Baked Miso Salmon
After testing countless variations, I perfected this miso salmon recipe to achieve the ideal balance of savory, sweet, and mildly spicy flavors—you will be obsessed! The glaze is rich and umami-packed (no one-note recipe here!), the salmon stays perfectly juicy, and the finishing broil gives it that irresistible caramelized finish. Best of all, it's SO EASY! See the post for step-by-step photos, expert tips, variations, and serving ideas to achieve restaurant-quality salmon every time!
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on salmon fillets (6-8 oz each)
- 1 teaspoon honey (for glaze-in the directions)
- Green onions for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Miso Salmon Marinade
- 1/4 cup white miso
- 2 tablespoons Japanese rice wine/mirin (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, more or less to taste (like Sambal Oelek)
- 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, ground ginger, paprika, ground mustard
Instructions
- Make Marinade: Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. (This is the miso I use)
- Make Miso Glaze: Reserve 3 tablespoons for the Glaze. To the 3 tablespoons, add 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of honey. You can add additional honey if you like it sweeter.
- Marinate: Pat the salmon dry, then place it in a shallow dish (like a 9x9 baking dish) skin-side down. Brush the marinade onto the top and sides of the salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours for fillets about 1 inch thick and closer to 3-4 hours for thicker cuts. Let the salmon marinate at room temperature for the last 30 minutes.
- Prepare Pan: Line a small baking sheet or a large pan with foil (either is fine). Transfer the salmon to the pan, leaving at least 1 inch between fillets. Wipe off excess marinade (otherwise it can burn).
- Bake: Insert a digital probe thermometer (this one is my fav). Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon: 8 for 1-inch, 10 for thicker). Next, broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the salmon registers 125-130 degrees F at the thickest part.
- Glaze: Brush the salmon with the desired amount of the reserved Glaze. Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Rice wine: I use “Kikkoman Aji-Mirin: Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning”, commonly found in the Asian section of most grocery stores, or you can buy it on Amazon. I suggest you Google images before you head off to the grocery store so you know exactly what you are looking for.
Use a digital probe thermometer: Cooking with a probe thermometer (pictured) lets you monitor the salmon as it cooks, so you can pull it from the oven at the perfect temperature every time—no guessing, no overcooking, just consistently juicy results.