This Baked Salmon with Ginger Miso Glaze is one of the quickest, easiest dinners out there. Who says making a healthy, elegant dinner needs to be complicated? Read on, or jump straight to the recipe, HERE.
It’s amazing that I’ve made it this far into these 31 Days Of Healthy Recipes without sharing a seafood recipe. When I’m wandering the grocery store trying to decide on dinner, I always find myself moseying over to the seafood counter in search of whatever’s fresh.
There are few meals that make me feel better than fish. It’s quick to make, flavorful, and I leave the table feeling full and satisfied, but not heavy. Like I’ve done something good for my body, and I enjoyed the heck out of it, too.
This baked salmon with ginger miso glaze is no exception. It comes together in about 20 minutes, and the sweet/salty/umami glaze is a tasty way to mix up your regular dinner routine.
I’ve been blogging for a while now, and family and friends have started to catch on that I might be the person to ask when they have cooking questions. One of the most common things I get asked about is fish. How to cook it, how to not overcook it, why does it have to be so hard?
The answer is, it doesn’t. Cooking seafood is the easiest thing there is — or it can be, with a little practice.
Pan-frying fish is no doubt the most common way, and it takes a bit of skill to learn. It’s perilously easy to over or under do it, especially the first few times. Fish is pretty different from other kinds of protein, so it takes some getting used to, but with a little practice it becomes easy. However, there is totally an easier way than pan-frying, and that is baking.
Baking fish — any kind of fish — is very nearly foolproof. Here are the steps: Lay fish on baking sheet, season, and pop it into the oven. Almost any temperature will do in the 350-450F range, so if you’re cooking something else in the oven, the fish can usually go in, too.
Seafood cooks pretty quickly, so depending on what kind of fish you’re using and how thick the filet is, it might need anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Poke it with a fork. If it starts to flake, you’re good to go. The more often you cook fish, the more second nature it becomes to tell when it’s perfectly cooked, and not overcooked.
It really is that easy. Another benefit to baking fish in the oven (and probably the best part): you can have a whole pan full ready at the same time. Meaning, you don’t have to stand in front of the stove while everyone’s food gets cold. Take that, pan-frying!
I like to serve this recipe with these easy and addictive roasted green beans on the side. They take about the same amount of time in the oven, so I can throw the green beans in on the rack below the salmon, and everything is ready at once.
Healthy, delicious, and easy. This is a combination I will never get tired of.
Do you have a favorite way to prepare fish? Share in the comments below.
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lb. salmon, cut into 4 equal portions (or you can use pre-cut portions from the grocery store)
- 1 TBSP red miso paste
- 1 TBSP honey
- 1½ tsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp. soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
- 2 TBSP hot water
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and brush lightly with the olive oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a bowl, stir together the miso paste, honey, ginger, soy sauce, and hot water.
- Lay the salmon on the prepared baking sheet, and spoon about 1 TBSP of glaze over the top of each fillet. Sprinkle with a pinch of sesame seeds, and place on the center rack of the preheated oven.
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes (depending on how thick the fish is, and how well done you like it. Keep a close eye.) To test doneness, gently prod a fillet with the tines of a fork. If it begins to flake easily, and is opaque all the way through, it's done.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve immediately.
If you find yourself with leftover miso paste, try this recipe for simple miso soup, HERE.
If you have celiac's disease or an allergy to gluten, be sure to use gluten-free tamari in place of the soy sauce, and check the label on your miso paste to be sure it doesn't contain trace amounts of wheat.
The salmon is so beautiful! Is that a weird thing to say about a piece of food? Haha. Seriously though, such great quality – just waiting for a simple, delicious glaze.
Haha, that’s not weird at all! The fish market really did have some great salmon this time.
Wow this is super easy and it looks incredible! I can tell that glaze tastes amazing already.
Thanks, Emily!
Love this recipe because of it’s simplicity and healthy, very tasty ingredients.
:)
Beautifully presented! I love quick meals and nothing can beat a 20 minutes salmon. Thank you so much for the inspiration.
Thanks Agata! Glad I inspired you.
A fabulous way of serving salmon, sounds tasty and wholesome. I would be happy to have this served for my supper any evening.
Thanks Helen! Comin’ right up. ;)