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This Miso Glazed Salmon is so flavorful and moist – the sweet and savory miso caramelizes beautifully on top of a perfectly cooked, flaky salmon! I love how simple and delicious this dish is, and it comes together with just 7 ingredients – letting each ingredient really shine!
Watch the Miso Glazed Salmon Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Miso Glazed Salmon
The miso marinade creates a buttery, sweet texture to the salmon that is absolutely incredible. Here is what you’ll need for the recipe:
- salmon – These will need to be cut into 4 oz fillets.
- If you are buying this at the butcher, you can ask them to cut it into 4 oz portions for you. You can also ask them to remove the skin for you. (You can make this dish with or without skin.)
- Fresh, high quality salmon is key here – the salmon is the star of this dish, so it’s important that you use the best quality you can find.
- white miso paste
- Miso (味噌) is an ingredient used commonly in Japanese cooking. It is made from fermenting soybeans. I love the savory flavor it adds to any dish – it adds a lot of umami to anything you use it in.
- There are different types of miso paste, the most common being white (shiro), red (aka), and brown (genmai). White miso is milder and sweeter, red miso is stronger and saltier, while brown miso falls in between. I am opting for the white miso paste for this recipe, which will give the salmon a mild and sweet taste.
- mirin
- This is a sweet cooking wine that is used frequently in Korean and Japanese cooking. It provides a great balance to the soy sauce in this recipe.
- If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute with rice vinegar but add 1 tsp of sugar, as rice vinegar does not have the sweetness of mirin.
- sake
- soy sauce
- You should use “light” soy sauce or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it’s too intense for Miso Glazed Salmon.
- I recommend you use the “low-sodium” version soy sauce to control for the saltiness of the dish, since you’re using miso paste, which also has a lot of salt in it.
- sugar
- You’ll need a sweetener to help balance the salty umami of the miso.
- If you don’t want to use white sugar, you can also use honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar.
- avocado oil
- Avocado oil is my go-to neutral oil; you can also use canola or vegetable oil.
- I don’t recommend using olive oil or sesame oil, as the flavors will not go with this dish.
Miso Glazed Salmon: Recipe Instructions
1. Mix the Marinade
In a bowl, whisk together the white miso paste, mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and avocado oil until smooth.
2. Marinate the Salmon
Cover the salmon in the marinade and let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight for best results.
3. Bake the Salmon
Bake the salmon at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon hits 145F and the glaze is caramelized. For further caramelization, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end of baking.
PRO TIPS
Experts Tips
Use Good Salmon
Fresh, high quality salmon is key here – the salmon is the star of this dish, so it’s important that you use the best quality you can find. Look for a nice, deep pink color; you want to avoid anything that looks too pale or orange. Try to go for fresh salmon – this will be better quality than farmed fish.
White vs Red Miso Paste
There are different types of miso paste, the most common being white (shiro), red (aka), and brown (genmai). White miso is milder and sweeter, red miso is stronger and saltier, while brown miso falls in between. I am opting for the white miso paste for this recipe, which will give the salmon a mild and sweet taste. You can use red miso paste, if you prefer.
Optional: Broil Your Salmon
- If you like extra caramelization, you can broil your Miso Glazed Salmon at the end of the baking process for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it during this time, as you don’t want to burn your fish!
Storage and Reheating
You can store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. (I normally recommend reheating leftovers in a hot pan or wok, but this Miso Glazed Salmon will fall apart due to the flaky nature of the fish.)
What to Serve with Miso Glazed Salmon
The sweetness and umami savory flavors of Miso Glazed Salmon would go beautifully with simple vegetable dishes – I would pair it with the sweetness of my Honey Roasted Carrots or the BEST Garlic Green Beans (a Din Tai Fung copycat recipe). If you’re looking for a carb, I would make my buttery, savory Benihana Fried Rice – that sounds like the perfect meal!
If you tried this Miso Glazed Salmon or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Miso Glazed Salmon (Video)
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon, Cut to 4 oz fillets
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the white miso paste, mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and avocado oil until smooth.
- Cover the salmon in the marinade and let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Bake the salmon at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon hits 145F and the glaze is caramelized. For further caramelization, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end of baking.
Notes
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- If you like extra caramelization, you can broil your Miso Glazed Salmon at the end of the baking process for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it during this time, as you don’t want to burn your fish!
Storage and Reheating
You can store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. (I normally recommend reheating leftovers in a hot pan or wok, but this Miso Glazed Salmon will fall apart due to the flaky nature of the fish.)Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My next recipe to try for an easy lunch!
I loooove this salmon!! i make it all the time for my 20mo daughter AND husband, and all 3 of us LOOOOVE it. I have it practically memorized at this point. Just what the is busy mama needs, so easy and simple. โค๏ธ IG: @holymotherofzelda