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Miso-Maple Salmon

By Jamie Vespa

on Dec 21, 2020 Updated Feb 14, 2023

5 from 9 votes

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Miso-Maple Salmon is impressive enough for entertaining, yet easy enough for weeknight cooking. A simple, flavor-packed marinade unlocks the restaurant quality of this no-fuss fish dish. Serve over rice with a side of veggies and this miso-baked salmon will become a staple. 

Why You’ll Love this Miso Maple Salmon:

This miso-marinated salmon packs a serious punch, and masters the balance of savory and savory. It will have every palette at the table intrigued, in the best way possible.

A mix of miso paste, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic form the flavorful backbone of the marinade.

Fresno chiles add heat, and lime juice lends a fresh lift. This is the sort of fish dish that is bound to impress with minimal effort. Plus, you can prepare the marinade up to 2 days in advance to get a head start. 

I love serving this salmon over rice with sautéed baby bok choy or broccoli on the side.

It’s also delicious with soba noodles and crisp raw veggies like shredded cabbage, matchstick carrots, and cilantro. Either way, you truly cannot go wrong with this miso-maple salmon.

Miso Primer: What is Miso Paste?

The star of this umami-rich marinade is white miso paste.

In short, miso is a fermented soybean paste and secret weapon for adding worlds of savory depth to recipes. It’s the kind of umami-packed powerhouse ingredient that can make sauces and soups taste like they took hours to prep.

White miso paste, in particular, is light in color with a relatively short fermentation time, making it quite mellow compared to darker varieties. I especially love using miso in plant-based recipes to add that extra oomph. 

You can typically find miso paste in the refrigerated section by the tofu in most grocery stores.

Alternatively, if you live near an Asian market, they will have the best deals and largest variety of miso paste.

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions:

We already covered miso paste, but here are the other ingredients you need for this recipe:

• Salmon: You need four 6-oz. salmon fillets for these rice bowls, which can be wild-caught or sustainably farmed. If purchasing wild, I suggest either King (or Chinook) salmon, which has a higher fat content and richer flavor. Sockeye, on the other hand, is much leaner and easier to overcook.
• Maple Syrup: A natural sweetener with depth and complexity, maple syrup’s main role here is to balances the savory, saltiness of the miso paste. You’ll notice different grades of maple syrup available, so keep in mind the darker the color, the bolder the flavor. (I prefer darker in most savory recipes!)
• Aromatics: A mix of shallots, garlic, and ginger infuse the dish with zesty, aromatic goodness. I highly suggest using fresh ginger over ground, which tends to be more muted in flavor. If you don’t have shallots on hand, feel free to use yellow onion instead. 
• Rice Vinegar: Made from fermented rice, a.k.a. rice wine, this kind of vinegar has a mild, barely sweet flavor that doesn’t overpower like some of its harsher counterparts. Rice vinegar comes in regular and seasoned (with added salt and sugar) varieties, however I suggest reaching for the regular, which is much more versatile. 
• Lime: I love squeezing fresh lime over the salmon once it’s baked. 
• Garnishes: Sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds are my go-to garnishes for this salmon. You can also drizzle it with toasted sesame oil or add a smattering of fresh cilantro leaves. 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare Miso Marinade

In a medium bowl, combine shallots, miso paste, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, oil, and chiles (if using). Stir well with a whisk until the mixture is mostly smooth.

Step 2: Coat Salmon in Marinade

Place salmon fillets in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Coat each fillet with miso marinade, making sure to fully cover both the flesh and skin. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and chill salmon for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

Step 3: Bake Miso Salmon

When ready to bake salmon, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the plastic wrap from salmon, and transfer baking dish to the center rack of the oven. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. If desired, turn the broiler to HIGH during the final 2 minutes to develop more a crust on the salmon. 

• How to Know When Salmon is Done: Gently press down on the top of the fillet with a fork or your finger. If the flesh of the salmon flakes—meaning, it separates easily along the white lines that run across the fillet—it’s finished cooking.

Step 4: Garnish and Serve

Remove salmon from the oven and use a fish spatula to transfer fillets to a serving dish. Garnish salmon with sliced green onion and/or sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately. 

FAQs and Expert Tips:

Should You Cook Salmon with the Skin Off or On?

• This is totally based on personal preference! The skin helps lock in moisture, which can help prevent the fish from drying out if it’s slightly overcooked. 
• It’s also a LOT easier to remove the skin from salmon AFTER it’s cooked (it basically slides right off). So if you don’t plan on consuming the skin, you can still remove it before serving. (I typically feed it to our dogs, who go absolutely nuts for it.)
• It’s also important to note that CRISPY salmon skin can be totally delicious. Although baking typically won’t yield crispy skin, sautéing over high heat or grilling surely will. 
• If you’d rather cook your salmon without skin, I suggest asking your seafood counter to remove it before packaging it up. 

Serving Suggestions:

• Rice: You can’t go wrong with a bed of fluffy Basmati or Jasmine rice.
  • For convenience, try the packs of microwavable Jasmine rice. For a low carb option, serve the salmon with cauliflower rice.
• Veggies: I love this miso baked salmon with baby bok choy or sautéed broccoli. It would also be fantastic with this Asian BBQ Roasted Cauliflower or Moroccan Cauliflower with Tahini-Honey. 

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Salmon:

While this salmon is most enjoyable fresh, here are a few ideas for what to do with leftover salmon:

• To Store. Place leftover salmon in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• To Reheat. Remove salmon from the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan on reheating it. Once you take the chill off, you can either reheat it in the oven, microwave, or a skillet. Whichever method you choose, be sure the reheating is gentle so the salmon doesn’t dry out.
  • Stovetop: Heat a skillet over medium-low, and rewarm individual salmon portions with a splash of water, covering the skillet. Remove the salmon once it is heated through (this should only take a couple of minutes).
  • Oven: Put the fish on a rimmed baking sheet and warm it a 275°F oven for about 15 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F to 130°F. 
  • Microwave: Place your salmon on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a paper towel, and set your microwave to 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, check the salmon and adjust it for even heating, and continuing to microwave as needed.
• How to Use Leftovers. You can serve leftovers chilled (or closer to room temperature) over a salad, or enjoy them over rice or quinoa (similar to these Firecracker Salmon Bowls).

More Easy Salmon Recipes to Try:

Firecracker Salmon Bowls

Salmon Superfood Salad

Salmon Skillet with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

If you give this miso baked salmon recipe a try, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations. I’d also love if you could leave a recipe rating and review!

And for more recipe updates, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest.

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5 from 9 votes

Miso-Maple Salmon

By Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Miso-Maple Salmon is impressive enough for entertaining, yet easy enough for weeknight cooking. Serve over rice with sautéed veggies for a restaurant quality, no-fuss fish dish.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4

Equipment

• 9x13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1/4 cup minced shallots
• ▢ 3 Tbsp. white miso paste
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. vegetable or sesame oil
• ▢ 1 small Fresno chili, finely chopped (or 1 to 2 tsp. chili oil or sriracha) optional
• ▢ 1 to 1.25 lbs. skin-on salmon fillets
• ▢ Thinly sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

For Serving

• ▢ Fresh lime juice (optional)
• ▢ Jasmine rice and sautéed veggies (such as bok choy or broccoli) (optional)

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Instructions 

• In a medium bowl, combine first 8 ingredients (shallots through chili). Stir well with a whisk until the mixture is mostly smooth. 
• Place salmon fillets in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Coat each fillet with miso marinade. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and chill salmon for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Arrange one oven rack in the center, and the other closer to the broiler (about 6 to 8 inches from the heat source).

  Remove the plastic wrap from salmon, and transfer baking dish to the center rack of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until medium-rare.

  Turn the broiler to HIGH and move pan to the upper rack. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the salmon is golden with slightly crisp edges.
• Remove salmon from oven and garnish with sliced green onion, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired. Serve over rice with any residual miso sauce.

Notes

To Store. Refrigerate leftover salmon for up to 2 days.

To Reheat. Remove salmon from the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan on reheating it. 

• • Stovetop: Heat a skillet over medium-low, and rewarm individual salmon portions with a splash of water, covering the skillet. Remove the salmon once it is heated through (this should only take a couple of minutes).
  • Oven: Put the fish on a rimmed baking sheet and warm it a 275°F oven for about 15 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F to 130°F. 
  • Microwave: Place your salmon on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a paper towel, and set your microwave to 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, check the salmon and adjust it for even heating, and continuing to microwave as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1salmon fillet | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 680mg | Sugar: 6g

I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.

If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and review below!