I am a rice bowl lover through and through (truly, they’re my comfort food), and this Sesame-Crusted Salmon is my current favorite way to serve them up!
The salmon is flaky, moist, and bursting with flavor from a homemade spicy mayo brushed on top before coating with sesame seeds. I think the best part of this recipe is the versatility for serving it! While my preference is to enjoy it over steamed sushi rice with lots of toppings, it’s also fantastic alongside any other Asian-inspired menu.
With just 15 minutes of prep and under 15 minutes of cook time, this easy salmon recipe is sure to become a weeknight staple! And because I am grain bowl obsessed, there’s plenty of other recipes for you to drool over, like these warm harvest chicken grain bowls or this vegetarian farro bowl my homemade honey mustard dressing.
Check out more of my easy seafood recipes, like this Teriyaki Salmon Bowl, Creamy Salmon Curry with Coconut Milk, or my top 10+ Easy Salmon Rice Bowls!
What You’ll Need
There’s two components to this recipe, so make sure you have the following:
- For the salmon: salmon fillets (skin on or skin off, your choice), kosher salt, Kewpie mayo, Srirache, and sesame seeds. I love the combination of black and white sesame seeds, but if you only have one type, that’s fine.
- For the miso sauce: low-sodium soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free!), sugar, white miso paste, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, and ginger paste.
To garnish, I like add thinly sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, pickled ginger, avocado, cucumber, and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy with sushi rice or steamed white rice.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you have another variety of miso paste, such as yellow or red miso paste — feel free to use that for the sauce! You really just want to add a little umami.
The same recipe can be used with an assortment of seafood. I like this with tuna, halibut, cod, arctic char, or hake.
Quick and Easy Instructions
- Prep the salmon: Pat the salmon dry with paper towels, then season lightly with kosher salt.
- Make spicy mayo: This takes just a few minutes and will add so much flavor to the fish! Mix Kewpie mayo and Sriracha together in a bowl, then brush this on top of each salmon fillet.
- Coat with sesame seeds. Combine black and white sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Firmly press the salmon mayo side down into the sesame seeds, then place seeded side up on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
- Bake the salmon in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes.
- While the salmon is cooking, make the miso sauce by whisking everything together in a bowl: soy sauce, sugar, white miso paste, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and ginger paste.
- Assemble, then serve! Place the baked sesame salmon over a bed of white or sushi rice, then drizzle with additional spicy mayo if you like. Sprinkle with sliced green onion, cilantro, then add any toppings. Serve immediately with miso sauce spooned on top.
This salmon recipe is such a winner! I find Asian-inspired flavors like this to be so comforting — I could truly eat some version of this every single week!
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Ensure the sesame seeds are evenly spread on a plate before pressing the salmon into them for a uniform crust.
- Use fresh, high-quality salmon! It’s absolutely fine to use frozen salmon (in fact, this is often flash frozen shortly upon being cleaned and can be a better option than fresh salmon if it’s not super fresh). I have a great post on the different varieties of salmon if you’re interested!
- For most accurate cook time, allow the salmon to come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before assembling and cooking.
- Don’t overcook the salmon! I prefer salmon when it reaches medium. Look for an internal temperature of around 120°F.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: You can prepare the spicy mayo and miso sauce up to 2 days in advance and store them in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftover sesame salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remember, seafood has a shorter shelf-life than meats or poultry.
- Reheat in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) for about 8-10 minutes. You can also reheat salmon in a microwave on medium power for about 1-2 minutes. Check frequently to avoid overcooking.
Freezing: It’s not recommended to freeze the sesame-crusted salmon as the texture of the sesame crust can become compromised. However, you can freeze the salmon fillets before coating them in the sesame seeds.
Serving Suggestions
The ideal way to serve sesame-crusted salmon is in a rice bowl! I like to use sushi rice or other short-grain rice, but white rice, brown rice, Jasmine rice, or even quinoa would be just fine. Use what you like! In my favorite grain bowls, I actually pair baked salmon with barley and it works together really well–feel free to experiment!
Serve with your favorite toppings — mine are cilantro (and lots of it), sliced scallions, avocado, pickled ginger, cucumber, and lime wedges. Feel free to add steamed or roasted vegetables! Roasted broccoli is on repeat in our house weekly, but shishitos peppers or garlicky green beans would also be fantastic!
There are dozens and dozens of salmon recipes on my website (it truly is my favorite ingredient!), so if you’re looking for more inspiration, give one of these recipes a try next!
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Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Miso Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 4 (6oz) salmon fillets, skinless
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ cup Kewpie mayo
- 2 tsp Sriracha
- ½ cup sesame seeds, I like to use a mix of white and black sesame seeds
For the sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp ginger paste, or fresh grated ginger root
For serving
- Seasoned sushi rice or white rice
- Green onions, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Pickled ginger
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Avocado, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Prep the salmon. Preheat an oven to 400°F (205°C), then line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the salmon filets dry on all sides with paper towels, then season with 1 tsp Kosher salt.
- Make the spicy mayo. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup Kewpie mayo and 2 tsp Sriracha until well mixed. Reserve half of the sauce for serving. Brush the remaining spicy mayo on top of each salmon filet.
- Coat with sesame seeds. Place ½ cup mixed white and black sesame seeds in a shallow bowl, then stir to mix. Firmly press each piece of salmon, mayo-side down, into the seeds. Transfer, seed-side up, to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the salmon. Transfer to the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon is fully cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 120-125°F.
- While the salmon cooks, make the miso sauce. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp white miso paste, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp ginger paste. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- To serve: Place sesame-crusted salmon over rice, then drizzle with additional spicy mayo. Serve with the miso dipping sauce on the side and lots of sliced green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges. Additional topping ideas: pickled ginger, sliced cucumber, and avocado!
Nutrition
Photography by: Jo Harding.
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