This Broiled Salmon recipe is tender and flaky with a savory-sweet miso glaze that caramelizes beautifully under the broiler. Ready in just 15 minutes!
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. ~Marcus Aurelius
Of all the salmon recipes on the blog, this Broiled Salmon has become my go-to when I need dinner on the table fast. The salmon turns tender and flaky while the savory-sweet miso glaze bubbles and caramelizes under the broiler-all in just minutes.
I'll admit, I'm not great at meal planning these days, especially when it's just the two of us, and this is exactly the kind of recipe I rely on. There's no marinating required: simply crisp the salmon skin in a skillet, brush with the miso glaze, and pop it under the broiler. The whole thing cooks in just 7-9 minutes!
I especially love broiling salmon in the summer because it's so quick and requires very little oven time. Pair it with something cool and crunchy, like our Bok Choy Salad, Mango Slaw, Asian Cucumber Salad, or Asian Slaw for an easy, fresh dinner.
This Broiled Salmon is my Favorite Weeknight Dinner!
Ready in 15 minutes. Broiling cooks salmon incredibly quickly, making this one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table fast.
No marinating required. Brush on the miso glaze just before broiling-the high heat caramelizes it into a savory-sweet, golden crust while the salmon stays tender and flaky.
Big flavor, little effort. Miso adds loads of umami and depth with just a handful of ingredients. Pair it with a crisp salad or simple vegetables for an easy weeknight dinner.
Broiled Salmon Recipe Ingredients
- Salmon: Use middle cuts (thicker pieces) of skin-on salmon filets. I love Seatopia salmon.
- Miso paste: Adds rich umami flavor and a subtle fermented saltiness that pairs perfectly with salmon. If you are gluten-free, seek out GF miso paste.
- Soy sauce: For savory complexity and depth. Or sub gluten-free liquid amino acid, like Braggs.
- Maple syrup: Imparts natural sweetness that balances the saltiness of the dish, and gives a nice caramelization.
- Sesame oil: Adds a toasted nuttiness that enhances the natural flavor of salmon.
- Sriracha: Optional, for a hint of heat and garlic flavor.
- Optional garnishes: Sesame seeds and chives.
How to Broil Salmon
1. Prep the oven. Move the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven to broil (500°F- 550°F)
2. Whisk the marinade. Whisk together miso paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, and sriracha (if using) in a small bowl.
3. Sear the salmon. Bring an oven-proof skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season the skillet with kosher salt, then place the salmon skin-side down in the skillet. Sear the skin for 3-4 minutes or until crisp. Turn heat off.
4. Brush salmon with the miso paste. You can do this right in the pan- brush all sides, (except the crispy skin side) with the miso paste and season the top with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Broil the salmon. Set the pan with the salmon 7-8 inches under the broiler and broil until deeply golden and caramelized. Check after 3-4 minutes, but continue cooking (on the lower rack if it’s browning too quickly) until the internal temperature reaches 125-135F. Time will depend on the thickness of the filets.
Tip: Keep in mind, the salmon filets will continue to cook an additional 5 degrees after you remove them from the oven.
6. Garnish. Sprinkle sesame seeds and chives over top.
Chef’s Tips
- Don't overcook the salmon. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer. For a softer, medium-rare center, aim for about 125°F; for medium, 130-135°F. The salmon will continue to cook slightly after you remove it from the heat.
- Skip the marinade. I designed the miso glaze to deliver plenty of flavor without marinating. Simply brush it on just before broiling for a fast weeknight dinner.
- Crisp skin-on salmon first. If your salmon has skin, sear it skin-side down in an ovenproof skillet until crisp, then add the glaze and finish under the broiler.
- No ovenproof skillet? No problem. Sear the salmon in a skillet, then transfer it to a foil-lined baking sheet to glaze and broil.
- Broiling vs. grilling salmon. Broiling is faster and especially convenient for weeknight cooking, while grilling gives salmon a smoky flavor and beautiful char. When the weather is nice, try our Grilled Salmon recipe.
Storing Broiled Salmon
Store leftover salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 300°F until warm, or pan-sear skin side down in a skillet. You can microwave the salmon, but it may be a bit drier.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the broiled salmon with slaw, a fresh salad, or a vegetable side. You can also serve the salmon over a bed of polenta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
- Slaw: Mango Slaw or Asian Slaw
- Salad: Cucumber Salad or Asian Avocado Salad
- Vegetables: Grilled Bok Choy, Asparagus Stir Fry, or Pan-Seared Turnips, Stir-Fried Pea Shoots, Miso Eggplant
- Starchy sides: Coconut Rice, Sushi Rice, Kyoto Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Miso Butter or Seasoned Japanese Rice with Furikake
Hope you enjoy this easy broiled salmon recipe! It is my favorite way to make a quick and delicious dinner. Let us know what you think in the comments!
More Favorite Salmon Recipes
Easy Broiled Salmon Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: 30 minute Dinner, Dinner, easy dinner, fish, fish and seafood, fish recipe, salmon, weeknight dinner
- Method: broiler, oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy Broiled Salmon is tender and flaky with a savory-sweet miso glaze that caramelizes beautifully under the broiler. Ready in just 15 minutes with no marinating-a quick, flavorful salmon dinner for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 2–4 pieces of thick-cut salmon, skin on, patted dry. See notes for skinless.
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, optional, more to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Optional garnish: sesame seeds and chives.
Instructions
- Set Oven. Set oven rack 6-7 inches from broiler, and preheat oven to broil (typically this is 500F)
- Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk miso paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, and sriracha until smooth.
- Crisp the Skin. Heat olive oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the oil with salt, and place the salmon skin side down in the skillet, searing the skin for 3-4 minutes. If, skinless, skip this step.
- Brush with glaze. Remove from heat, brush the salmon on all sides (except the skin side) with the miso paste. Season with salt and pepper.
- Broil. Place the salmon under the broiler and broil until it is beautifully golden and caramelized, checking at 3-4 minutes. Continue cooking (place it on a lower rack if it’s browning too quickly) until the internal temperature reaches 125-135°F, another 2-4 minutes. Keep in mind, salmon will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven. Well done is considered 140°F. Remove before it gets there.
- Garnish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives.
Notes
Leftover broiled salmon will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
If using skinless salmon, season with salt and pepper and brush the top and sides with glaze. Place on a sheet pan or skillet, under the broiler, and continue with step 5 above.Â
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces salmon with glaze
- Calories: 207
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 281.8 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.7 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 23.2 g
- Cholesterol: 62.3 mg
Easy to prepare and so good!
The miso was quick to mix. My salmon was skinless, as noted to skip the stovetop searing. At first it was not browning well. Moved the rack to highest level under the broiler. It came out picture perfect. Another go to recipe. Thank you.
Glad it worked out Mary! Appreciate you taking time to review.
Easy, quick, and delicious! Next time I think I’ll move it a bit closer to the broiler to get the nice browning color, but otherwise it was amazing.
Glad you enjoyed Korina!
Oops I forgot my 5 star rating!!!
Thanks!
I loved this salmon dish – I make some sort of fish dish weekly and this one is repeat often because it’s easy and flavorful. I did add extra sriracha and then served it along side a fresh green salad and roasted Okinawa purple sweet potatoes and the combination was absolutely delicious.
Sounds perfect!
So many amazing recipes on feasting at home. It’s my go to when I need a delicious meal! And this Miso Salmon is one of my very favorites. Simple to prepare and everyone always loves it. Yum yum yum!!
So glad to hear this Kallee! Appreciate your review.
What did I do wrong?? The glaze didn’t look like in your pics. Even under the broiler it was pale. The crispy skin was awesome…. It looks like I’m the only one not succeeding. Judy
You may need to move the salmon closer to the broiler? Or check that it is right under the element. All broilers are different. 😉
This is my new favorite way to cook salmon. The miso glaze is perfection. I ordered Seatopia Salmon and though it is spendy, the quality is supurb.
Great to hear Ellie!
PS, I am fixing to walk into the kitchen to make your mushroom loaf, mushroom gravy and garlic mashed potatoes. My granddaughter loves mushrooms, and she was thrilled (yelling WOW) when I told her I was making this masterpiece for her and family.
Sounds like a perfect meal!
This salmon was out of this world delicious. I had one piece left over and made tacos with corn tortillas, avocado, cabbage and pico de Gallo. The glaze was amazing, and so easy to make. Girl, you always knock it out of the park with your fabulous global cuisine recipes. Thank you so much.
Awesome to hear Colette! Thanks for circling back and rating it for us and I love how you repurposed for tacos- yum!
Love this delicious and easy glaze! I was trying to think of other things I could put it on. Do you think it would be good on chicken/tofu/cauliflower? I broiled the salmon in my toaster oven so had to move the fish to a small baking tray. Wish I had paid attention to your note and put parchment paper or a silicone mat down, it was a bear to clean afterwards. Next time, (probably in a couple of days)!
Yes, this would be yummy on lots of things! For veggies, I would add near the end of roasting.
Made this tonight and it was spectacular. Can’t wait to make it again. I used red miso paste, because that’s what I had, and served with your Asian slaw and jasmine rice. Delish!
Great to hear Sandra!
How about in an air Fryer?
Hi David- yes you can do this in an air fryer. I would preheat to 400F and cook 7-8 minutes.