Our miso salmon recipe is not only easy to prep, but it cooks in less than 10 minutes and is absolutely full of flavor! The salmon marinade comes together in one bowl and can be prepped ahead of time.
Keep the marinating time for the salmon to a quick 30 minutes, then broil until the fish is cooked to a perfect medium. You will not believe how much flavor this salmon dish has! This recipe has become so popular that we adapted it into these delicious Miso Salmon Bites, which are perfect over rice bowls!
Love this recipe? Be sure to try our Miso Cod next! It’s equally worthy of date nights at home and dinner parties! Or check out all of our salmon recipes here!
What’s In The Miso Glaze?
You’ll need fresh salmon fillets and a few simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand to create the easy miso marinade.
- White miso paste: Called shiro miso, white miso is the mildest type of miso with the shortest fermentation period. It’s a great entry-level miso that adds a rich umami flavor, without some of the funk that comes from yellow miso or red miso (both delicious, but with stronger flavors!).
- Granulated sugar: Added to help balance the umami rich taste of the white miso paste.
- Mirin: Similar to sake, mirin is a rice wine that is commonly used in Japanese cooking, but with a lower alcohol content and a bit more sugar. If you don’t have mirin, you can use rice vinegar.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: This is used in place of Kosher salt and adds a salty, umami flavor. If making this gluten-free, use tamari instead.
- Sesame oil: If you can find toasted sesame oil, even better! The aroma alone is unbelievable. A little goes a long way.
- Ginger paste: We love ginger paste — it’s blended ginger root that keeps forever in a fridge! So convenient, and no grating or peeling involved.
For serving, we like to garnish with sesame seeds, sliced green onion, and lots of fresh cilantro. The flavors just can’t be beat!
How To Make Miso Salmon At Home
This miso marinated salmon requires little more than a small bowl to make the marinade, a whisk, and a baking sheet.
Combine the miso ingredients together in a large bowl, then whisk. Next, add the salmon fillets to the marinade (either directly in the bowl or pour the mixture into a large Ziplock bag), then toss to thoroughly coat. Let this sit in a refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking.
When ready, set a rack in the oven about 3-5 inches below the broiler, then turn the broiler to high. Wipe off any excess marinade (miso has a fair amount of sugar and can easily burn), then place on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Broil for 6-8 minutes, or until the salmon has reached an internal temperature of 125F for medium.
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
Is salmon healthy? You bet it is! Salmon is naturally high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids and is known to be extremely heart healthy. For this reason, our family enjoys salmon almost weekly.
Expert Tips
- Because the salmon cooks quickly when broiled, make sure it begins at room temperature to ensure it cooks through evenly.
- Related, every broiler is different. Most are about 3-5 inches from the highest rack inside an oven, but if yours is closer (or farther away), this will affect cook time. Be sure to check the salmon before the cook time has finished to ensure the fish hasn’t cooked too quickly!
- If using arctic char or wild salmon, both of which are thinner than King salmon or farmed salmon, the fillets will cook faster. This is Atlantic salmon, though you can check out our salmon guide for more information on the different species.
- Remove excess miso marinade from salmon. Miso can burn very quickly. We recommend wiping off excess miso from the salmon filets before broiling to prevent it charring or burning.
How To Serve
Some of our favorite side dishes are the simplest to make. We recommend serving miso salmon as a rice bowl with blistered shishito peppers or roasted broccoli. Bok choy, sautéed spinach, miso glazed carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, or edamame would also make great sides!
And if you’ve got a package of ramen noodles on hand (either from a package — just toss the seasoning blend away — or your favorite soba or udon noodles), you could turn this into a noodle bowl!
There’s plenty of flavor in the miso glazed salmon as is, but if you like things spicy, feel free to serve with a drizzle of Sriracha.
FAQs
Miso is a fermented paste made from combining soybeans with koji (a mold made from rice, barley, or soybeans). We’ve only tested this recipe with white miso paste (shiro miso). If you want to try it with yellow miso or red miso, let us know what you think!
We like to cook it to medium, or until an internal temperature of 125F is reached. If you prefer it cooked more, you can go up to 140-145F. The best way to gauge doneness is with an instant read thermometer.
It’s likely that there was too much miso marinade left on the fish. We recommend wiping off excess marinade before broiling to prevent this.
Yes, but only if you substitute soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos! An easy swap that will not affect the flavor of the miso salmon.
Miso can be pretty salty. Also, it will continue to draw moisture out of the salmon. We recommend a shorter marinade period.
Leftovers, Storage, and Reheating
Leftover miso glazed salmon should be stored in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat gently in a microwave until warm, about 1-1½ minutes.
To freeze, place cooked miso salmon on a sheet pan in a single layer, then freeze until solid, about 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in a fridge before serving.
This might just be our new favorite salmon recipe and we are so excited for you to give it a try!
If you make this Miso Salmon recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More of our favorite salmon recipes!
Tender, Slow Baked Salmon with Compound Butter Tender, Flaky Salmon en Papillote Pan Seared Salmon Cakes Crispy Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Parmesan Sauce 20 Minute Chili & Bourbon Glazed Salmon
8-Minute Broiled Miso Salmon! (Tender & Flaky)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- ¼ cup granulated sugar though maple syrup or honey can be used instead
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, if gluten-free
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp ginger paste or fresh chopped ginger
- 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets skin on or off
- Recommended for serving: thinly sliced scallions, black and white sesame seeds, and cilantro
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Place ¼ cup white miso paste, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup mirin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 2 tsp ginger paste in a mixing bowl, then whisk well.
- Marinate the salmon. Place salmon fillets in a large tupperware or in a large Ziplock bag. Reserve 2 Tbsp marinade, then pour the rest on top of the fish. Seal, then marinate for 30 minutes.
- Cook the salmon. When ready, preheat the broiler to high, then coat a sheet of parchment with cooking spray. Make sure the parchment lies flat so that it doesn't touch the heating unit once in the oven. Place the marinated salmon fillets skin side down, allowing excess marinade to drip off. If the marinade is thick, you can rub the excess marinade off with your hands, then place the fillets on the sheet pan. Broil the salmon for 6-8 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 120F.
- Finish, then serve. Brush the fillets with the remaining marinade, then serve immediately with thinly sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Soy sauce is quite salty on its own, so we recommend using low-sodium to help control the salt in this recipe.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Reheat gently in a microwave until warm, about 1-1½ minutes.
- Freeze: Place cooked miso salmon on a sheet pan in a single layer, then freeze until solid, about 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in a fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Photography by: Megan McKeehan
Delicious! Used maple syrup and it turned out great. Thanks for a quick and tasty dish.
So glad!! There’s a lot of flavor in this one! xo, Ari
Not sure I could ever eat salmon any other way! Made this two nights in a row. So freakin good!
AGREE! This is really one of the most flavorful salmon recipes and requires next to no effort. I’ve made it multiple nights in a row too lol! xo, Ari
I used fresh steelhead trout. It was fantastic!
Thanks, Lorna! So glad you enjoyed this! xo, Ari
This was AWESOME, such a unique flavor! I legit went to two stores and couldn’t find miso paste anywhere, but I did find miso soup packets and used that. Also used Marsala instead of mirin. It came out DELICIOUS. Clearly a versatile recipe even when substitutions are used, well done
Hi Mia! Glad you were able to adapt it to make it work for you. We love this recipe! xo, Ari
There seems to be a discrepancy on the amount of sugar. The ingredients list shows 1/4 cup (or 4 tablespoons) and the instructions show 3 tablespoons. Which measurement should we use? Thank you!
So sorry, it’s ¼ cup each white miso paste, sugar, and mirin. Updated! xo, Ari
Hi Ari, looking forward to making this! I have a question. Can you tell me what/where I can find Ginger paste? Are you referring to buying it if so is can you recommend a brand?
Thanks,
Londa
Hi Londa! It’s often found in the refrigerated produce section near fresh herbs. It comes in a little squeeze jar container and will last for months. Gourmet Garden is the brand I find most often, but you can also order from Thrive Market. And the Ginger People have a jarred minced ginger that is extremely similar that is found in the Asian foods aisle at grocery stores. You can also simply peel and grate a 1-inch piece of ginger root. Good luck and enjoy! xo, Ari
I see mirin in the ingredients but not in the instructions! Just to clarify, I am guessing it is added with the rest of the marinade ingredients? Thanks 🙂
Thank you, Valentina! Fixed. And yes, you are correct. Enjoy, this is a family-favorite! xo, Ari
Delicious and easy to make. I can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you, Suzanna! Can’t beat how quick this salmon is to make! xo, Ari