I’m writing this recipe from my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. I come up every summer to visit family and friends, fish the Kenai River and play in the midnight sun. 

While fishing was slow this year, we still got a good amount of salmon to last us until next season. 

Our fish processing routine includes filleting the salmon, wrapping it in plastic wrap, then vacuum sealing it and freezing it until we box it up before flying home.

And with fish so fresh, I can never resist keeping a few filets out to cook right away. 

My Salmon Olympia recipe is usually my go-to. But since I had a fresh pineapple on hand, I decided to whip something up incorporating that. I love the combination of sweet and savory, so I created this teriyaki salmon with pineapple salsa. 

I start by making a marinade for the fish with pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. This marinade is great on steak, too. 

The salsa is a mixture of pineapple, bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and seasonings. It’s fresh, crisp, sweet and a pinch spicy. 

It complements the flavors of the teriyaki sauce and adds bite against the texture of the flaky salmon. 

And if you’ve never made teriyaki sauce before, you’re gonna be amazed at how easy it is to do. You simmer five of the same ingredients from the marinade and then stir in a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. It’s that simple and, even more so, that tasty. 

How you cook your salmon is entirely up to you. It can be grilled, pan seared or oven baked. I just prefer look and texture of pan seared. 

I served mine over rice. But they would also make awesome tacos. Just flake up your cooked salmon and serve it in fried corn tortillas with a drizzle of the teriyaki sauce and layer of pineapple salsa.

TERIYAKI SALMON WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

INGREDIENTS:

FOR SALMON:

4 four ounce salmon filets, deboned, skin on

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

FOR PINEAPPLE SALSA:

2 cups pineapple, fresh diced small

1 cup red bell pepper, diced 

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeño, seed and finely diced 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

FOR TERIYAKI SAUCE:

1/3 cup soy sauce 

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/4 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

 

DIRECTIONS:

Place salmon filets into a shallow glass dish or gallon sized resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients from pineapple juice to red pepper flakes. Pour over salmon. Refrigerate and let marinate 30 minutes, or up to two hours.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. In a medium bowl, combine all the pineapple salsa ingredients. To allow flavors to blend, chill for 30 minutes, or until serving time. 

To make the teriyaki sauce, add the soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic and ginger to a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and cold water together until dissolved and stir into sauce. Continue to cook until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set sauce aside.

Remove salmon filets from marinade and pat dry. Cook salmon on grill or in a large skillet with olive oil, about 4-5 minutes per side, or until flakey. 

Serve with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce and heaping of pineapple salsa.