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Bring a taste of Nobu to your home with this broiled cod with miso! Made with just 5 simple ingredients, miso cod is incredibly flavorful and buttery with a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and umami flavors. It’s easy to prepare, is great for meal prep, and tastes amazing
Black cod (sablefish) has a naturally rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture that pairs perfectly with the caramelized miso glaze. It’s a restaurant-quality meal to impress your loved ones yet is super simple to make at home.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to make broiled cod with miso
- 1. Mix marinade for black cod
- 2. Prepare the fish
- 3. How to marinate sablefish
- 4. Wipe off excess miso marinade
- 5. Broil time and temperature
- 6. How to serve
- What to serve with miso glazed cod?
- ChihYu’s helpful notes
- More easy cod recipes you might like
- Broiled cod with miso recipe
Ingredients
This marinade for black cod is made with just four pantry staples. Not only does white miso pack a flavorful punch but it helps to tenderize the fish so it melts in your mouth.
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- Black Cod (Sablefish): The recipe calls for a center-cut filet cut into four 4-5 oz (113-142 g) pieces. Skin on or off is fine. Center-cut filets are thicker making them ideal for this dish.
- Substitution: Sea bass or halibut—both are mild, flaky fish that pair well with miso.
- White Miso Paste: Be sure it’s white miso and not red, or the flavor will be too strong. Miso paste can tenderize meat, making the fish softer and more tender.
- Sake: Helps dissolve the miso, remove fishiness, and add depth.
- Mirin: Slight sweetness to balance the saltiness of the miso.
- Brown Sugar: Caramelizes beautifully under the broiler.
Tip
Sablefish vs. Cod
Sablefish (aka black cod) and cod aren’t the same! Sablefish is rich, buttery, and silky because it’s super high in healthy fats. Cod is leaner, firmer, and milder—perfect for lighter dishes like baked cod or fish and chips. If you want that melt-in-your-mouth texture, sablefish is the way to go.
How to make broiled cod with miso
Miso glazed cod proves that simple ingredients can create incredible flavor. Broiling is a quick and easy way to cook cod, giving it a rich, buttery texture with a beautifully caramelized glaze.
1. Mix marinade for black cod
Combine the miso paste, sake, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk well until there are no lumps.
2. Prepare the fish
Pat the fish dry and slice it into 4 equal-sized fish fillets.
3. How to marinate sablefish
Place the fish filets in a container with a lid and coat well with the marinade, skin side up. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours to marinate.
4. Wipe off excess miso marinade
Use your hands to wipe off excess miso sauce so that the fish is less likely to have burn spots. Place the fish skin-side down on a baking sheet with a non-stick silicone baking mat.
5. Broil time and temperature
Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes. Place the sheet pan in the center of the oven and 8 inches (20 cm) away from the heat source. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes.
📌 Safe Internal temperature : A digital thermometer inserted at an angle at the thickest part should reach 145°F (62.78 °C). If not, send it back for 1 minute and check again.
6. How to serve
Let the fish rest for a few minutes. Carefully use a fish spatula to transfer to a serving plate. Remove the pin bones, if any. Serve immediately with skin on or off with vegetables and rice on the side.
What to serve with miso glazed cod?
This miso marinated cod is the star of the show! Serve with simple vegetable sides and rice to let this buttery miso sablefish shine.
- Sautéed veggies: Veggie sides like sauteed bok choy, sauteed bean sprouts, sauteed Chinese mustard greens, or broccoli with garlic sauce pair beautifully.
- Chilled side dishes: Air fryer broccolini is another great option for a cooked vegetable. Or try my Asian cucumber salad for something fresh and crunchy.
- Rice: Keep things simple with my rice cooker sticky rice, ready in under an hour. Or try Chinese sausage fried rice or golden fried rice for some variety.
ChihYu’s helpful notes
- Selecting your fish: Center-cut sablefish (about 1 inch thick) cut into 4 equal pieces is your best bet. Sea bass or halibut are the best substitutes if you can’t find sablefish.
- Why use white miso paste: Miso not only adds umami flavor, but it helps tenderize the fish. The flavor of red miso is a bit too strong for fish, so be sure to use white miso.
- How long to marinate: Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or 24 hours max. I don’t recommend any longer than that. The fish turns too salty in my opinion.
- Wipe off excess marinade: The sugars in the marinade are prone to burning. To prevent charred spots, wipe off extra marinade with your hand before broiling.
- Prepare your baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with oil or use a non-stick silicone baking mat like I do. This will keep the fish from sticking.
- Broiling time is short—watch closely! Fish cooks fast under the broiler, and just one extra minute can make a difference. Start checking at 8 minutes and adjust based on thickness.
More easy cod recipes you might like
If you love this miso cod recipe, don’t miss out on these yummy baked and steamed cod dishes!
- Chinese steamed cod with ginger scallion sauce.
- Baked cod with panko crust gluten-free with lemon butter sauce!
- Baked cod with herbed lemon butter, zucchini, and carrots. Made in a one-pan.
Broiled cod with miso recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp white miso paste
- 2.5 tbsp sake
- 2.5 tbsp mirin
- 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 lb black cod sablefish, center-cut (4 pieces, 1-inch thick (2.54 cm), 4-5 oz (113-142 g) per piece, skin on or off)
Instructions
- Marinade: In a cup, combine miso paste, sake, mirin, and sugar. Whisk well until completely dissolved and there are no lumps.
- Fish: Pat dry the fish and slice it into 4 equal pieces.
- Marinate the fish: In a rectangular food storage container with lid, pour-in ⅓ amount of the marinade. Place the fish filets in with skin side up then pour-in the remaining marinade. Seal the container and refrigerate to marinade for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.
- Prepare sheet pan: Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Lightly spray the oil over so that the fish won’t stick to the pan. You can also use a non-stick silicone baking mat like I do.
- Wipe off the excess completely: Use your hands to wipe away the marinade on both sides and as much as you can so that the fish is less likely to have burn spots. Place the fish skin-side down (or smoother side down if skinless) in a single layer on the mat.
- Broil: Let the broiler heat up for 5 minutes. Place the sheet pan in the center of the oven and 8 inches (20 cm) away from the heat source. Boril for 8 to 10 minutes. Check after 8 minutes. Important! Fish cooked very quickly in a broiler. 1 minute can make a difference so watch it carefully. If your fish is thinner than 1-inch, reduce the broil time by 1-2 minutes.
- Temperature test: The fish is cooked when you can flake it easily and the top portion is light dark golden brown because of the marinade. Slight charred spots are okay. Insert a digital thermometer at an angle at the thickest part and it should reach 145°F (62.78 °C). If not, send it back for 1 minute and check again.
- Transfer: The fish out of the oven and let the fish rest for a few minutes until they are no longer piping hot. Carefully and slowly use a fish spatula to scoop out the fish. They will be very buttery soft so be gentle.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving plate. Remove pin bones, if any. Serve with skin on or off with a side salad and rice on the side. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For reference my total broiling time was 9 minutes. I checked the temperature after 8 minutes and the fish needed another 60 to 70 seconds to bring it up to the safe temperature.
- Substitute: If sablefish isn’t available, sea bass or halibut are great options. They’re mild, tender, and pair beautifully with miso marinades.
- Broiling basics:
When broiling, you don’t adjust the oven temperature like you would when baking or roasting. Instead, the trick is to control how close the food is to the broiler. The closer it is, the faster and more intense the heat, which is perfect for creating that golden top. For something delicate like cod, you’ll want just the right distance to cook it evenly without burning. - Why Wipe Off the Excess Marinade?
Removing the excess marinade is important because the sugars in the miso, sake, and mirin can easily burn under high heat, especially during broiling. By wiping it off, you reduce the chances of burn spots while still keeping the flavor locked into the fish. It also helps the fish cook more evenly and develop a nice caramelized surface without sticking or charring too quickly. - Make Ahead:
You can prepare the marinade (miso, mirin, sake, sugar) up to 2-3 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Marinate the fish for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours before cooking. For longer storage, freeze the fish in the marinade for up to 2-3 weeks, then thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to cook. - Post-cooking storage:
Leftovers: After cooking, store any leftover miso cod in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best consumed within 2 to 3 days. To reheat, gently warm it in the oven at a low temperature to maintain its tender texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dish was fantastic! So easy to make. This was our Valentines Dinner. My spouse thought I spent hours cooking but it really was quick and easy. Definitely making this again.
Yay! That’s the goal. I’m so happy to hear that and thanks for sharing!