From soothing soups to salad dressings to savory marinade, miso is the secret ingredient that can shake up flavors in everything you cook. Here are some delicious miso recipes you want to make over and over again.
Miso (味噌), or fermented soybean paste, is an indispensable staple in Japanese cooking. We love it for its umami-packed flavor, all-purpose uses, and healthy probiotics!
You’ll find many different types of miso: yellow miso, white miso, red miso, dark brown miso, and each one offers different tastes and flavors. With its exceptional versatility and long shelf life (most miso can be stored for up to one year), miso is the one secret ingredient that can transform any weak, bland dish. One spoonful is all you need to add complexity and richness.
So, what can you do with miso? Its uses are limitless. In addition to making miso soup, you can use it as a key flavor or complementary booster. It works beautifully in salad dressings, sauces, stir-fries, roasted vegetables, grilled meats and seafood, mashed potatoes, and much more!
Learn more: Ultimate Guide to Miso (including the best brand of miso, storage, etc.)
If you already have a tub of miso paste in the back of the fridge, it is time to scoop this fermented goodness out and make the most out of it. Here are 15 delicious miso recipes on how you can use every spoonful of the miso you have!
15 Easy & Delicious Miso Recipes To Make At Home
1. Miso Salmon
Sweet and savory miso pairs very well with salmon, especially when you use it as a marinade. This salmon dish is as simple as it can be to get your Omega 3 intake any night of the week. Enjoy with the aromatic ginger rice and top with a scatter of chopped scallion!
2. Homemade Miso Soup
This classic homemade miso soup recipe shows you how you can make it the authentic Japanese way. Make it vegan-friendly by using kombu dashi.
3. Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing
Dressed with creamy and savory miso tahini dressing, this roasted cauliflower kale salad is packed with delicious caramelized cauliflower, kale, sweet glazed pecans, and crunchy croutons. It’s tasty, nutritious, and filling.
4. Miso Ramen
Flavored with pork and chicken broth with a mix of toppings, this steamy bowl of Miso Ramen is going to satisfy your noodle craving.
5. Miso Pork and Eggplant Stir-Fry
This protein-packed stir-fry recipe makes a deliciously easy weeknight meal. Some sprinkles of sesame seeds add a touch of nutty crunch.
6. Grilled Corn with Miso Butter
Corn on the cob grilled until nicely charred and brushed with sweet miso honey butter—this is going to be your favorite of enjoying the summertime must-have.
7. Miso Glazed Eggplant
Eggplant, so good on its own, but when it’s glazed with miso and grilled until lightly charred, the vegetable can really shine. Use slender Japanese or Asian eggplants if possible.
8. Miso Cod (Black Cod with Miso)
This miso cod will make a pretty impressive main dish if you are looking for a classic Japanese recipe for serving dinner to guests. Prep it, have a quick broil in the oven, and dinner is ready. Easy but no lack of elegance.
9. Spring Mix Salad with Sweet Miso Dressing
Spring greens mix, avocado, sliced radish, heirloom tomatoes, and some fresh herbs tossed with a simple sweet miso dressing. This is possibly the easiest salad you can make for your family! The leftover dressing even goes well with steamed veggies or chilled/grilled tofu!
10. Tonjiru (Pork & Vegetable Miso Soup)
When the cold weather calls for a nourishing soup, a hot bowl of tonjiru will warm you from the inside out. Root vegetables such as daikon and carrots are used in this pork based soup stock for an umami-pack flavor. To serve, garnish with some chopped green onion.
11. Miso Butter Mushrooms in Foil
These miso butter mushrooms in foil packets are so easy to make with a medley of Japanese mushrooms like shiitake mushrooms, enoki, and shimeji mushrooms. They are creamy, savory, and rich in flavor. Serve it as a side or a main dish.
12. Miso Butter Pasta with Tuna and Cabbage
Al-dente spaghetti tossed in a delicious Japanese-style seasoning (butter, miso, and soy sauce). This pasta makes a quick meal you’ll love. It’s ready in 15 minutes!
13. All-Purpose Miso Meat Sauce
This easy miso meat sauce is a great side dish to go with steamed rice, noodles, or lettuce wrap. As a bonus, it’s meal prep friendly!
14. Miso Chicken
Marinated in a homemade all-purpose miso sauce and pan-fried till crispy, this miso chicken is very moist, flavorful, and delicious. Serve over steamed rice and drizzle extra miso sauce on top!
15. Miso Butter Cookies
Crisp, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth, these miso butter cookies make the most insanely delicious afternoon treat! They hit the right notes with a serious depth of flavor. Only 7 pantry ingredients are needed!
More About Miso
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Thank you for these great recipes. I am excited to try them out/
Hi Susan! We hope you enjoy them all as much as we do!😆
Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipes!
I saw somewhere on here that you can put miso on burgers. I was skeptical at first, but after trying it, I have been changed forever
Hi Patrick! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
We are glad to hear you liked it!
Mmmmmm so good, I’ll make all of your recipes for my family. 😉
Hi Carlson! Aww. Thank you very much for your kind feedback.
Nami and JOC team are so happy to know that you enjoy Nami’s recipes. Happy Cooking!
I’m so happy today when you sent me email most important food recipes,thank you so much,
Hi Anzan! Thank you, I hope you enjoy the recipes!
I have a recipe,so I’m all set, but I think many people would like a recipe for Miso Carrot Salad Dressing, such as you receive in a sushi restaurant.
Hi Lorraine! Here is my version: https://www.justonecookbook.com/carrot-ginger-dressing/
Hope you enjoy!
A long time ago, I had raw Japanese cucumbers with a bumpy miso on them. It was delicious. After some research, I think it was Moromi Miso. I want to buy some to enjoy with my veggies, but can’t find it. Would you know if this is the correct miso for vegetables? Help!
Hi Cheryl! Yes, that’s the miso you eat with raw vegetables. I had never made moromi miso on my own, and usually, we buy it from a store. You can make homemade, but I think you need bean koji (not rice koji) which I don’t know where I can source it…. I don’t think I’ve seen Moromi Miso in my local Japanese grocery store but I’ll take a look next time I go. I wish it’s easier to find…
Hello nami, for the Japanese recipes that require miso that you recommend? In my Asian grocery store you get Marukome and Hikari
Hi Ruth! I love Hikari Miso ever since I found my favorite miso (after trying different kinds for a while). Here’s my favorite:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/miso/
In Kyoto I tried the most amazing dish of chilled pork miso on top of chilled sprouts at a gyoza shop called gyoza hohei. I never thought miso could be sooooo good 🙂
Hi Alexis! Oh that sounds wonderful! We have so many ways to enjoy miso in different dishes. Hope to share more recipes using miso in different ways.
Hi Nami, thank you so much for sharing so many recipes. i have tried a lot of them. you are my go to if i need to whip up some home cooked japanese food. Nowadays, i cook a ton of japanese food just because it is simple and healthier than other type of food. I like that most of the recipes call for common ingredients that are already staples in my pantry (sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, salt,)
Hi Hokidoki! You’re welcome! Thank you for trying many of my recipes and I’m happy to hear you enjoy them. Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I think it’s great that we have a few essential condiments that we can work together for many recipes. 🙂