This is the easiest miso salmon recipe that comes together in 20 minutes! With a three ingredient miso glaze, this dish is great for weeknight dinners without sacrificing any delicious, caramelized miso flavor. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.
My whole family absolutely loves my miso glazed salmon recipe. My kids are actually quite big fish eaters, and I usually broil a quick salmon shioyaki (Japanese salted salmon). However, I was getting a little tired of the same flavor, so I decided to switch it up with a miso glaze. It took me a few tries to get the fish just right, but OH MY GOSH it is SO GOOD. I’m addicted.
What is Miso? Where to Buy it?
If you’ve ever had Japanese food anywhere, at all, ever then you’ve probably heard of miso. It is a seasoning paste made from fermented soybeans that’s salty and full of umami. Miso is probably most famous for being the star ingredient in miso soup, but it’s used to season many other dishes. There are many variations of miso which differ slightly in ingredients and level of fermentation, but the two most widely available types are red and white miso.
You can buy miso at Japanese markets and many other Asian markets as well. If you don’t have an Asian market near you, you can find miso on Amazon.
Which Miso for Salmon?
I recommend white miso for this salmon as it is lighter in flavor and less salty than red miso. This is especially important if you plan to marinate your fish for a long time. Of course, if you only have red miso then you can certainly use that as a substitute. I just recommend that you do not marinate your fish for more than 30 minutes if using red miso, and you may want to scrape off excess marinade before you bake, to avoid your fish getting too salty.
Easy Miso Glaze and Marinade – Only 3 Ingredients
There are tons of miso glaze recipes on the internet, and many require a long list of ingredients. But I’m here to tell you that you do not need a teaspoon each of a million different sauces and seasonings to get a good miso glaze. Miso is SO flavorful on its own. You can really pare down your marinade and still get a full, delicious flavor.
My miso marinade/glaze uses only three ingredients: white miso, mirin, and sugar. Mix it all together, slap it on your fish, and bake. It’s that easy. And it’s REALLY REALLY good. The sugar caramelizes as the fish cooks, so you get this complex salty but sweet umami flavor. Have faith in your miso and give it a try.
How to Cook Miso Salmon – Oven
A key component in cooking miso salmon is slicing your salmon fillets into 1.5-2 inch wide strips. This means it will cook faster, plus you’ll get more surface area for your miso glaze. Another benefit is that the fish will cook before the glaze can burn. Everybody wins!
Just preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and bake for around 12-15 minutes, depending on how thick your fish is. Although I’ve found this is the perfect time in my oven to cook my fish and caramelize (but not burn) my miso, everyone’s oven and salmon will be slightly different. So please keep an eye on your fish as it’s cooking!
More Miso Salmon FAQs
Do I need to marinate miso salmon? How long can I marinate?
You do NOT need to marinate this salmon in order to get a good miso flavor. You can cook immediately after coating your fish in the miso mixture.
However, if you like to plan ahead, you can definitely marinate your fish for longer. I generally recommend 20-30 minutes, but I’ve even done overnight with success.
Do I need to scrape my miso marinade off my fish?
No. With the right cooking temperature and time, your fish will cook before the miso burns. It may take a little trial and error to find the perfect timing, but with 2 inch wide fillets that are no more than 3/4 inch thick, I’ve found 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees F to be perfect. Keep in mind that ovens may have different locations of heat sources. So if you see your miso glaze burning on top but not at the bottom, you can move your oven rack to be lower and vice versa.
I do recommend not leaving drops of miso glaze sitting at the bottom of the pan, as those will definitely burn before your fish is done.
What can I substitute for mirin?
If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute sake. If you don’t have either of those Japanese cooking alcohols, you can use Chinese shaoxing cooking wine or a white wine. However, I highly recommend picking up either mirin or sake if you’re interested in cooking more Japanese foods. They’re both available on Amazon.
Can I cook miso salmon in the air fryer?
Yes, but the glaze may be more prone to burning. Wipe off excess marinade and air fry at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. In general, I recommend a toaster oven or regular oven over the air fryer.
Can I broil miso salmon?
You can, but similarly to the air fryer, I don’t recommend it due to the chance of burning. If you broil, wipe off excess marinade, move your oven rack slightly lower from the broiler than you would normally, and broil for 8-10 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Skin on or skinless salmon?
Either! If using skin on salmon, I recommend baking with the skin side up so it gets crispy. If using skinless, the miso glaze will caramelize to a nice dark brown.
What to serve with miso salmon?
If eating a Japanese-style meal, I would serve miso salmon with rice, some sort of vegetable, and soup. If you’re looking for vegetable ideas, you can check out my spinach goma-ae, which is a cold spinach salad with sesame dressing. You could also try my harusame noodle salad or my 5 minute Chinese vegetables as well!
More Easy Asian Meals
Looking for more easy Asian dishes for weeknight dinners? Check these out:
- Extra Crispy Tonkatsu
- Zippy’s Chili Copycat Recipe
- Quick Tofu Salad
- Japanese Hot Dog Recipe
- Easy Sukiyaki Recipe
The Easiest Miso Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon fillet
- 3 tbsp white miso
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- If cooking right away and not marinating, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice salmon into 1.5-2 inch wide fillets. For 1 lb of salmon, I usually slice into 3-4 pieces.
- Mix miso, sugar, and mirin to form a paste. Generously coat salmon fillets with the miso mixture. At this point you can put the salmon in the fridge to marinate 20-30 minutes or up to overnight or you can bake right away.
- When ready to cook, place salmon fillets on your lined baking sheet. If using skin on salmon, I recommend doing the skin side up so it gets crispy. Try not to let excess marinade drip onto the sheet as it will burn.
- Bake salmon at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through, keeping a close eye to make sure the miso doesn't burn. The miso glaze should turn a dark caramelized brown in spots but not be completely black. If you notice one side of your salmon is browning too quickly, you can shift your baking rack to be further from the heat source, flip your fillets, or both. Serve salmon right away and save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.