Make Nobu‘s famous Miso Cod at home today! Also known as Black Cod with Miso, this classic Japanese seafood dish is delicate, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You‘ll be surprised by how easy it is to pull this off at home.
A classic Japanese dish, Black Cod with Miso (or simply Miso Cod 銀だらの西京焼き), is served at many formal Japanese restaurants. You may have heard of the dish after it’s made famous worldwide by the acclaimed fine Japanese restaurant chain Nobu. Luckily, the miso-glazed black cod recipe is simple enough that you can enjoy this wonderfully seasoned fish at home.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It requires only a few simple ingredients. I also provided substitutes (see my Recipe Card) on how to prepare the recipe using other types of fish.
- Super fast for an elegant main dish. While the marination requires a minimum of 2 days, the actual prep time takes only 10 mins and the cook time in the oven 20 mins. All in all, a fuss-free recipe!
- Prep-friendly! After marination, you can individually wrap the fish and store it in a freezer bag for up to 2-3 weeks. When ready to cook, just defrost it in the fridge. Perfect for the holiday season.
Best Type of Miso Paste for Miso Cod
To enjoy the succulent texture, we prepare the fish by marinating it in sweet miso for at least 2-3 days until the sweet & salty flavor is completely absorbed before it is cooked. Traditionally, the fish fillet is soaked in the marinade for up to 5-7 days. In Japan, we refer this marinade as saikyozuke (西京漬け), and once it’s grilled, it’s saikyo yaki (西京焼き).
Saikyo in Japanese refers to “West City”, which is the former name for Kyoto. This specific cooking method is named saikyo because the recipe utilizes saikyo miso (sweet white miso) originated from the Kyoto area. The traditional saikyo yaki recipes include just three ingredients: Saikyo miso, mirin, and sake.
The sharpness of the miso and sweetness of the mirin work wonderfully to cut the fish’s fattiness. When it’s baked to perfection, the deep flavor of the marinade comes through and the buttery flesh simply melts in your mouth. It’s so good that my young children can easily finish one fillet of the fish on their own.
Substitute for Saikyo Miso
You can purchase saikyo miso on Amazon or local Japanese/Asian grocery stores. If you are not able to find Saikyo Miso at your local Asian grocery stores, the best miso to substitute is white miso and add sugar to sweeten the miso.
If you want to learn more about different types of miso, click here.
Quick Notes on Black Cod (Sablefish)
It’s easy to mistake black cod as another type of cod, but black cod is actually not a member of the cod family at all! The actual name is sablefish (gindara 銀ダラ) or butterfish, but it is commonly referred as black cod because of its similar appearance to cod.
Black cod (sablefish) is known for its silky and tender rich texture and flavor. High in omega-3 fats and quality protein, it is the preferred fish choice since it doesn’t have the strong taste of fatty fish like tuna or mackerel.
The creamy white flesh pairs extremely well with miso paste that is sweet, savory and salty. In fact, black cod with miso marinade is probably one of the most popular preparations for the fish.
Where to Buy Black Cod
I usually buy black cod from my local Japanese supermarket in the fresh fish section.
In the US, you can also find sustainable caught Alaskan black cod from online seafood companies. It’s rather pricey but it is still a much better deal to enjoy the fish at home than ordering at a fancy restaurant.
Other Fish Choices Besides “Black Cod”
If you couldn’t find sablefish, you can also use other fish to enjoy with the versatile miso marinade. I like alternating between black cod, sea bass, or salmon and my family enjoy them equally.
Baking vs. Broiling Fish
Although I use a broiler in my oven to cook different types of fish often (including miso cod and Japanese thin-sliced fish fillets), I recommend baking this miso cod especially if you have never tried the broiling method for black cod before. Miso burns really easily. You can’t avoid burning miso completely; however, you can minimize the burns by removing the marinade and baking this fish.
Here I summarized the difference between broiling and baking fish, and which type of fish is suitable for broiling or baking for your future reference.
Broiling
When you broil fish, the infrared energy from the heating element cooks the fish that’s placed closer to the broiler at the top of your oven. Broiling is a much faster cooking method and the fish will brown beautifully, but it burns miso, fresh herbs, and many other garnishes and requires constant attention.
When broiling, you don’t control the temperature in the oven; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It’s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill.
Baking
When you bake fish, the hot air cooks the fish. The heat is carried through your oven by slow-moving natural currents of hot air, which is why baking takes a relatively long time to cook. But it can be relaxing as you do not need to constantly pay attention.
Choose Baking or Broiling Based on the Type of Fish
- Fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and swordfish) can be baked or broiled at higher temperatures, ranging from 425ºF (baked) to 550ºF or 550ºF (broiler).
- Moderately lean fish (such as cod and haddock) should be brushed with oil and broiled.
- Whole fish, large fillets, or lean and fragile fish (such as sole) should be baked at temperatures 425ºF to preserve their moisture and delicate texture and avoid broiling because it’ll be overcooked too fast.
What to Serve with Miso Cod
Miso black cod makes an impressive main dish to serve as part of a classic Japanese ichiju sansai style dinner, especially on a special occasion or during the holiday. Prep it ahead, bake in the oven, and dinner is ready. Easy but no lack of elegance.
We would serve it with steamed rice, a side of green, and a simple soup. Here are some recipes that pair well with this beautiful dish:
- 21 Popular Japanese Vegetable Dishes
- Chrysanthemum Greens and Tofu Salad
- Simmered Fried Tofu and Greens
- Classic Miso Soup
- Vegetable Miso Soup
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Miso Cod (Black Cod with Miso)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 fillets sablefish (gindara) (4-6 oz or 113-170 g per fillet; skin-on; about 1 inch or 2.5 cm thick)
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp sake (to clean the fish and remove its odor)
For the Miso Marinade with Saikyo Miso (Traditional)
- 6 Tbsp Saikyo miso (Kyoto-style white miso) (西京味噌, a sweet white miso)
- 3 Tbsp mirin
- 3 Tbsp sake (do not substitute)
For the Miso Marinade with Regular White Miso (Optional)
- 6 Tbsp white miso (for miso types that are saltier than white miso, add more mirin or/and sugar)
- 3 Tbsp mirin
- 3 Tbsp sake (do not substitute)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Before You Start: Select the freshest fish possible, as you will be marinating this fish for a few days. Please note that this recipe requires a marination time of 2–3 days. If you use skinless fish, marinate it for a shorter period of time. You can also use salmon and sea bass in this recipe.
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Marinate the Fish (2–3 days before serving)
- Sprinkle 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt over 4 fillets sablefish (gindara) and set it aside for 30 minutes. The salt will draw out excess moisture and reduce the fish‘s odor.
- Meanwhile, make the marinade. In a bowl, add 6 Tbsp Saikyo miso (Kyoto-style white miso), 3 Tbsp mirin, and 3 Tbsp sake for the traditional recipe. (Optional: If you are making the optional recipe using 6 Tbsp white miso, add 1 Tbsp sugar.) Tip: While in some recipes we can replace sake with water, it‘s not a suitable substitute in this recipe due to the longer marination time required.
- Mix it all together and pour the marinade into a flat-bottomed airtight container.
- Pour 2 Tbsp sake over the fish to rinse off the salt. Gently pat dry with a paper towel to remove the moisture. Do not wash the fish under running water.
- Place the fish in the container and coat both sides of the fish with the marinade.
- Slather the fillets with the marinade. Cover the container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days for the traditional method. Tip: If you are not using Saikyo miso or regular white miso, you can reduce the marination time to several hours or overnight. Since other miso types are saltier than white miso, please adjust the flavor by adding more mirin or/and sugar.
To Remove the Fish from the Marinade
- With your fingers, wipe the marinade off the fish completely. Do not leave any excess marinade on the fish; otherwise, it will burn easily. At this point, you can individually wrap the fish with plastic wrap and store it in a freezer bag for up to 2–3 weeks. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.
To Prepare the Fish for Cooking
- Place the fish skin side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper/silicone mat (for baking) or aluminum foil (for broiling).
To Bake (Recommended)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200ºC) with a rack placed in the center of the oven. For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Bake the fish on the parchment paper until the surface is blistered and browned a bit, about 20 minutes. You do not need to flip the fish. Please remember the cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the fish.
To Broil (Optional)
- Preheat the broiler* with a rack placed about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the top heating element (in the center of the oven) for 5 minutes. Tip: When broiling, you don‘t control the temperature in the oven; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It‘s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill. *There are usually three broiler settings: Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and High (550ºF/288ºC). I usually use the Medium (6 inches away) or High (8 inches away) setting.
- Place the fish on the foil-lined baking sheet and broil on High (550ºF/288ºC) for 8–10 minutes until the surface is blistered and browned a bit. Please remember the cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the fish and the distance between the broiler and the food. You do not need to flip the fish.
To Serve
- Carefully remove the fish with a spatula and remove any burnt miso from the fish. Serve immediately. I serve the fish with thinly sliced red radishes and garnish it with a small green leaf from my backyard for additional color. We always eat this dish with rice.
To Store
- You can keep the cooked leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3 days and in the freezer for up to a month.
Notes
- Sake: Sake is used to clean and remove the odor of the fish. You can’t replace it with water even though sometimes water is used as a replacement in some recipes. We will marinate the fish for a longer time, and water can go bad and ruin the marinade and fish.
- Mirin: Typically, mirin can be replaced with water and sugar, but for this recipe, please do not use water. If you want to omit the mirin, use sugar only. For 1 Tbsp mirin, use 1 tsp sugar.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post is originally published on Sep 21, 2011. The photos and content were updated in November 2013 and July 2017. The video and new step by step pictures were added in August 2018.
Made this for the first time. My Japanese mother loved! Even my 2 yr old ate her fish up, so very kid friendly. どうもありがとうございました!
Hi Angie! We are so happy to hear your family enjoyed this dish! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! こちらこそ、どうもありがとうございました!
Hi Nami, should I change the cooking method at all for black cod steaks? They won’t have the skin on top to protect from drying out. I plan on cooking them 2-3 days from now.
I’m pre-rating this recipe based on how I’ve liked your other recipes. Your seasonings are just right for my palette! Thank you!
Hi Carolku, Thank you very much for trying this recipe!
If the fish didn’t come with the skin, we recommend shortening the marinate time and baking time. It will marinate and cook faster than one with the skin. The cooking method can be the same. We hope you enjoy the fish soon!🙂
I will cook it sooner then. Thank you… Looking forward to it!
I just made your Miso Cod recipe and everyone loved it. Thank you!! I love your site and use it often. I made the fish with your daikon salad on the side and it was also a hit!
Question – I have some extra marinade that I didn’t soak fish in. How long do you think it would be ok to keep it in the refrigerator?
Hi Jodi, We are glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you very much for trying.
The extra marinade (didn’t soak fish) can be store in the airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2~3 days. If you warm up first and store them, it would last longer. You may also make them into all-purpose miso sauce:https://www.justonecookbook.com/all-purpose-miso-sauce/.
We hope this is helpful!🙂
I will try the miso sauce! Thank you! You’ve helped me to cook so many of our Japanese favorites (and new favorites) at home. My family is very happy. ❤😊
Hi Jodi, Awesome! Thank you! We hope you continue to enjoy many of Nami’s recipes!🥰
What kind of mirin and sake should be used? There are different types of Mirins in the market? Type and brand names would be super helpful. Thank you!
Hi Adam, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! Nami uses Honmirin.
You can learn more about Mirin, Sake, and recommended brands by clicking the “Mirin” or “Sake” in the ingredients list or links here; https://www.justonecookbook.com/mirin/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/sake/
We hope this helps!🙂
I have made this recipe before and it turned out fabulous!! All my guests raved over it! I’m planning to make it this weekend; however, I just realized that the sable fish I bought does not have skin on it. Will it still be okay to broil it?
Hi Michelle! We are so happy to hear that this recipe turned out fabulous, and all of your guests enjoyed it!
Please be careful handling the sablefish. Once it’s cooked, pieces may disintegrate and break apart because no skin’s holding. Another note is, please try marinating for a shorter time and make sure to remove the miso completely before you cook. It’s seasoned enough and cooks faster than one with skin.
We hope this is helpful!
Hi, I have just made the fish using your recipe so didn’t really try it yet but I was wondering why you do not cook sake and miso as we can see in some other methods for black cod. Thank you so much!
Hi Monika, This dish is a traditional Kyoto dish made by Kyoto’s famous Saikyo miso, and is a type of miso-zuke (miso pickled). For the preservation method, we do not cook sake or miso. We hope this helps!🙂
Hello, your recipe format looks good and easy to follow. I want to try this recipe this week, but was wondering if I could use ryorishu (cooking sake) instead of normal sake to prep the fish instead? I have a bottle of Hinode Ryorishu in my kitchen. And would I still need to add mirin along with ryorishu (cooking sake)?
Hi Alicia, If you are using Ryorish, we recommend adjusting the salt level for this recipe. Most of Ryorish has 2~3% of salt. Some of them have syrup or other additives and lower alcohol levels. We hope this helps!
I love this recipe so much that I’ve made this more than once already. (This dish is one of my favorites.) I baked my previous attempts. This time I’m planning to use a fish grill, the type that is found in Japanese kitchens. Do I just follow your recommendations for broiling, or do you recommend some adjustments? Thanks.
Hi JD, Thank you very much for your kind feedback! We are so happy to hear this dish is one of your favorites now.🥰 To use the fish grill, you can follow the instruction for broiling. But please be careful not to overcook the fish since it will be very close to the heating element. Happy Cooking!
Thank you for your response. I cooked this tonight on the fish grill, and followed your advice. I did have to turn/flip the fish fillets as the tops were getting really dark but the bottom bits weren’t done yet. I thought that someone may find this useful. By the way, I also made kabu pickles using 2 of your recipes – so good . I found fresh kabu yesterday and couldn’t resist buying them. Then I went to your site for recipes. By the way, I used a piece of kabu in miso soup, which I made using your recipe. Thank you very much for your website!
Hi JD, It is our pleasure! We are so glad to hear you were able to manage the fish! Kabu pickles, Miso soup… wow! We can imagine a nice Japanese meal on your table. Yay! Thank you very much for trying many of Nami’s recipes.🥰
Hi Nami,
I really enjoy your recipes and videos! I am looking forward to making the miso black cod soon. I had a question – I noticed you mentioned using an air tight container, would I be able to use my Corningware tightly covered with a couple layers of plastic wrap or what alternatives do you suggest if I do not have an air tight container?
Thank you for help!
Hi Abri, Yes. That should work well as an alternative. Thank you very much for your sweet feedback!
Thank you and you are welcome!
Hi Nami-san, thank you for the recipe. I tried cooking with the recipe today, but with a few variations – I used cod instead of black cod (bought the wrong kind of fish), and I cooked it in a toaster oven (425F, 15min) instead of a conventional oven. I did get a little bit of the miso flavour on the surface of the fish, although it was overpowered by the alcohol flavour from the mirin and/or the sake. I am going to try again next time with the right kind of fish and using a conventional oven (and perhaps coating in more salt at the beginning), but I was wondering if you have any tips as to how I can get a stronger miso flavour throughout and how I can eliminate the alcohol flavour entirely. Thank you!
Hi Hiro, Thank you very much for trying this recipe. To get a stronger miso flavor, we recommend marinating longer. How many days did you marinate the fish? You can marinate it for up to 3 days with this recipe. To eliminate the alcoholic flavor, baking a little longer than this time until the surface is blistered and brown a bit may help. We hope this helps!
I have commented on this recipe before as I absolutely love it (especially with salmon). I will now goes as far as to say that this was my favourite recipe discovery of 2020. And not only mine: I cooked this for several friends and one even said she dreamt of it afterwards. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe – I already know that this is going to be a keeper for life. Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
Hi Afra!
Thank you very much for your love and support!
We are so happy to hear this recipe is going to be your keeper for life!☺️
We wish you a Happy New Year!
Hello, has anyone ever used Shio Koji to marinate the Black Cod? If so, would you still use white miso in the recipe and if so would you use the same amount or less?
Hi Suzanne,
Yes. You may use Shio Koji as well.
You may mix it with Miso or use Shio Koji only as you like. As for the amount, we recommend the same amount. But of course, you can add more or less for your liking.
We hope this helps!
How many ounces or pounds for this recipe?
Also, how wide should I cut the pieces into?
I bought 2.85lb (2 very long fish strips) of Alaskan/Pacific Cod at Costco.
Just wondering how wide should I cut/slice the pieces into, for marination and freezing/storing later.
2″, 3″, 4″ wide, etc.?
Thanks!
Hi Edgar,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe!
Nami’s slices are about 2.5″ wide.
We hope this helps!🙂
Thanks for the info!
I actually just sliced and marinated them an hour ago, and did 2-3″ wide slices… so I got lucky it is close to 2.5″.
I first did your recipe measurements (6tbs saikyo miso, 3tbs mirin, 3tbs sake) and it was enough to dip/cover a lot of fish! It did about 2lbs of my 2.85lb fish.
So, I made a smaller amount for the last pound (2tbs saikyo miso, 1tbs mirin, 1tbs sake), and that was perfect amount!
Hi Edgar,
Great! Thank you for trying this recipe!
We hope you enjoy this dish with warm steamed rice. Let us know how it goes.😉
Made this and it came out great, thank you! I baked it because I’m not good at broiling. Used a silicone mat (Silpat). I could not believe the fish survived just fine in the fridge after 3 ½ days. I guess the miso protected it. Ate it with sliced daikon.
Hi Dave!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!🤩
We are so happy to hear it turned out great, and you enjoyed this dish.
Thank you for writing to us! 💕
Hello,
Thank you for this recipe! I love doing it but was wondering how you could use the rest of the marinade since you have to swipe any excess on the fish.
Thank you!
Hi Elodie,
We normally do not reuse the marinade sauce from this recipe.
However, you may use it for stir-frying or baking vegetables, etc. Please make sure to use heat and used up on the same day.
We hope this helps!