Grilled Miso Salmon

This grilled miso salmon is the perfect combination of Asian-inspired flavors and summer grilling. The miso marinade is so easy to make and super flavorful, and it pairs perfectly with salmon and a side of rice or vegetables. This is truly the best summer weeknight meal.

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• Why We Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Top Tips
• Side Pairing Ideas
• Frequently asked questions
• Other Salmon Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why We Love This Recipe

• It’s super hands-off: You can throw the marinade together in a few minutes, then it's just hands-off marinating time. Once you’re ready to cook the salmon, just throw it on the grill for a few minutes and forget about it.
• It’s full of flavor: The miso and soy marinade is so flavorful and the salmon really soaks it all in.
• It requires minimal ingredients: This recipe only requires 6 ingredients and most of them live in our pantry on a regular basis. Grocery win!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Skin-on Salmon Fillets: Skin-on fillets hold up better on the grill. If you don’t have skin-on fillets, they’ll still work—you’ll just have to be more careful taking them off the grill. We prefer the taste (and health and environmental benefits) of wild-caught salmon. Use whatever you prefer. If you use frozen salmon, make sure it's completely defrosted before cooking.

White Miso: Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans. It has a creamy texture and a nutty umami flavor. White miso has the mildest flavor compared to other varieties. You can find it in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores.

Sriracha: Sriracha is a type of hot sauce made from chili peppers. If you don’t have sriracha (or don’t like it), you can substitute your favorite hot sauce.

Soy Sauce: Soy sauce provides more great salty umami flavor in this marinade. If you’re gluten free, you can substitute coconut aminos—it works great too.

Maple Syrup: We use maple syrup to add some sweetness to this marinade. It also helps the salmon caramelize in a really delightful way. If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute brown sugar using a 1-1 ratio.

See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and amounts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Place the salmon filets in a ziplock baggie with miso, sriracha, soy sauce, maple syrup, and rice vinegar. Shake to combine everything, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Step 2: Preheat your grill to about 500°F. Then add the salmon, skin-side down, and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the salmon is cooked about three-quarters of the way up the side.

Step 3: Flip the salmon and cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about 130°F. Then remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for a few minutes before cutting into it.

Top Tips

• Make sure you preheat your grill before putting the salmon on. The grill should be nice and hot before you start cooking.
• Cook the salmon skin-side down for most of the cook time. This ensures that the salmon won’t fall apart. Remove the salmon from the grill at 130°F because it will continue to cook after you take it off the grill.
• Marinate the salmon for the full 4 hours if you have time. The flavors get more intense the longer it sits in the marinade.
• Dump the extra marinade on top of your salmon after you put it on the grill for extra flavor and glaze.

Side Pairing Ideas

This grilled miso salmon goes great with:

• Rice
• Cauliflower Rice: Try our cauliflower fried rice!
• Vegetables: For minimal cleanup, grill some veggies next to your salmon.
• Salad

Other Salmon Recipes

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