Add more fish to your dinner rotation with this exquisite miso salmon. It’s buttery, flaky, and ready in 20 minutes!

Two fillets of salmon glazed with miso and garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.

A Salmon Recipe Everyone Will Love

This miso salmon is just too easy to love! It’s sweet, salty, and cooked to buttery, flaky perfection. As salmon should be.

The kicker? It calls for a short list of ingredients, minimal prep, and it takes less than 30 minutes to bring together. It’s perfect for weeknights, which is why it’s been in my dinner rotation for months now.

The Ingredient List for My Miso Salmon Is Short!

If you’ve ever eaten anything with miso in it before, you already know that it’s a total flavor bomb. It’s the actual point of reference for the umami sensation, which has only become more recognized in Western countries over the last few decades or so.

With that, you don’t need to add much more!

Here’s the full list of what you’ll need to make my crave-worthy miso salmon recipe:

Salmon. Not all fillets of salmon are created equal! I always go with Faroe Island salmon because it’s tender, buttery, flaky, and great quality.

Faroe Island salmon is farmed, but don’t let that common deterrence avert you. Not all farmed fish is bad, and the Faroe Islands is a perfect example of that with its clear pristine waters, cool steady temperatures, strong currents, and accessible fjords.

Not to mention, Faroe Island salmon is also farmed in its natural habitat without the use of antibiotics.

Miso paste. There are a few different types of miso. In this recipe I use shiro miso, more commonly known in the US as white miso. It’s mild and sweet, which makes it perfect for a salmon glaze.

Soy sauce. My go-to, without question, is always low-sodium Kikkoman soy sauce.

Mirin. Mirin is a rice wine that can easily be found in the “International” aisle of any grocery store. 

Ginger. Zippy fresh ginger rounds everything out in this glaze. Use a microplane to shred it to a paste.

Two bright orange raw fillets of salmon on parchment-covered baking sheet.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The lip-smacking glaze only calls for 5 ingredients, and they’re easily accessible
  • This entire recipe can be prepped and ready in less than 20 minutes
  • Even fish skeptics will love this recipe
  • It’s a great way to bring more fish into your dinner rotation

How to Make My Easy Miso Salmon

  1. Prior to cooking, let the salmon sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes or so. Bringing the fish to room temperature helps you get an even cook.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425º F with the oven rack in mid position.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the fillets onto the parchment and, with a paper towel, lightly dab the fillets to get rid of excess moisture.
  4. Season the fillets with a tiny bit of salt.
  5. Mix all of the ingredients for the miso glaze in a small bowl until a thick sauce forms. Add a bit of water, and mix again until well combined.
  6. Slather the glaze over the fillets—use a generous amount!
  7. Pop the fillets into the oven and let them bake for 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at 140º F.
  8. Garnish the fillets with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions, and enjoy!

Parchment covered sheet pan with raw salmon fillets glazed with miso mixture, and a bowl of miso mixture on the side.

Want more salmon? Try my Sweet Chili Air Fryer Salmon Bites!

Useful Tools You’ll Need:

Recipe Tips + Tricks

  1. Can’t find mirin? Some recipes will tell you to use rice vinegar instead, but the two really aren’t interchangeable. What you could do is add half a teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon of rice vinegar. This will give you a more passable result. You could also use dry sherry or vermouth.
  2. You could use ginger paste instead of shredding your own ginger root. Ginger paste is found near the fresh herbs in the grocery store. I don’t suggest using ginger powder.
  3. For crispy skin, position the fillets skin side up on a plate and refrigerate them for at least and hour. This will help dry out the skin. After that, give it a good brush with olive oil and proceed with baking.
  4. Let the fillets sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes prior to cooking. This will ensure you get an even cook.
  5. I wouldn’t recommend baking the salmon on foil instead of parchment; parchment lets the fillets breathe so skin can crisp rather than get soggy.

Bowl of noodles with miso salmon on top.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

More Salmon Recipes You’ll Love:

Bowl of noodles with miso salmon on top.

Get the Recipe:

Easy Miso Salmon

Yield: 2 people
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 17 mins
Add more fish to your dinner rotation with this exquisite miso salmon. It's buttery, flaky, and ready in 20 minutes!
5 from 25 votes
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Ingredients

  • 2 4-6 oz salmon fillets, I recommend Faroe Island salmon if you can get it!
  • 1 TBSP white miso paste (shiro miso)
  • 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce, I recommend Kikkoman
  • 1 tsp mirin
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Let the salmon sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. This will help you get a more even cook on the salmon.
  • With the oven rack in mid position, preheat the oven to 425º F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon fillets on top. Then, lightly pat the fillets with paper towels to get rid of any excess moisture.
  • Sprinkle a little bit of salt over the fillets.
  • With a fork, whisk all of the ingredients for the miso glaze in a small bowl until it's cohesive and a sauce forms. Add a bit of water, and mix it again until smooth.
  • Brush a generous amount of the glaze over the salmon fillets.
  • Bake the fillets in the oven for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at 140º F.
  • Finish the fillets off by garnishing them with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions, and enjoy!
Author: Dana Sandonato
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Pescatarian, Pescetarian