Stovetop Miso Cod (Easy 20 Minute Weeknight Dinner)
If you’ve ever craved that melt-in-your-mouth, buttery-smooth miso cod from your favorite Japanese restaurant, you’re in luck — this version is quick enough for a weeknight, but elegant enough for date night. The flaky cod absorbs a deeply savory marinade of white miso, soy, ginger, and honey, giving every bite a balance of salty-sweet umami with a subtle caramelized crust.
The aroma alone — nutty sesame oil mingling with roasted miso — will stop you in your tracks. Pair with fluffy steamed rice and crisp-tender vegetables, and dinner feels instantly elevated (minus the takeout bill).
Let’s Talk Miso Paste
White (shiro) miso is the mildest and sweetest — perfect for this recipe. Red miso is stronger and saltier but can be used for a bolder flavor.
Ari’s go-to tool for cooking fish at home: If you don’t already own a fish spatula, highly recommend! They are inexpensive and can be used for flipping and scooping anything, not just seafood. I use mine practically every single day, but it’s especially helpful when flipping delicate cod fillets over.
What’s The Difference Between Cod and Black Cod?
You can make this recipe with either Atlantic cod or black cod (sablefish). Regular cod is leaner and more affordable — great for everyday dinners. Black cod (also sometimes called butterfish), on the other hand, is richer and buttery, with a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
If you’re celebrating or want to impress, go for black cod. For an easy midweek meal, Atlantic cod absolutely shines with the bold miso marinade.
Make It A Complete Meal
My go-to is to serve this with steamed white rice and sautéed or roasted veggies. I’ll often add oven-roasted broccoli or broccolini on the side to get in more greens.
Think of this as an elevated stir fry. All the same add-ins are still welcome: water chestnuts, baby corn, onions, or bok choy. Use any stir-fry veggies you love. If you’re adding them directly to the pan with the cod, be sure to sauté them before transferring the fish to the oven so everything finishes cooking around the same time.
Now that you’ve got a container of white miso paste in the fridge, try making these tender miso-marinated steak tips, this quick-and-easy 15 minute miso soup, or the ultimate chocolate chip cookies with miso — everyone loves these!
Note: you can stir miso paste into practically anything. I’ll spoon a bit into salad dressings, whisk it into quick pan-sauces (think buttery scallops with white wine and miso butter sauce!), or stir into creamy mushroom risotto, right at the end.
Once you try this weeknight cod recipe, you’ll see why it’s become a reader favorite — minimal effort, high reward. If you make it, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a quick review below. I love hearing what you think!
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Miso-Marinated Cod That Melts In Your Mouth
Equipment
Ingredients
For the miso marinade
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp honey
For the cod
- 1½ lb cod fillet, see note below
- 1¼ tsp Kosher salt, divided
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced into ¼" pieces (about 4-5 carrots)
- 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (I like to use baby shiitakes here and leave them whole)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 large scallions, divided
- Sesame seeds
- For serving: white rice, steamed or roasted vegetables, scallions, cilantro, lime wedges, sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Make the miso marinade. Season cod fillets on all sides with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Place in a large tupperware or Ziploc bag. In a large bowl, combine ¼ cup miso paste, 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp honey. Whisk to combine, then pour over fish. Seal container, shake, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Cook the vegetables. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). If needed, cut cod fillets so they fit easily in the skillet, reserving marinating liquid. Heat 2 Tbsp canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 cups sliced carrots and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add 4oz mushrooms and 1 Tbsp butter, then cook an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add scallions. Trim the ends off 2 scallions, then cut into 2-inch pieces. Add to the skillet and sauté until blistered, another 3-4 minutes. Season with remaining ¼ tsp Kosher salt, stir, then transfer to a bowl.
- Cook the cod. Carefully add cod fillets to the warm, preheated pan. Cook for 2 minutes, then gently use a fish spatula to flip the fish over, being careful not to break it. Return cooked vegetables to the pan, then pour reserved miso marinade on top. Transfer the skillet to preheated oven and cook for 8 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C) is reached.
- Garnish, then serve. Thinly slice remaining scallion (discard the root), then sprinkle on miso cod along with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds, cilantro, and scallions for garnish. Serve immediately with white rice and roasted or steamed veggies.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include white rice or added vegetables.
- Ginger paste can be replaced with 2 tsp freshly grated or minced ginger.
- Make-ahead: Marinate the cod up to 24 hours in advance. The miso glaze will intensify as it rests.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 8-10 minutes or until warm. Avoid microwaving to keep the fish tender.
- Freezing: Cooked cod can be frozen for up to 2 months, though the texture is best fresh.
Oh wow! Made this tonight for the first time and it won’t be the last. This dish is as tasty as it is gorgeous — an absolute stunner and not difficult to prepare. What a winning combo. My fam went crazy for it! Served with the suggested roasted broccoli and white rice for a complete dinner. Thanks for a delicious meal I can now add to my repertoire! 🙌🏻
Isn’t it fabulous?! It’s one of those seriously impressive meals that actually doesn’t require a whole lot of work at all lol. The miso paste is a game changer — so much flavor!! xo, Ari
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My Whole Foods Market had white miso, medium miso and red miso; comparing them to what you had pictured in the ingredients I went with the medium one and it worked great. Easy to prepare and very flavorful; we loved the whole shiitakes. Thanks for a great recipe!
It’s such a delicious, flavorful recipe! Glad you enjoyed the miso, you can use the leftovers infinitely! Toss with roasted veggies, brush on seafood or chicken before grilling, use in dressings – yum! xo, Ari
I had some Black Cod from Alaska in my deep freezer; added some Baby Bok Choy prior to the mushrooms per your suggestion and this was absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.
This is awesome!! Bok choy is perfect in here, so glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
We had miso leftover from another recipe and searched for recipes with miso and fish and found yours. We made this tonight per the recipe. My wife and I really like the flavor.
Fish was finished in under 8 so we’ll have to keep an eye on that next time but still good.
Looking forward to adding other veggies…Bok choy perhaps was thinking of spinach but not sure when to add.
Thanks for the recipe.
Yes, add all the veggies!! It’s really easily adaptable to what you’ve got. Thanks so much for the feedback, Denny! xo, Ari
Question about the ‘reserved marinade’ in Step 4. I assume this to be the marinade used on the fish while refrigerated. I assume that any issues with the marinade from being in contact with the raw fish are resolved by cooking the sauce to 140 degrees for the 6-8 minutes?
Hi Rob! Yes, cooking the reserved marinade with the fish is safe. Please let me know if you give it a try — I hope you love it! Cheers, Ari
Made this tonight, served with your Blistered Haricots Verts and Jasmine Rice. Fantastic Recipe, one of the best I’ve found with a Miso marinade!
We fished Alaska this summer and came back with almost 100# of Sockeye, Cod, Rockfish and Halibut so I’m always looking for something new. On tonight’s menu was Halibut and I saw this recipe as I was searching around and so glad I did. I usually make recipes exactly as written the first time and the only change was to add some Garlic and a diced Shallot. It was in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Our Halibut was just under an inch at the thick end and a little less at the other end, so I estimated no more than 7 minutes for a 130 temp, and it was pretty close. (145 is pretty high but I understand the need to use it as reference here).
When I pulled it from the oven, I dumped the green beans into the skillet and mixed them in with the other vegetables. It added another layer of flavor to an already great meal! Garnish it with Cilantro!
Only comment is that I will add 50% to the Marinade quantity to get more sauce in the pan for serving over rice.
What a great combo with the haricots verts! And totally agree, I like my fish cooked closer to medium. 😉 This is all fantastic feedback, thank you Rob! Also pretty jealous of your Alaska travels. I flew out there a few years back and, to this day, it is what I consider to be the most beautiful place on earth. Enjoy all that delicious seafood! Cheers, Ari