avoid the risk of bacteria from the raw fish.
The salmon pieces are then cut in half (or not depending on the size of your lettuce cups), and placed on top of each lettuce cup.
The finishing touch is that creamy sauce, which is really just a combination of mayo, soy sauce, ginger and honey.

Baked Salmon Teriyaki is my absolute favorite way to eat salmon, in lettuce wraps like these, or just over a bed of rice. There is just something about that sweet sauce atop that mild fish that makes me beg for more!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Salmon should always be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees. Enjoying salmon a little rare is ok as long as it comes to this temp.
If the fish smells “fishy,” throw it out. Raw salmon should have a very mild smell, if any. Otherwise, it may have gone bad and it’s not worth the risk.
Use your favorite lettuce for the wraps – I love butter lettuce with the baked teriyaki salmon because of it’s soft, creamy texture. Romaine or iceberg will work as well.
If you’re short on time, feel free to use a bottled teriyaki marinade or sauce. Or, if you’re concerned about boiling the sauce, a bottled sauce would make a great topper. Just be sure to heat it first.
The creamy sauce is totally optional but I highly recommend it. It is the perfect finishing touch.

White plates with lettuce cups holding pieces of salmon with teriyaki sauce on a floral background. They are garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

More Salmon Recipes

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Recipe

1 pound salmon divided
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 green onions for garnish
8 lettuce cups butter, iceberg or romaine work best

Creamy Ginger Soy Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

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Divide salmon into 4 equal size pieces.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, olive oil and rice vinegar until well combined.
Place salmon pieces in the teriyaki mixture and coat completely. Cover the boil with plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, divide lettuce leaves, keeping each leaf in tact to form “cups.” Wash gently and set aside on paper towels to dry.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a medium size baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange salmon (not touching) in the dish and bake for 12-16 minutes, reserving the sauce. Cooking time will depend on size and thickness; it’s done when the salmon is a light pink color and is tender and flaky.
While the salmon is baking, pour the sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and stir often, until sauce is reduced and thickened; about 4-5 minutes. You will know it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Remove salmon from the oven. Pour thickened sauce over each piece and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. If using for lettuce wraps, cut each piece in half.
Arrange 8 lettuce cups on a platter and place half of each piece of salmon in the cups. Drizzle with Creamy Ginger Soy Sauce (recipe below), if desired.

Creamy Ginger Soy Sauce (optional)

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over teriyaki salmon.

Nutritional information doesn’t include the optional sauce. Adding the sauce will increase the calories per serving by about 200 calories.

Calories: 252kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 25gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 914mgPotassium: 714mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3659IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.