Need a Nutritious Dinner on the Table Quick? This Miso Honey-Glazed Salmon is the Solution

Those of us who eat fish often include salmon fillets in our easy, weeknight meal rotations. After all, it freezes well, cooks up quickly with no fuss, and gives us a much-needed boost of protein and omega-3s. But at times, you may find yourself in a seasoning rut: You’ve exhausted all of the spices in your pantry and are aching to shake things up. In that case, culinary creator and cookbook author Tiffy Chen recommends a method that’s still simple but tastes like it took all day: A miso honey glaze.

Chen says that the addition of miso paste doesn’t just add flavor. “Miso has so many health benefits. Not only is it rich in nutrients and vitamins, it’s also high in probiotics, which means it helps the body maintain healthy bacteria levels, which in turn promotes gut health and enhances your immune system,” Chen writes in her new cookbook, Tiffy Cooks: 88 Easy Asian Recipes from My Family to Yours.

Potential nutrient boost aside, white miso paste has a uniquely nutty taste that will keep you coming back for more. In her cookbook, Chen points out that the salty kick of the miso in this recipe will be perfectly counteracted by a small but helpful dose of sugar: “Miso is fermented, so its flavor is quite salty…this recipe includes mirin or honey to balance that out.” Sweet, savory, and ready in just about 10 minutes? Sign us up.

Miso Honey-Glazed Salmon (Weizeng mi zhi guiyu)

SERVES 2

Ingredients

2 skin-on salmon fillets (7 ounces / 200g each), patted dry

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1⁄2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 1⁄2 tablespoons light soy sauce

3 tablespoons mirin or liquid honey

2 1⁄2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon white miso

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1⁄2 teaspoons olive oil

For garnish

Toasted sesame seeds

Chopped scallions, both white and green parts 

Instructions

1. Season the flesh side of the salmon with the salt and black pepper. Dust both sides of the salmon with the flour, shaking off any excess.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the light soy sauce, mirin, sake, miso, and sugar.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin-side down in the pan and cook for 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes, until the skin starts to brown. Flip and cook for another 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes. The salmon should not be fully cooked. Transfer the salmon to a plate.

4. In the same pan (no need to wipe the pan) over medium-low heat, drizzle in the sauce and simmer for 1 minute.

5. Add the salmon skin-side down and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to absorb the sauce. Transfer the salmon to a large plate and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with the sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.

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Reprinted with permission from Tiffy Cooks: 88 Easy Asian Recipes from My Family to Yours, by Tiffy Chen. Copyright © 2024 by Yin Chu Chen and Tokytiffy Consulting Ltd. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ching Ying Wong. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.