Prepare to be amazed by this miso salmon! The savory glaze is the perfect accent for this broiled fish and makes an easy dinner.

Miso salmon

Here’s an impressive dinner idea that’s packed with umami and fantastically irresistible: Miso Salmon! Miso makes magic in the kitchen: it adds incredible savory flavor to everything it touches. Here it features in a miso glaze that’s so full of flavor, you’ll want to brush a glossy swipe onto just about everything. One of the ultimate ways to use it? On a tender fillet of salmon. Brush it on before and after broiling, and it’s absolutely stunning. If fact, we couldn’t tear ourselves away from this. (Our three year old was particularly smitten.)

What’s in miso glaze?

The secret to this miso salmon is this tasty miso glaze. You can use it on just about anything: any type of fish (like tuna or cod) or sauteed vegetables. The star is miso, a Japanese fermented soybean paste that’s full of nutrients and savory flavor! It’s known for its intense savory notes, otherwise known as umami. You can find miso in your local grocery next to the Japanese products. There are several colors of miso, each with their own flavor.

This glaze comes together in just a few minutes and uses only 5 ingredients (plus salt). Once you whisk together the ingredients, there may still be some chunks of miso that do not dissolve: that’s ok! Just try to get it as smooth as you can. Here’s what you need for the miso glaze:

  • Miso: We like yellow or light miso for this recipe, but you can use whatever you find.
  • Soy sauce: substitute tamari or coconut aminos as necessary
  • Rice vinegar
  • Sugar: substitute maple syrup or honey if you like
  • Sriracha hot sauce
  • Salt

Want more with miso? Try these 10 Easy Miso Recipes.

Miso glaze

Buy a high quality piece of salmon

The other part of this miso salmon recipe that’s important: buying a great piece of salmon! You can make it with any quality, but it tastes optimal with a high quality of fish. We splurged and used King salmon for this one, and wow! It’s beautifully tender and juicy, making for one irresistible piece of fish. But you can use other types too! Here are some pointers one how to buy the best salmon:

  • Fresh salmon is best. You can find good frozen salmon, but for the very best salmon, buy it fresh from your local seafood counter.
  • Buy wild caught salmon. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
  • Coho is a good choice. We tend to like Coho salmon for its mild flavor: it’s a good middle of the road option in terms of price. Of course, King salmon is incredible but more of a splurge. Avoid Atlantic salmon as it is typically farmed salmon.

Ways to cook miso salmon

There are lots of ways to cook salmon. For this miso salmon recipe we chose the broiler because it is quick and easy! There are some tips on broiling salmon below. But you can also choose any salmon cooking method you like! Here are a few other options:

  • Pan Seared Salmon: Paint on a bit of the glaze when you flip the salmon to skin side down, then add a little more after it’s out of the pan.
  • Oven Baked Salmon: Use the glaze in the same way as broiling!
  • Grilled Salmon or Grilled Salmon in Foil Paint the glaze on right before you add it to the grill, then add more after grilling just like with broiling.
Miso salmon

Tips for broiling salmon

The best way to cook this miso salmon is broiling, we think! Here are a few tips

  • Let the salmon come to room temperature, or brine it (lower quality salmon). It’s important to let the salmon come to room temperature before broiling it so it cooks evenly. If you’re using lower quality salmon, you may want to brine it during this time: go to Broiled Salmon for more!
  • Broilers vary, so watch the cook time carefully! The exact timing for this broiled salmon depends on your specific broiler and the thickness of the fish. It will be different every time: so watch closely! Estimate 4 to 5 minutes for very thin salmon or 7 to 10 minutes for 1-inch thick salmon. A food thermometer is nice for judging whether it’s done.
  • Most broilers are about 3 to 5 inches from the heating element. If yours is closer, take care and watch the salmon during the cook time.
Miso salmon

Sides to serve with miso salmon

What to serve with miso salmon to make it into an easy dinner? There are so many options! The flavors are Asian inspired, so you can use Asian-style ingredients or opt for other elements that fit the vibe. Here are some of our favorite ways to accessorize miso salmon:

This miso salmon recipe is…

Pescatarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

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Miso salmon

Easy Miso Salmon


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

Prepare to be amazed by this miso salmon! The savory glaze is the perfect accent for this broiled fish and makes an easy dinner. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds high quality skin-on salmon fillets, wild caught if possible
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons light or yellow miso
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (or maple syrup)
  • ¼ teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Optional garnish: Sliced green onions, sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Let salmon rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, make the miso glaze: Whisk the miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, Sriracha and kosher salt together in a small bowl until smooth (the miso may have a few lumps depending on its texture, which is okay). 
  3. Preheat the broiler to high. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place it on the foil skin side down. Brush salmon liberally with the glaze (1 to 2 tablespoons).
  4. Broil about 4 to 5 minutes for very thin salmon or 7 to 10 minutes for 1-inch thick salmon, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130F in the center). Brush with more of the glaze and serve.
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Broiled
  • Cuisine: Asian inspired
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Miso salmon

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About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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11 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to try this one. Always have a hard time finding a way to cook salmon that doesn’t taste fishy (and keep trying to consume it for it’s health benefits). Will definitely try the recommended Coho salmon + the strong Asian-style flavors will be perfect!

    1. Great! Make sure to check for sales at the fish counter rather than frozen. That’s where we usually find the best salmon.

  2. Loved this easy recipe! My family tends not to be big fans of miso, but everyone here enjoyed this salmon. It’s great over rice with some broccoli on the side. Definitely 5 stars!

  3. Just wanted point out that this recipe isn’t gluten free unless you use gluten free soy sauce.

  4. This was a bit too salty for me. Soy sauce already has enough saltiness and doesn’t need extra salt to be added for me. Also maybe swap olive oil for vegetable oil.

  5. Delicious flavor with salmon! I’ve been baking my salmon for years and never thought to broil- turned out so well!