Furikake Salmon

Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend typically made with toasted sesame seeds, nori (seaweed), salt and sugar. Furikake Salmon is a baked salmon coated in furikake with origins in Hawaii.

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• What You'll Need
• How to Prepare
• Variations
• How to Store
• FAQ
• How to Serve
• Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Traditionally, this dish is simply coated with mayonnaise (sometimes mixed with wasabi), sprinkled with furikake, and baked.

My version amplifies the original flavors by marinating the salmon in a combination of garlic, ginger, jalapeño, soy, and brown sugar before baking. This marinade adds wonderful savory, spicy and sweet notes to an otherwise simple salmon preparation.

Plus, I will take any chance to add more garlic to my life.

If you aren't a big fan of mayonnaise (I know many of you!), try this dish without it. Mayonnaise will keep the fish tender and make the furikake adhere better, but it will still adhere without.

What You'll Need

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• Salmon Fillets I like the brand Mowi, which offers high-quality, sustainable farm-raised salmon. The taste and texture of their fish is always excellent.
• Fresh Garlic chopped finely or grated on a microplane
• Fresh Ginger chopped or grated, as above
• Jalapeño or another hot pepper will work here if you don't have jalapeño on hand. You could try a small amount of very finely chopped serrano or a pinch of cayenne.
• Brown Sugar You could also use light brown or Demerara sugar.
• Soy Sauce Using soy sauce here allows you to omit salt. I used regular soy sauce, as opposed to low sodium, and the fish was perfectly seasoned for my taste. If you taste the fish once it is baked and it needs salt, feel free to add a pinch or drizzle some soy sauce over top.
• Neutral Oil such as grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil will work great here.
• Mayonnaise full fat, preferably. Mayo helps create a moist, tender fish as well as adding a little bit of richness.
• Furikake You can generally find this in the ethnic aisle of a regular grocery store. You can also purchase it online.
• Fresh Lime or Lemon to squeeze over top if desired.

How to Prepare

Step One: Finely chop or grate the garlic and ginger, finely chop the jalapeño, and mix in a container with soy sauce, neutral oil, and brown sugar. Brush the marinade over the flesh side of the salmon in a baking dish or on a sheet tray. Let marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Step Two: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the larger pieces of jalapeños, ginger, and garlic from the fish and remove, discard the marinade from the baking dish and wipe clean. Spray or drizzle some cooking oil in the base of the dish and brush the salmon with mayonnaise.

Step Three: Sprinkle the furikake evenly over the flesh side of each salmon fillet.

Step Four: Once the oven is up the temperature, bake the salmon for 10-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.

This will produce a moist, tender, medium to medium-rare salmon fillet. If you prefer a more well-done salmon, cook to your desired doneness.

Drizzle with lemon or lime (if desired) and serve right away.

Variations

Traditional For a faster and easier dish, you can omit the marinade. This is a more traditional version of Furikake Salmon.

No Mayo Marinate the salmon for up to 2 hours and then coat with furikake and bake.

Less Spicy Devein (remove the white membrane and seeds from the interior of) the jalapeño before chopping or omit it altogether for a less spicy version.

More Spicy Try using a whole jalapeño instead of half.

How to Store

Cooked salmon can be stored for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

To reheat, preheat the oven to 275°F. Place the salmon on a sheet tray or in a baking dish and heat for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 125 to 130°F.

This tip (which worked incredibly well for me) is originally discussed in this article.

If possible, though, serve your salmon right out of the oven for the best texture and taste.

FAQ

How to Serve

This salmon is delicious with some steamed rice and vegetables. I have served it with brown rice and simply sautéed summer squash, zucchini, asparagus.

I love this tip for freezing brown rice to always have some on hand.

It is excellent with these Green Beans and Potatoes or this Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli.

You could also try it alongside some traditional Hawaiian side dishes, such as this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad or these Garlic Noodles.

Recipes You'll Love

If you're in the mood for more seafood, try these recipes:

Shrimp Yaki Udon

Cantonese Steamed Fish

Crab Legs with Garlic Butter

📖 Recipe