Miso Salmon glazed with a sweet and savory mix of miso and peanut butter, baked until caramelized and flakey. Healthy weeknight dinner that’s perfect with grains and veggies!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love Asian inspired salmon recipes like this miso salmon, baked teriyaki salmon, and honey garlic salmon because they transform one of my not so favorite proteins, salmon, into a delicious healthy dinner!
My boys love salmon, me not so much, so I always have to make it very flavorful while keeping the recipe easy. And because we live by the ocean and fish a lot, I get to cook a lot of salmon!
This miso salmon recipe is packed with umami flavor, super simple to make, and always a hit at the table. Even people on the fence about salmon end up loving it!
Reader’s Review
Our daughter made this for us when we were visit her and we loved it Great for company or just the family. Delicious. Very flavorful.
Robin B.
Ingredients for Miso Salmon
You only need salmon plus 7 simple ingredients to make the flavorful glaze.
- Salmon fillet: You’ll want a 2 pound fillet, skin on or off, whichever you prefer. I used wild salmon, but farmed works just as well. Prep the salmon by cutting it into 6 or 8 pieces.
- Miso paste: Miso paste is a fermented soybean paste. I use the organic white miso paste, the light colored kind, so it will be similar taste. Darker miso has a stronger taste and might overpower the sauce.
- Natural peanut butter: A touch for flavor and sweetness. Go for smooth, unsalted peanut butter without added sugars.
- Honey: Adds sweetness to the marinade. You can swap in maple syrup or even brown sugar, and adjust the amount to taste.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a mild tang to brighten up the miso glaze. You can swap in apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar, if needed.
- Soy sauce: Brings salty, umami flavor that balances the sweetness. Use liquid aminos or tamari for gluten-free.
- Fresh ginger: Grated finely so it blends right in. It adds a bright, zesty contrast to the rich miso flavor and helps tone down any fishy taste.
- Fresh garlic: Just a small amount adds big flavor.
- Green onion: Totally optional but a nice finishing touch for garnish. Sesame seeds are another great option.
How to Make Miso Salmon
This miso marinated salmon is super easy and ready in less than 1 hour, marinating included. The full recipe card is below.
- Make miso marinade: In a big baking dish, throw in miso paste, honey, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Mash it together with a fork until it’s smooth.
- Marinate the salmon: Add the salmon pieces one at a time, coating on all sides, then lay flesh side down. Pop the dish in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes up to 6 hours, but no longer to avoid mushy salmon.
- Prep oven and salmon: Preheat to 375 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Lay the salmon skin-side down, give each piece some space, and brush on the leftover marinade.
- Bake: Bake the salmon until it flakes easily, mine took about 15 minutes with wild salmon, farmed might need a bit longer. Then pop it under the broiler for 2-4 minutes to get a nice caramelized crust.
Air Fryer
To air fry salmon, preheat your air fryer to 400 F and lightly spray the basket with cooking spray. Arrange salmon fillets without overlapping, and cook in batches for about 10 minutes.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some easy tips to make miso glazed salmon that tastes like straight out of a restaurant!
- Line the baking sheet: To prevent the salmon from sticking and keep the glaze from burning on the pan. It just makes the clean up way easier, trust me!
- Don’t marinate overnight: Anything beyond 6 hours can actually start to “cook” the salmon because the acids in the marinade begin breaking down the fish’s texture.
- Wild salmon cooks faster: It’s leaner with firmer flesh, so it heats through more quickly. Farmed salmon has more fat, which can take a bit longer to cook evenly.
- Salmon is ready when: It flakes easily with a fork and the center looks just barely opaque. You can check the internal temperature if you want, 145 F is recommended for food safety, but some people prefer around 120-130 F for super moist and tender salmon.
Serving Ideas
We like to keep the sides pretty simple since the miso salmon has so much flavor on its own. I usually go with white rice and some steamed broccoli, but there are tons of other great options too!
- Roasted cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprouts, zucchini or bell peppers
- A healthy cucumber salad. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, a Thai cucumber salad
- Miso soup
- Coconut rice or brown rice
- Over ramen noodles with veggies like snap peas, edamame, shredded carrots, or bok choy
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Put any leftover salmon into an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. It’ll stay tasty for up to 3 days, honestly, it’s incredible cold tossed into a fresh salad.
Freeze: Save it longer in an airtight container and in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready, just let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Warm the salmon in a non-stick skillet over low-medium heat. Add a splash of water and cover it for a few minutes.
More Salmon Recipes to Try
- Thai salmon
- Lime ginger salmon
- Salmon sushi bake
- Baked salmon
- Baked salmon in foil
- Hot honey salmon bites
Miso Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds salmon fillet, cut into 6 (5 oz each) or 8 (4 oz each) pieces
- 3 tablespoons miso paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, smooth & unsalted
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, used liquid aminos for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large baking dish, add miso paste, honey, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Mash and whisk with a fork.
- Add salmon pieces one by one, coating in marinade on all sides and laying flesh side down. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. But not longer because acid and salt will start "cooking" the salmon.
- Preheat oven to 375 F and line large large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange salmon skin side down, leaving room in between and brushing with remaining marinade.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until salmon is flaky with a fork. I used wild salmon and it dries out faster. If you use farmed salmon, it may need or can handle longer cook time.
- Then broil for 2-4 minutes or until brown crust forms.
- Serve immediately garnished with chopped green onion, rice and steamed broccoli.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container and enjoy within 3 days. Cold salmon tastes amazing in healthy salads. Reheat in non-stick skillet on low-medium heat, with a splash of water, covered for a few minutes.
- Freeze: Freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Our daughter made this for us when we were visit her and we loved it Great for company or just the family. Delicious. Very flavorful.
Thanks for the awesome feedback Robin!
About how long do you broil to have that caramelized yumminess?
Just watch it. Turn on the oven light and watch. Ovens vary. Mine takes 3-5 minutes.
Thank you!! Can’t wait to try this!!!
I made this last night and it was incredible. My sister and mother now want me to do it again ASAP!!! Thank u for the great recipe.
This looks absolutely amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh we are making this as soon as we get home. I have been looking for the perfect baked salmon recipe and this is it! Thank you for sharing!
This looks fabulous! I haven’t had good salmon in a while. You’ve inspired me!
I don’t cook salmon as often as I would like to because I’m not a huge fan of cleaning/filleting fish or it’s too expensive. I wish I had this salmon once a week.