• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Collections 15 Minute Meals

Japanese Salmon with Mirin and Soy Sauce

By:Nagi
Published:8 Jul '14Updated:20 Mar '19
54 Comments
Recipe v

This is a classic, simple, Japanese salmon marinade used in thousands (millions!) of Japanese households every day. With only 3 ingredients in the marinade, it takes all of 30 seconds to prepare and 6 minutes to cook, making this the ultimate 10 minute meal!

Authentic, classic Japanese marinade - only 3 ingredients, amazing flavour. Great with any fish. #fish #marinade #Japanese

Japanese Salmon recipe

This is an authentic, simple Japanese marinade that can be used for any fish but is especially great with salmon.

In this recipe I’ve cooked this by pan frying but it is really great broiled/grilled too. With pan frying you get a really crispy skin (which I love) and the wonderful caramelisation, and with broiling/grilling, the exterior is less caramelised making it softer and a bit juicier which is also delicious. But with both, the inside is the same – moist and incredibly juicy (make sure you don’t overcook it!). If you are cooking salmon without skin, I recommend broiling/grilling it as flipping salmon without skin is quite difficult.

The salmon marinade is classic Japanese flavours – soy sauce, mirin and sake. It doesn’t get anymore “Japanese” than that! The fish really needs to be marinaded overnight (or 3 hours at the absolute minimum) because it’s not a “saucy” dish – all the flavour is in the marinade and it needs the time to infuse into the fish.

The most important thing to remember with this Japanese salmon is to cook it over medium heat – because of the sugar in the mirin, if you cook it over too high heat then the sugar will burn before the inside of the fillet is cooked. If you have trouble regulating the heat on your stove, then I recommend broiling/grilling it instead.

As you can see from the photo below, I love my salmon just cooked so the inside is a gorgeous coral colour and out-of-this-world juicy, infused with the flavours of the marinade. I only marinated it for 3 hours – the absolute minimum time. If you marinade it overnight, which is the recommended time (or even up to 24 hours for an oily fish like salmon) then your salmon will be slightly stained with the marinade.

This is also a great recipe for the BBQ – the smoky flavours add another dimension and the marinade is made for BBQ-ing! This is a great simple recipe to add to your repertoire. – Nagi x

Authentic, classic Japanese marinade - only 3 ingredients, amazing flavour. Great with any fish. #fish #marinade #Japanese

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Japanese Salmon with Mirin and Soy Sauce

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 1 min
Cook: 6 mins
Total: 7 mins
Grilled, Pan Fry
Asian, Japanese
5 from 15 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 156
This is a classic, simple, everyday way of cooking fish with an amazing flavour that is being made in millions of Japanese households every day. With only 3 ingredients in the marinade (and no chopping!), it takes all of 30 seconds to prepare. Be careful to ensure you cook it over medium heat and no higher - because of the sugar in the mirin, if you cook it on too high a heat the sugar will burn before the inside has been cooked.

Ingredients

  • 2 salmon fillets (5 oz / 150 g each)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1/2 tbsp oil

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients except the oil in a ziplock bag, remove as much air as possible and marinade overnight (or minimum 3 hours).
  • Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a non stick pan over medium heat.
  • Add salmon skin side down, cook for 2 to 3 minutes until crispy. Check the skin to ensure it isn't cooking too quickly - if it is, then turn down the heat and/or remove the pan from the stove briefly to allow the temperature to decrease.
  • Drizzle over remaining marinade in the ziplock bag over the flesh side. Flip and cook the flesh side for 2 minutes, or to your liking. I like salmon medium rare so the inside is very moist and just cooked.
  • Rest for a couple of minutes, remembering that the salmon will continue to cook while resting, then serve.

Recipe Notes:

1. To broil/grill, preheat the broiler/grill on high. Use the oil to grease a tray, then place the salmon on it and place under the broiler/grill (about 5 inches / 15 cm from the heat source) until cooked to your liking. The general rule of thumb is 10 minutes per 1" / 2.5 cm thickness of the fillet (measure the thickest part of the fish).
2. Nutrition per serving.
Salmon Soy Mirin Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 215gCalories: 307cal (15%)Carbohydrates: 11.1g (4%)Protein: 35g (70%)Fat: 14.4g (22%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Cholesterol: 78mg (26%)Sodium: 724mg (31%)Potassium: 701mg (20%)Sugar: 6.1g (7%)Vitamin A: 150IU (3%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 1.3mg (7%)
Keywords: Japanese Salmon recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

Previous Post
Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
Next Post
Mexican Fried Rice

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




54 Comments

  1. Julie Moore says

    May 15, 2022 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    This is wonderful! I made it with rice, squash and zucchini with garlic, tomatoes, sushi ginger and wasabi. (My whole family loves every recipe we try, BTW!)😁

    Reply
  2. Lx says

    April 26, 2022 at 12:04 am

    Can I use air fryer for this? If so, what temp should I use and how long should I air-fry? Thank you so much!

    Reply
  3. Top says

    February 6, 2022 at 10:46 am

    5 stars
    I love the crispy skin and the meat is cooked just right. Of course the sauce is delicious as well. Quick, easy and fills you up without feeling heavy afterwards,

    Reply
  4. Angela says

    January 11, 2022 at 2:29 am

    5 stars
    Made this for lunch yesterday and it was delicious. Will definitely be making again.

    I did omit the sake (didn’t have any on had)

    Also only marinated for 2 hours.

    Reply
  5. Yvonne says

    December 17, 2021 at 10:24 am

    Hi Nagi 🙂 I’m thinking of cooking this on a charcoal grill, is there anything I should do differently? I notice you said this shouldn’t be cooked on high heat. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Chris says

    November 11, 2021 at 11:35 am

    This is a great recipe, tastes just like the same dish in our favourite Japanese restaurant. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
    • Chris says

      November 11, 2021 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      Whoops, forgot to rate it – 5 stars of course!

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        November 11, 2021 at 2:57 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it! N x

        Reply
  7. Jackz says

    August 30, 2021 at 9:43 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing that this 4 ingredients dish is so delicious and easy! The perfect mid week meal! Thanks heaps for this, Nagi. This one will be a regular on our menu from now on!

    PS. I second Nel’s comment that you should give this recipe a fresh promo. 😊

    Reply
  8. Giselle says

    July 13, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    5 stars
    A weekly standby! Love love love how easy this recipe is. What’s incredible is that It’s actually tastier than alot of other Japanese salmon recipes I’ve tried – and for a quarter of the effort!

    Reply
  9. Melinda Y. says

    April 19, 2021 at 3:42 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! It’s delicious and easy. My family loves Japanese food and they loved it. They said it’s on par with restaurants style.

    Things I modified due to time and ingredients and it still turned out delicious!

    – I didn’t have sake on hand so I substituted with vodka.

    – I only had time to marinade for 30 minutes.

    – I added the oil to the mixture by mistake. I broiled the salmon in my convection oven at 425 degrees so the fish released from the pan with ease.

    Reply
  10. Nel says

    February 24, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    5 stars
    Just wanna say I think you ought to give this recipe a fresh promo.
    Takes 30 seconds to prep (of course plus marination) and 5 mins to cook. It is an EPIC weeknight meal.
    Flavours are exceptional. On weekly rotation with my family now.

    Reply
  11. Nel says

    February 15, 2021 at 1:35 am

    5 stars
    Made this tonight with a three-hour marinade and it was delicious. Having it again tomorrow with a 24-hour marinade!
    Aldi sells pieces of salmon approx 100gm each in a 4 pack and nice quality. Perfect for this recipe. Served with cabbage and rice.

    I like my salmon cooked a little more so did just under 3 minutes per side and it was perfect. Thanks, Nagi.

    Reply
  12. Wade says

    February 10, 2021 at 4:39 am

    What’s the shredded vegetable pictured on the side? Is it shredded cabbage? Shredded onion? Any other suggestions for a vegetable side? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 10, 2021 at 9:01 am

      Hi Wade, it’s just shredded cabbage here, but this would be perfect with any of these as a side:
      https://www.recipetineats.com/asian-side-salad/
      https://www.recipetineats.com/smashed-cucumber-salad/
      https://www.recipetineats.com/chinese-broccoli-with-oyster-sauce/

      Reply
  13. Joe says

    February 6, 2021 at 8:52 pm

    Hi Nagi…what brand of mirin you are using for this dish?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 8, 2021 at 2:41 pm

      Hi Joe – this link should assist here: https://www.recipetineats.com/asian-market-grocery-store-shopping-list/ N x

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2023 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top