Miso Glazed Salmon with Coconut Rice is a simple yet elegant dish packed with flavor! Considering miso is the star of this glaze, keep in mind that not all miso is created equal. Generally speaking, you want to use Japanese miso which can be found at any Asian food store and at many gourmet grocery stores. Take it from me, you want the real deal – in a pinch I’ve made the mistake of buying American miso at the local grocery store and I had to throw it away – it was terrible…just terrible! Sorry America, you know I love you, but miso is not your strong suit. 
This dish has been catapulted to a new dinner favorite in our household! The umami rich taste of the miso glaze pairs perfectly with the delicately sweet coconut rice, and the scallions add a light onion taste with wonderful little bite. It’s packed with so much flavor, you’ll be amazed at how quick and easy is to make!
- 3 tablespoons shiro (white) miso
- 1 tablespoon aka (red) miso
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- ½ teaspoon gochujang
- 4 salmon fillets
- 1 - 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- Add the first 8 ingredients to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Place the salmon fillets on a plate (skin side down). Brush the miso glaze onto the salmon and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.
- While the salmon fillets are marinating, work on the coconut rice. To rinse the Jasmine rice, place the rice in a large bowl of cold water and swish the rice around with your hand until the water becomes cloudy. Carefully pour off the water and repeat the process of rinsing and pouring until the water is clear, about 5-6 times. In a saucepan bring the coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a simmer over medium-high heat - careful not to let it boil. Once the coconut milk is simmering drop the heat to low, add the rice, give a quick stir, and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes - no peeking. Turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork and cover with a lid to allow the rice to steam for about 10 minutes.
- Position the oven rack to the top (about 4- 6 inches away from the heat source) and preheat the broiler for 3 minutes. Place the marinated salmon, skin side down, on a sheet pan lined with foil, and cook until the exterior is caramelized and slightly opaque in the center, about 7 -10 minutes, depending on thickness and distance from the broiler.
- Plate the coconut rice and miso glazed salmon. Top with sliced scallions, serve, and enjoy!
I made this again for a group of friends and they all asked for the recipe. This dish never fails to please a crowd. As a side note, my husband recently had a serious injury and was wheelchair bound for several weeks and is now trying to lose the pounds he put on during that time. I wanted to make this for him, but reduce the carbs. I used cauliflower rice and chopped onions sautéed in coconut oil and finished it with zest and juice of one lime, cilantro and chopped green onion. It had that hint of coconut flavor and a very nice texture. My first experience with cauliflower rice – can’t wait to get back to the real thing!1
Yay! I’m so glad you and your guests enjoyed the dish! The cauliflower rice sounds fantastic – I have to give that a try! I love the combo of lime, scallions, coconut, and cilantro – some serious flavor going on there!
I’ve made this salmon 3 times and I think I finally got the finish to look almost as nice as yours. The first time I broiled the fish in my Viking range (which is newer and I’ve never broiled in it) and it was too light because I was too far away from the heat source, the second time I broiled it in my Breville counter top oven and I got nervous because it started smoking and pulled it out – the fish was done, but the finish wasn’t dark enough. Sunday night (I was under pressure because I was serving this to guests – well, my kids, they don’t live here, so technically they are guests except they have to do dishes) I broiled the fish on the top rack in my Viking range and it was not only beautiful but delicious. . .I also made the coconut rice which is always a crap shoot in my house because I can ruin frozen rice. It was just as delicious as the salmon. I served it with a cucumber/mango/onion salad with a citrus/hint of cumin vinaigrette. The kids loved the salmon, my husband says it one of his favorite dishes. I have some glaze left over so I can use it on more fish tomorrow or on chicken. (I always pour half of the glaze in a bowl and use that to brush the fish and I have enough left over for a 2nd night.) I’m going to make those spicy ribs on your site for super bowl. . I have a new love in my life – “gochujang”. Thanks for introducing us and thank you for sharing all these great recipes.
That’s fantastic, Cherie! I’m so glad you found the broiling ‘sweet spot’! It makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it?! And the cucumber/mango/onion salad you made is an absolutely stellar pairing with the salmon and coconut rice, all those flavors are just magical together! Gochujang is one of my very favorite ingredients. Seriously, I’m trying to get everyone to try it! It just adds such wonderful depth and complexity… not to mention I love the heat! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the ribs! And if you’re looking for some more game day recipes that use gochujang – Korean Fried Chicken is one of my favorites.
Thanks for all of your super sweet and thoughtful comments – they make my day 🙂
I made this salmon last night (w/o the rice) and I’m sure I will be making it again and again. I added just a smidgen more of the gochujang because my husband likes spicy – it was delicious. I probably could have broiled it a little closer to the heat source because I didn’t get that nice caramelized glaze. I bet I could put this glaze on chicken after it is roasted and finish with a broil? So delicious. (I’m glad I spent the time to find the miso.)
I was wondering if you ended up making the dish 😉 I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Salmon can be a little tricky to gauge due to its varying thickness, so it just takes a little practice to figure out that perfect sweet spot of distance from the broiler and time. If the salmon was cooked to your liking, but just didn’t get that glaze – next time try bumping the salmon up to the highest rack so it’s just under the broiler for the last 30 seconds of cooking (keep an eye on it during this time so you can pull it out as soon as it gets that perfect caramelization on top).
This glaze would definitely work on chicken! And if your husband is a fan of spicy this application would be perfect! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Cherie!
I would like to make this tonight. Is Aji Mirin the same as “mirin”? That is what I have in my refrigerator.
Hi, Cherie! There are several different varietals of mirin, but Aji-Mirin is what’s most commonly sold in grocery stores and it’s what I used – so what you have in your pantry is perfect for this recipe! I hope you enjoy the dish and I’d love to know what you think!
The coconut rice just sounds so good! I love salmon and I’d like try the miso glaze. Is it possible to use normal miso instead of the white one? It’s quite difficult to find here.
Hi Maggie! Forgive me, I’m not entirely sure what you mean by, ‘normal’ miso. Is there a particular brand or type that you have in mind? If you already have a style of miso that you like and you’ve found works well for you in other dishes, I say try it! The recipe’s you come up with are incredible, so I would trust your judgement.
The shinshu style white miso that I use has a very mellow flavor. Personally, I think of it as the Goldilocks of miso – not too sweet, not too salty, but just right. I think so long as you use miso that’s on the lighter side (given the 1/4 measurement), it will still be great! Please let me know how it turns out with the miso you use! 🙂
I’m not normally a salmon lover, but my wife made this dish and the glaze is amazing!
Lol! My husband isn’t a salmon lover either but he loved it! I’m so glad you enjoyed the dish! 🙂
I LOVE coconut rice, never thought to have it with a Japanese dish but I can so imagine the flavour combo!! Miso and coconut would be fabulous. Totally agree with you about miso, my rule is that you should NEVER buy miso unless there are asian characters on the packet!! 🙂
You know…I never thought to have coconut rice with a Japanese dish until I made this one! But they’re a match made in heaven! Truly, the rich salty-fermented flavor of the miso pairs so wonderfully with the sweet coconut rice – they really do compliment each other quite well! Agreed with the Asian characters on the package for authenticity. Personally, I like to make sure they even have Asian cartoon characters on them too…just for good measure. 😉