Miso Salmon is a savory and slightly sweet Japanese dish that’s both easy and impressive. This simple miso marinade transforms salmon into a flavorful, tender, and restaurant-quality meal. Perfect for a special weekend dinner, or prepare and freeze it ahead to have a ready-to-bake option for busy weeknights. With just a few pantry staples, you can enjoy delicious miso salmon at home without any fuss!

Baked miso salmon served in a dish with chopsticks picking up a piece

Cooking time: 15 minutes / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Marinating time: 6 hours to over night

Ingredients

Salmon Marinade

1 lb salmon (cut into fillets)
4 tablespoon miso (regular miso, not flavored with dashi)
2 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon cane sugar

Preparation for salmon:

Salt (as needed, to cure the salmon before marinating)

Ingredients for miso salmon: salmon fillets, miso, sake, mirin, cane sugar

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Prepare the salmon
Spread salt on both sides of the salmon fillets and set aside for about 10 minutes. This will draw out excess water and odor from the fillets. Afterward, rinse the salmon under running water and gently pat dry with paper towels.

Salmon fillet surface looks wet after salt draws out excess water

Salmon fillets pat dried with kitchen paper on a tray

Step 2: Make the miso marinade
In a mixing bowl, combine miso, sake, mirin, and cane sugar. Mix well until smooth.

Miso, sake, mirin, and sugar combined in a bowl

Miso marinade ingredients being whisked together

Step 3: Marinate the salmon
Transfer the miso marinade into a zip-top bag. Place the salmon fillets in the bag and spread the marinade evenly over the fish. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to penetrate. After marinating, if you don’t plan to cook the salmon right away, you can freeze it in the same bag for later use.

Miso marinade being transferred into a plastic zip bag

Salmon fillets placed in a zip bag with miso marinade

Step 4: Prepare for baking
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Before baking, gently wipe off any excess miso from the salmon using your fingers or a lightly dampened paper towel. This prevents the surface from burning.

Wiping excess miso marinade off salmon fillet with kitchen paper

Salmon fillet with miso marinade wiped off, ready to bake

Step 5: Bake the salmon
Place the fillets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (65°C).

Salmon fillets placed on oven pan and ready to bake in oven

Baked miso salmon fillets on oven pan with thermometer in one fillet

Step 6: Serve
Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy flavorful, tender miso-marinated salmon that’s perfect for a special meal or a busy weekday dinner!

Baked miso salmon served on a Japanese tray with spinach side dish

Print Recipe

Miso Salmon

This easy miso salmon recipe transforms ordinary salmon into a flavorful, tender dish with a savory-sweet miso marinade. Perfect for a special weekend dinner or make-ahead freezer meal for busy weeknights.

Cook Time20

Marinating time6

Ingredients

Salmon Marinade

1 Ib salmon fillets
4 tablespoon miso regular miso, not flavored with dashi
2 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
1 Tbsp cane sugar

Preparation for salmon

salt as needed to cure the salmon before marinating

Instructions

Prepare the salmon: Spread salt on both sides of the salmon fillets and set aside for about 10 minutes. This will draw out excess water from the fillets. Afterward, rinse the salmon under water and gently pat dry with kitchen paper.
Make the miso marinade: In a mixing bowl, combine miso, sake, mirin, and cane sugar. Mix well until smooth.
Marinate the salmon: Transfer the miso marinade into a zip-top bag. Place the salmon fillets in the bag and spread the marinade evenly over the fish. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. If you don’t plan to cook within a day, you can freeze the salmon in the bag.
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Before baking, gently wipe off any excess miso from the salmon using your fingers or a lightly dampened kitchen paper. This prevents the surface from burning.
Bake the salmonPlace the fillets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (65°C).
Serve: Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy flavorful, tender miso-marinated salmon that’s perfect for a special meal or a busy weekday dinner!